175th Anniversary Head Master's Lecture - Pat Fry

A highly respected juggernaut of the industry, Surrey-born Pat has extensive experience in Formula 1, having held senior roles at McLaren, Ferrari, Manor and Benneton since beginning his career in the sport in 1987. Initially joining Benetton's Research and Development Department in Witney, Pat focused on active suspension systems. After a brief stint in the Test Team, he took on his first trackside role as Race Engineer for Martin Brundle in 1992.

 

In 1993, Pat moved to McLaren, where he made significant contributions to the team’s 66 Grand Prix wins, one Constructors' Championship victory, and three Drivers' Championships. He held various positions within the team over his years there, starting on the Test Team and later serving as Race Engineer for Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard. Pat's responsibilities expanded to overseeing both teams' race cars, and he eventually rose to the position of Chief Engineer of Race Development, playing a pivotal role in McLaren's successes.

 

In 2010, Pat left McLaren after 17 years and joined Ferrari. He initially served as Assistant Technical Director and later took on the role of Head of Race Track Engineering. During his time at Maranello, he held key positions including Director of Chassis and Director of Engineering.

 

After leaving Ferrari in 2015, Pat made a return to Formula 1 in 2016 as Manor Racing's Engineering Consultant. In 2018, he temporarily rejoined McLaren as Engineering Director, contributing to the team's best Championship finish since 2012 with a fourth-place in the Constructor’s battle.

 

In February 2020, Pat joined the Alpine F1 Team as Chassis Technical Director and became Chief Technical Officer in February 2022. In his current role, he oversees all technical activities at the Enstone-based team.

 

Pat was announced in July 2023 as the Chief Technical Officer at Williams Racing, a role he started on 1 November 2023.