In a Formula 1 team, there is what you see – the drivers, the cars, the team leaders… – and everything you don’t see. Frédéric Brousseau is responsible for the 1,200 people from the Williams team who fall into this second category.
It was on the welcoming little terrace of Williams headquarters, in the paddocks of the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, that your La Presse representative spoke with the native of Sainte-Thérèse on Thursday afternoon.
It’s been a year since Frédéric Brousseau made the decision to leave his position as vice-president of operations at Pratt
In addition to adapting to distance and English life, he had to familiarize himself with his new working environment. If the role he occupies is as big and important as the one he filled at Pratt
“It was very difficult because the accent is complicated. […] At the beginning, I sat in meetings and I understood absolutely nothing. For an hour, I listened to the meeting. At the end I was like, “What were they talking about? I can’t not understand what they’re saying!” »
Where he quickly found his comfort was in his role as head of operations. Brousseau is used to having hundreds of employees under his responsibility. As head of operations, he is the one who ensures that the equipment is delivered on time for the race weekends.
“If there are two cars here at the end of the week, it’s because there’s a team of 1,200 people behind the scenes who delivered them, who repaired them, who made sure they met the quality specifications.”
In other words, Brousseau manages “the business side of the organization.” No small task, certainly, but nothing he has ever done.
“In some ways, my current job involves more pressure and stress. When we perform or not perform, we see it quickly. When things are going well and when things are not going well, we know it every weekend. And everyone knows it. […] It’s just different. »
Brousseau has always loved Formula 1, but he was never a fan. Today, it’s the same thing. His role is on the business side. “Am I proud? Yes, I’m very proud because I really like the industry, the people in place and the organization,” he says.
At Pratt
Last year, at the Canadian Grand Prix, Frédéric Brousseau had only been on the job for a month. He was in observation mode. This time, he looks at things with a different eye. He ensures, for example, that the changes made within the mechanics team work well.
“I see the racing team a bit like my client. When I talk to Alex [Albon] and Logan [Sargeant], I ask them if there are things we can change from a quality standpoint. I speak with the engineers. Now I have a discussion understanding a lot more about the product. »
During the race, his role is mainly to watch how everyone is working. The watchword: operational efficiency. “I see all the inefficiencies,” he says.
It is obvious that the Quebecer is enjoying his still new role, even if he does not know how long he will occupy it, job security not being exactly the characteristic of Formula 1.
“Formula 1, you know it when you arrive, but you don’t know when you leave,” he rightly says. “That’s what it is for everyone and I’m ready for it. I accepted it when I started at Williams. For the moment, I’m very good, I’m very happy and I’m taking it one year at a time.”
