James Key: in pole position

James has spent the majority of his adult life in Formula 1, but he knew from a young age that motorsport was his calling. "I was born into an environment where cars were a big deal, my dad used to take me to watch motor racing when I was very young. 

"I knew F1 existed, but then I watched this race with the wonderful Murray Walker doing the commentary and got hooked. So in a way I was fortunate to know exactly what I wanted to do for a long time – to be a part of this magical world being projected, through Murray, on the TV.

"I went into the automotive world to begin with just to learn the ropes, then came to Nottingham to study, knowing that I wanted the next step to be motor racing, even if it wasn’t Formula 1.

"Luckily in my first job I was able to do some design work on racing car applications and very importantly, ??? simulation as well. Both of those were the right ingredients to apply for a role that came up in F1 18 months after I'd left Nottingham. So I did 18 months in industry, broadly speaking, with some motor racing and that was it, it was F1 all the way after that."

Pitlane entry

You would think 30 years after entering the sport that the advances in technology might mean the entry route for the graduates of 2025 would be vastly different, but surprisingly much of his experience is still relevant today.

"F1 was still pretty scientific when I joined in the 1990s, fundamentally you're doing the same subjects today, it's just the technology has advanced and teams have got bigger; they’re constantly taking it to a new level every time. So speciality has become more important. For example, rather than just being interested in aerodynamics, you might want to be interested specifically in the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) side.

"I think it's good to specialise in a given area, but beyond that, it's pretty similar. The most important thing is that you have something more on your CV than just a degree. Think about the number of applicants you get for a job. You’ve got to filter that somehow, and if you've got additional experience, because you're passionate for it, you're really interested in it, that's definitely that tick in the box."

Adjusting to the pressures

For the vast majority of us, we are never likely to experience anything like the level of pressure James encounters in his daily life, so it would be remiss not to try and glean insights into how one deals with such high pressure scenarios week in, week out.

"There's no doubt Formula 1 is very high pressure – as is any elite sport.

"If you're doing well, it's public and if you're not doing well, it’s also very public – and you feel that pressure too. You learn to deal with that and you never get comfortable with it. But you learn the mechanisms of dealing with it and accept it as very much part of the job.

"It's not just on me; it's on the vast majority of the team as well at one time or another. Particularly now that we're changing to a very highly respected automotive manufacturer (Audi takes over the Sauber team in 2026) who expects to win and we expect to win as part of that group, that only increases the pressure again.

"But being given the opportunity also increases the challenge and the passion for getting to that point as well. You see tennis players, you see football managers, you see all of these individuals who are under pressure; it's easier when you're in a team, but it's a similar sort of thing. You just have to deal with it.

"I'd say the only attribute I'm aware of is that I'm typically very calm. When we have an important issue to deal with, let's say, it will be a professional discussion on how we solve the problem rather than anything more dramatic. I feel that's the right way to face these things, because actually, you've got to be really focused, particularly if it's urgent and you're trying to deal with it.

"So I think typically the calm persona helps a lot, but anything else, it’s difficult to tell you – you’ll have to ask other people!"

Taking a new steer

In 2026 the pressure will likely ramp up to another level, as Audi takes over the Sauber team. For James this is energising as much as it may be daunting. "Every team wants to be given the opportunity and the backing to go and win. Those that are winning typically have been given that opportunity through budgets, through investment, through various other means.

"We are now being given an opportunity by Audi. So yes, the pressure ratchets up on the basis that you've got to be aiming for the top. You can't follow anymore – you have to lead. Although I would say every team intends to win.

"Of course, you have a pecking order, it's the same in the Premier League, but it doesn't mean that the others don't want to become champions. It's just whether you've got all the means you need available to do it. So I think it energises the team. They love the challenge. They like to see that things are changing.

"I think in terms of how you deal with it and how you move into this new direction – it’s a huge project. There are the aspirations, but practically there's a huge amount of investment. There's a lot of strategising to do.

"We're living in the era of a cost cap in F1, so you can't have this explosion of investment. You have to control it, allow it to trickle through a little slower than you'd like. So you’ve got to set your priorities straight. You restructure; there's a whole range of other things, and the responsibilities change as well in that respect, when you're part of a much bigger operation than a team has been used to. But it's a really welcome opportunity in the team."

Nottingham's training wheels

Of course, the reason for James' return to campus was to share his years of wisdom with today's students. Looking back at his time at Nottingham only brings fond memories. "Nottingham will always be really special to me. I took a bit of a contorted route to get to university. I was a year or two older than most of the people I joined with, but I wanted to go to the best place I could. When I came here the first time, I walked down this wonderful campus, I thought, 'this is what I think a university should be'.

"You know from its atmosphere, its aesthetics, the buildings – I fell in love with it immediately. When I met the people, it just reinforced that view. Then going through the experience of being here was everything I imagined going to a great university should be. So I feel I owe Nottingham a great deal for having such a great experience.

"It certainly had a big influence on my career. I knew what I wanted to do, but the university supported that through various means. It's always lovely coming back and giving something back. It's a pleasure to talk to my children's generation who are going through now what I went through when I was here."