When I went back to racing for the 2024 season, the last thing I was expecting was such a test of team spirit and camaraderie. I first met John Cresswell at the farm where his workshop was, after I was invited to a team meeting by the team’s Crew Chief Alan. I was insistent that I met a few of the guys before I would commit to the team, but my reservations were soon appeased when I met John.
It’s a rare thing to meet someone who is so wholly obsessed with a cause, and helping young riders succeed was John’s obsession. I was immediately sucked in by his raw passion for motorcycle racing – something I haven’t seen like that in anyone for a very long time. He was so driven to give the kids a chance to become a MotoGP star, he would have done anything in his power to try and make that happen.
Fast forward to the start of the season, with our season opener combined with a testing session out in Navarra, Spain. The first two weekends were pretty chaotic and I was finding it hard to watch the student mechanics trying their best to work on the bikes. John didn’t just give young riders a chance, but young aspiring mechanics and engineers too. He knew as well as all of us how important that first foot in the motorsport paddock door is. However, it did mean they were pretty inexperienced and in all honesty, I think I was missing being the one running the bike instead of being sat behind a laptop.
There was a six-week break between the second and third rounds, so we all went our separate ways for a while. About halfway through that time, I woke up to a message from the team with the news that John had suddenly passed away in his sleep. I’d only known him for a few months, but his attitude and passion for motorcycles had really resonated with me. It was such a shock to hear such sad news, especially when I felt like everything was only just beginning.
Despite the awful news, unfortunately the race season waits for no-one. There were complications which meant the team wasn’t able to continue and none of the race bikes or equipment could be used. The guys scrambled around to try and keep the kids racing, and they managed to secure bikes for three out of the five original riders. Due to the team downsizing and unsure how anything was going to come together, they didn’t need me in a data engineering role anymore, so I sat at home instead of working at Snetterton.
That race weekend went by, and then I got a message a week later. Based on my years of previous experience, they wanted me to return as the lead mechanic for Julian Correa, their American championship hope. I was really unsure how I felt, because whilst the prospect of working for Julian was exciting, I felt like it was a bit of a step backwards. I had been so driven for years to make it in motorsport, I had dismissed the possibility of that being on the tools. I had some great conversations about it and realised that I perhaps hadn’t enjoyed the first two rounds so much because being sat behind a laptop felt like being at work. It seemed a bit too much like my day job, even though that what I thought I wanted. The chance to spanner again started to fill me with excitement, so I decided to give it a go!
Brands Hatch was the next round, where Julian would be riding another team’s bike, but we would be running him independently. Things weren’t as they had been promised, and what ensued was enough to make me prepare to turn my back on motorsport. We weren’t allowed to run the bike how we wanted, and we were barely even allowed to work on it. It all came to a head when we were sworn at for asking to do some proactive investigations after Julian had a bike issue in the first race. I had to walk away after being spoken to like that, and only held it together to not jeopardise Julian having a bike to ride the next day. I decided I was done. I couldn’t carry on like this, and wasn’t prepared to be treated like I was, especially when working for free! The remains of the rest of the team were running from another awning, and totally understood where we were all coming from.
After the race weekend, conversations were had, and Julian was pulled from the other team’s awning. The guys from the old race team managed to find a bike for him, and we were back on for properly running together as a privateer team. Just in time for the MotoGP weekend at Silverstone…
I have dreamed about working in the MotoGP paddock for almost as long as I can remember. To have that opportunity is something I will never forget. I can’t describe the emotions I felt scanning my pass to get into the paddock for the first time as a worker. In that moment, I was so proud of myself for everything in my life I had achieved up to that point, that brought me to that moment. The weekend was incredible; the perfect weather set the scene for a classic! We worked outside the Pramac Ducati garage when we were on pitlane, seeing (and hearing!) the beautiful MotoGP bikes up close while we were waiting for our sessions to start. We used the MotoGP pit boxes, their grid, their parc ferme and their podium.
I can still recollect the feelings I felt when I was standing on the front row of the MotoGP grid, proudly running a bike again and being back at the front. Then Julian got a podium in the first race, as if we weren’t having a good enough weekend as it was! Walking up to parc ferme and celebrating in there was indescribable, as was watching Julian stand on the MotoGP podium. I will never forget how I felt walking back from the podium to collect the bike, as I had watched so many others do before on the TV.
Being a (small) part of that paddock for the weekend was incredible. I genuinely feel that I can tick that off my list of things I want to achieve in my life. I don’t think the full-time MotoGP dream is for me anymore, so being able to experience this was a dream come true.
The rest of the season from that point on was brilliant. We didn’t really know if we’d still be racing one week to the next, most weekends involved last minute trips to Halfords and borrowing parts, but we did it. Everyone’s commitment to keeping the lads racing was something special. We all came together to battle adversity, but somehow it was working, and Julian was getting podiums in most races. I was really enjoying being back on the spanners again. The hands on running of a bike was definitely where I wanted to be, and I found myself loving being able to use that part of my skillset again. It was back to being fun and a hobby, and not like a job.
It was exhausting with how intense it all was, especially as I’d compressed my hours to do my full work week Monday-Thursday. My work were really supportive so I didn’t have to use any annual leave, but it meant the two weeks around each race meeting were super intense. When I previously worked as a mechanic in a dealership alongside racing, I had Mondays off so at least had a small break after a weekend away racing.
However, the highs of race wins, podiums and pole positions soon washed away the stress and exhaustion. I had forgotten how incredible the winning feeling was, and Julian put together an incredible run at the championship, especially considering everything that had happened. The team spirit, friendships and camaraderie are something you really don’t get outside of racing, and I did enjoy being a part of that again. It was a drama filled season, but looking back I am so glad I decided to go back into the paddock again. The warm welcome I was given back into the paddock was humbling, especially after being away for almost a decade.
I’ve made a decision this year that means I might not actually get to go racing, but the opportunity might come up for me. I wanted to be a part of something special and close to my heart, which means I have chosen to stand on the side-lines to see if my number gets called. As chaotic as it makes my already jam-packed life, racing is in my blood and I don’t think I will ever be able to help myself. It will always be a part of my life and a huge part of my identity, in one form or another.
Emilie
The Female Engineer
