Insight: Preparation The Key For Sean Walkinshaw Racing

Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not just what happens out on track that can decide the outcome of a race. With increasingly greater emphasis placed on what goes on away from the circuit – from the extensive use of simulators, to fitness training and nutrition planning, designed with the aim of giving the driver the best possible chance of maximising their track-time on a race weekend – the age where a driver could rock up, jump in a car and be instantly competitive is now largely consigned to history. The importance of a proper grounding cannot be underestimated and is a philosophy wholeheartedly embraced by BRDC Formula 4 outfit Sean Walkinshaw Racing, who moved to hire Daniel McKenzie as a driver coach to work with their three young charges, Jordan Albert, Nicolas Beer and Diego Borelli as they take their formative steps on the single-seater ladder.

McKenzie (left) chats with Beer ahead of the first race at Snetterton. (Own photo)

“There is a lot to driving, a lot of people don’t fully understand the ins and outs of it,” says McKenzie, a former winner in British F3, now racing a GTE Ferrari in the European Le Mans Series. “Races aren’t won on the weekend by a flash in the pan performance, but from hard work behind the scenes that not everyone sees. And it’s not just the driving in itself but also the mental approach, the nutrition, the fitness part, making sure the whole package is complete.”

“Preparation is everything, from eating the right foods, getting the right sleep and exercising,” agrees team commercial manager Mick Gomme, whose outfit fielded Jack Barlow and Matthew Graham to two wins apiece last year. “It’s really important to get that right. A lot of people who watch motorsport on the TV only think it’s about sitting in the car and peddling it round, but that’s only part of it.”

Driver coaching is a vastly underexplored side to our sport, but one which has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Just as in other disciplines – the top names in tennis are rarely seen without their professional coaches, who lend their expert eye to observe any weak points and help prevent bad habits from setting in – the advice of a professional driver can make all the difference to a young pretender honing his craft in search of those all-important few tenths. It’s an overused cliché, but in motorsport every tenth counts and perfecting the little details can make a significant difference to the overall outcome.

“Times have changed; when I first started out in motorsport I didn’t really have any guidance other than an engineer, who doesn’t always necessarily understand the ins and outs of driving because they haven’t been in that situation themselves, which is fully understandable,” says McKenzie. “If you don’t have that extra pair of eyes to guide a driver, it does make their life a little bit harder to progress.” 

McKenzie's regular mount is this JMW Motorsport GTE Ferrari. Sharing with George
Richardson and Daniel Zampieri, the trio finished third at Imola (Credit: JMW Motorsport)

“If you’re not practising something, then one of your competitors will be and they’ll be using it to get an advantage and be better than you,” Gomme adds. “Dan is a really integral part of the team because he’s been there, he’s done it and he’s currently doing it. It’s great to have someone who’s currently driving because you can have a driver coach that stopped driving five years ago and certain things change. It’s also really important to have a driver coach that the drivers actually like and can get on with, and that’s definitely the case with Dan.

“You’ve got to remember that a lot of these guys are very young, they’re lacking in experience and they’ll get a bit nervous and won’t perform as well. Obviously you can’t beat experience and you have to do it to experience it, but Dan teaches them how to prepare properly. It’s not just about the data and looking at what corners can be improved on.”

In terms of experience, they don’t get much greener than 17-year-old Albert, embarking on his first full season of racing after cutting his teeth in club-level Formula Fords and in Mazdas saloons. The youngster, who grew up a stone's throw from Silverstone, welcomes McKenzie’s tutelage, which he hopes will lead to a championship challenge next year and a successful career in motorsport.

Jordan Albert has shown flashes of promise in his first full season of racing. (Credit: Jordan Albert Racing)  

“He really helps me to become a better driver overall, more consistent, making better decisions and doing the right things at the right times,” says Albert, who currently sits 14^th in the standings with a best finish of 6^th at Brands Hatch. “After every session on track, whether that be testing, qualifying or a race, he’s there to go through the data, point out where I can improve with braking, throttle application or steering application, warming the tyres and general car management. Doing as much as you can when you’re not in the car is really important.

“It’s a slicks and wings car, so there are loads of different setup changes you can make and there’s lots to learn about racecraft as well. It’s very stiff competition; Formula 4 seems to be the place to be for a young driver that wants to make it anywhere in motorsport. It’s a really good place to learn your trade and progress further.”

As for McKenzie himself, coaching has proved a worthwhile and rewarding past-time, not only paying the bills on his weekends off, but also helping improve analytical skills he can apply to his own racing. It’s a give and take relationship which suits both parties.

“If you can pass on some of the knowledge that you’ve gained over the years then hopefully it’s going to be beneficial and give them the best opportunity to develop into a professional driver and have a long-term career in motorsport, but it also makes your self-analysis a lot better,” he said. “You’re always looking to improve yourself and by working so closely with three drivers, learning the different traits they have, the different ways they have of driving round a particular corner, it really does open your eyes to the fact that there isn’t just one way to string together the perfect lap.”