EXPLAINED: What does an F1 team principal actually do?

In Formula 1, it's standard for each of the 10 teams to have a team principal. They’re the boss, the spokesperson, and the ultimate decision-maker of their team – but their job is way more than just looking stressed on camera when on-track drama unfolds...

Who can be an F1 team principal?

From racing pioneers to corporate leaders, our current crop of team principals shows that there is no single path to becoming a boss in Formula 1. In F1 The Movie, APXGP’s Kaspar Smolinski started out as an engineer, a common pipeline for team principals (such as Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur). Others rose from finance specialties (such as Mercedes’ Toto Wolff), strategy roles (such as Williams’ James Vowles), and even truck drivers (like Alpine’s Steve Nielsen who’ll join as their Managing Director from September 1).

It's also not unheard of for professional racing drivers to make the switch to management when they call time on their career, although this isn’t the case for the current crop of team principals. However, what matters isn’t their background, but a love for the sport and their ability to lead.

Which roles do they play?

The face of the team

Each Formula 1 team has hundreds of employees, and the team principal is the figurehead who represents them all on the big stage, whether that be in race weekend press conferences, sponsorship events, and even social media explainers (we’re looking at you JV!).

The Diplomat

Behind the scenes, the team principal will be in constant negotiation with other power players within the sport, such as the FIA (the sport's Governing Body), race stewards, and even other teams. Often, they will spend even more time in meetings than they do in the garage, as they need to balance the teams’ ambitions with the complex politics of Formula 1.

However, they depend on a strong team of specialists at their side to keep the team moving forward in each department, such as the Technical Director, Sporting Director, PR team, and engineers – to name just a few of the crucial roles!

The People Manager

One of their most important jobs is to build a winning culture within the team, so are chief in-charge of hiring and firing, supporting teams’ development, and even making tough calls when necessary. It’s crucial they can create a system where everyone within the team can excel.

It goes without saying the team principal is crucial to their team, their leadership directly impacts what you see on track each race weekend – from making bold strategy calls and hiring the best drivers, to their team's ability to bounce back from setbacks. The team principals’ decisions shape the rivalries and stories that make Formula 1 so exciting.

Scroll through the gallery below to see all the team bosses involved in F1...