AT&T Williams F1

Meet Tim Newton, our Team Manager. Tim has worked for Williams for well over a decade and has been around the sport since childhood. Renowned as being one of the most hard working TM's in the pitlane, Tim lives and breathes F1....

PERSONAL
Age: 45
Star Sign: Cancer
Start date at Williams F1: 7th November 1994. I worked on Williams' touring car programme until the end of '99, before becoming Test Team Manager and then Team Manager of the F1 programme.

The best thing about working at Williams F1? Autonomy. You are given a job and you are left to get on with it. I don’t have people chasing me all the time, which might be the case at other teams. There's less bullshit here.

Previous jobs in F1: Five years with Arrows.

Hobbies: Sailing. I race a seven-metre sports boat off Hamble, on the south coast of England. There are a lot of things going on when you're sailing and it's the only time that I truly switch off from work. To be successful on the water, you need to prepare and you’re then against the elements. You’ve got to respect the sea because it can be very powerful.

PROFESSIONAL
Describe your role at Williams F1: It's my job to make sure that everyone has all the tools they need to do their jobs, whether they are a mechanic, an engineer or a truckie. That applies everywhere, and not just at the racetrack.

What's the most challenging aspect of your job? Anything can be a challenge, depending on whether you decide to make it a challenge. If you’re unprepared for something, it will be more challenging than if you've done your homework. I do as much of my work as I can before arriving at a race, but it doesn’t always work like that. We have a pattern to the way we do things at AT&T Williams, but there are always unforeseen circumstances to deal with.

What do you enjoy doing most? Doing nothing because that means everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing!

How well do you know the FIA rulebook? Pretty well, but I always carry a copy with me, even when I'm in the factory. So much of what we do is governed by the FIA and I believe it’s better to have a copy of the rulebook with you because you can get the precise wording that way.

Are you looking forward to the two new races in 08? They present different challenges. The whole Singapore weekend is going to be offset by six hours compared to a standard race, so if we don’t adjust to the jet-lag we’re going to be at the right time of day. As for Valencia, I've spent a lot of time testing in Spain, and Valencia is a very friendly city. The Spanish are very bold, but not necessarily very punctual...