The chief executive officer of McLaren Racing, spends two-thirds of the year travelling. Here’s how he does it.
What is your fondest memory of a holiday while growing up? Rome. It’s a beautiful city. I found its architecture and history fascinating.
How many days do you spend travelling in the year with McLaren Racing? I travel 270 nights per year. I’m now able to bring my family to a few more races, and my wife travels with me more often since our kids have gone off to college. That’s definitely made things a little easier.
What are your top travel hacks that you follow when preparing for a business trip? I pack just one Tumi bag, regardless of where I’m going and for however long. I’ve got bags in different sizes, but I refuse to bring lots of luggage. I live out of one suitcase [when I travel].
What were some of the big numbers for the McLaren F1 team last year? Last year equaled the record for the most races in a season – with a total of 22 races across 20 countries. We completed 2,448 laps, made 84 pit stops, with an average of 3.8 stops per race. Our fastest pit stop was 1.98 seconds, achieved at the Mexico GP – an incredible achievement and a real example of teamwork at its absolute best.
Any travel quirks that you’ve noticed among McLaren F1 drivers? Drivers like to sleep the moment they get on the plane – but I’m not sure if that’s a quirk or a necessity. Like them, I really like being on planes. I find them to be quite relaxing, and somewhat therapeutic.
If you weren’t at the helm of a racing outfit, is there another career path that you’d chosen? Also, what will life after racing look like for you? Death. I absolutely love everything about racing and plan on doing this forever. I would’ve liked to have been a baseball player, but I gave up on that too early in my baseball career. It’s something I would’ve certainly enjoyed doing though.
What’s the one travel experience you’d rather forget? I’ve had a bunch of those given how much I travel in any given year. Probably going on a ski trip where all my ski equipment was lost.
What are the three things that you always pack in your suitcase? Several phone chargers, attire, and my laptop for
business work.
How do you spend your air miles? Personal travel. My kids and wife will often fly out to join me throughout the racing season. I pay for these things myself, so that’s where I use my air miles.
Where’s the one location that’s still on your bucket list? The Galapagos Islands. It looks like an incredible location and not easy to get to. If I had a second, it would be Egypt, because I’m fascinated by history.
