AT&T Williams F1

Meet Steve Blewitt, production manager in our machine shop and responsible for managing a team in the metallic components department...

PERSONAL
Age: 41
Star sign: Capricorn
Start date: September 1989

Hobbies: Golf, snow-boarding and family.

Previous jobs in F1: None. Prior to joining Williams F1 I worked for some engineering sub contractors, but I was a Formula One fan and wanted to work here so I sent in my CV. I wasn’t replying to a job advert, I was just trying my luck!

PROFESSIONAL
Describe your job...For the past two years I’ve been the production manager for metallic components. Specifically, I work with aluminium, magnesium, titanium and various steels. A lot of my time is spent managing the guys in the machine shop, rather than actually making things, because we're involved in so many different areas of the car. But that makes it interesting and I enjoy the interaction with the design office.

What’s the best thing about working for Williams F1? I really do enjoy it, but it's hard work. We operate day, night and weekend shifts, although it's not quite 24/7 because we don't have a night shift on a Saturday night! The reason for the round-the-clock operation is due to us bringing an increasing amount of the manufacturing process in-house because that gives us greater control over quality, lead times and cost. I have to be on the end of the telephone all the time, even when I’m not physically in the office.

How has the use of metals changed in recent years? It hasn’t changed much. We’re working with the same materials, although we're probably using different percentages of each one. That’s not to say the job isn’t varied; every day you face the fresh challenge of new components to make.

When is your busiest period? We used to have a quiet time during the summer, but that’s no longer the case. These days the rate of development is such that you don't have so many peaks and troughs; you’re flat-out all the time. We're always trying to reduce lead times so that we can get new parts to the track quicker.

Are you proud of Williams’ history? I take pride in the fact that I work for Williams and I have a lot of respect for Frank and Patrick. There were fewer than 100 people in the company when I started and look at it now: 500-plus employees.