Sébastien Philippe (ART Grand Prix): “the current Formula 2 philosophy is not far from that of 2017”

In the shadow of Formula 1, the ART Grand Prix team has been active for 14 seasons in GP2/F2. Originating from ASM, a Formula 3 team created in 2005 by Frédéric Vasseur, ART Grand Prix was brought to the top by the current Team Principal of Alfa Romeo Sauber and by Nicolas Todt, winning four driver titles and four constructors’ titles. This year, the great story continues with two British drivers, George Russell (20 years old) and Jack Aitken (22 years old), nurtured by Mercedes and Renault, respectively. For now, the younger driver is dominating the elder: Russell is in fourth place in the championship with 62 points (two victories) while the elder, in fifth, has only 49 points (one victory). The two young talents experienced a frustrating weekend in Monaco, with Russell having two retirements and Aitken finishing only in seventh place in the feature race, before retiring on Saturday during the sprint race due to a mechanical issue.

To lead them, Sébastien Philippe, who succeeded Frédéric Vasseur when he left for Renault at the beginning of 2016. A former karting driver (and in Formula 3 with ASM!), Sébastien Philippe has moved to the other side of the pit wall to oversee a team in full transformation, which has been participating since the start of the season in the WEC with an LMP1 program, in association with SMP Racing. Between briefings, the 43-year-old man agreed to answer our questions in Monaco, at the foot of the team’s truck.

Sébastien, already three victories for the F2 team and a second place in the constructors’ championship (33 points behind the Carlin team)… what is your view on the start of the season?

The results are good, even though there’s a bit of frustration. In the first four meetings, we lost quite a few points. In Monaco, we mismanaged the traffic during the qualifications, which compromised our chances. For George (Russell), the weekend was complicated: we broke an engine during Free Practice. He didn’t know the circuit and had to take risks to climb up the rankings. From there, we know things can go wrong in Monaco, especially since there was oil on the track at the time of his accident. As for Jack (Aitken), the outcome is satisfactory, especially since he did what was necessary on Saturday. The positive point is that we have performance. It’s important to remember that both our drivers are rookies in the series!

How is the management of the two drivers going?

They are very intelligent: they understood that they need to work together to progress. This is the most important moment of their career: they can’t mess up this season if they want to make it to Formula 1. So there is inevitably a lot of pressure.

Key Information about Jack Aitken and George Russell:

What has changed the most in this new car compared to its predecessor?

We are discovering it constantly! We can no longer rely on the set-up we had with the old car: with it, we knew exactly how to react. In terms of the engine and consumption, things are different, but it’s still manageable. In the overall philosophy, it’s not that far removed from the 2017 model.

The working methods haven’t changed; it’s just that we have fewer certainties. The regulations still limit the number of people working on the car to twelve. Also, we are forbidden from developing new parts; we are working with a finished product. After that, we can make a difference with the car’s settings, such as the ride height, wings, shock absorbers, differential, and gearbox calibration.

Have technical partnerships still been formed with Formula 1 teams?

We are fortunate to have drivers belonging to strong programs: George with Mercedes, Jack with Renault, but also in GP3, with Callum Ilott, supported by Ferrari. What is certain is that these teams do everything to help their drivers. However, the support from a Formula 1 team is limited: they are mainly there to discuss their driver’s performance.

About the link… are engineers from the Formula 1 world coming to ART?

« Very little. With Frédéric (Vasseur), we have a policy: we train a lot of mechanics and engineers who graduate from engineering schools. Today, we have a high-quality staff, trained in the ART philosophy. »

How to develop the team in the longer term?

Our big project at the moment is this program in LMP1, with two cars entered. We are going to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in our history. We are still in a learning phase: we know that the most important thing is reliability. We will go there with a lot of humility, without setting a very specific goal. But we are seizing opportunities to grow.

« The overall budget is estimated to be in the range of 3 million to 3.8 million. »

What are your personal functions?

« On race weekends, we all work together with the technical director and the engineers.

My mission is to develop the best possible strategy. I talk a lot with the drivers to advise them on their approach to the race. I don’t need to motivate them: at this level, they already are! I simply share my experience in the field of sports, and I let the engineers do their job. My role is mainly to put people in the right places.

Do you also take care of scouting young drivers: how does that work?

« I watch and scout from karting to F4, including Formula Renault. I analyze performances: we want to recruit drivers with the greatest potential. Not necessarily the championship winners, but those who do a good job compared to their car. Having competed myself, I understand the drivers well! »

Regarding your prospects, do you still imagine yourself leading ART for a long time?

« For now, I’m not asking any questions. Each year, I try to achieve the set goals: winning titles and developing the business. We are fully focused on 2018, while gradually turning towards 2019. »

« I don’t think I’ll be working in Formula 1 in the near future. I take a lot of pleasure in working for ART… and I simply love it! »

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