Graham Watson, adjunct director of Race Operations at Formula One Management, reflects on his final contribution after five years as a columnist. “Formula 1 is a monster that keeps growing.”
When Toro Rosso approached me with the offer to write a column for a Dutch Formula 1 magazine, I thought it was a fantastic and unique proposal. I had never done anything for print before. Sure, I had worked on some YouTube projects and even created an ad for a watch brand, but this was a whole different world. What made it interesting for me was that these columns focused on the team, on how teams really operate and what happens behind the scenes—far away from the cameras and the official image that the outside world gets.
I still get an enormous thrill from sharing experiences that have become second nature to me but seem completely out of reach for others. I feel privileged to have spent so many years in this sport, and it genuinely fulfills me to share that piece of my world with people who would otherwise never get to experience it. When someone asks me if I can take two friends on a garage tour, it might take me ten minutes, but the moment their eyes widen in amazement—that’s exactly why I do it. It reminds me of how I felt when I first stepped inside.
‘I was born for this shit’
My very first Grand Prix, not just as an employee but as a visitor, was also my first race as the number one mechanic for Alex Wurz’s Benetton. I had only been in the test team for a year when I was asked to make the leap to the race team, something that was nearly impossible at the time. In Melbourne, I walked into the garage, saw the car, the mechanics around me, and when I looked out at the start-finish line and the packed grandstands, I said out loud to myself: ‘I was born for this shit.’ It was the moment when everything I had dreamed of became reality; it felt like I was exactly where I belonged.
Behind the Scenes of Formula 1: A Personal Insight
In my columns, I’ve always strived to be as honest and open as possible. Of course, I can’t share everything—doing so could jeopardize my job—but I wanted to give you real insights, things you won’t see on television and that journalists often can’t describe simply because they’ve never worked in that environment. Even those who have been around the paddock for years often only scratch the surface of reality. Through these columns, I’ve been able to reveal a piece of that reality, the world behind the cameras, the dynamics that make a difference but never make it to air.
‘F1 is a Monster That Keeps Growing’
Formula 1 runs on invisible heroes. Everyone knows the famous faces—the team bosses, the stars—but it’s the people behind them, the layer that never gets seen, who do the heavy lifting and keep the sport running. Looking at how Formula 1 stands today, I see a sport stronger than ever.
I remember when Paul Stoddart struggled to sell the old Minardi team. Owning a Formula 1 team was almost a financial millstone. And now? Teams are valued in the billions! The audience has exploded, both in size and diversity. The sport has become younger, more female, and more global. A Grand Prix is no longer just a race; it’s a festival. In just seven years, Formula 1 has transformed almost beyond recognition in scale, technology, experience, and reach.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my insights and the honesty with which I’ve shared my stories. But one thing is certain: Formula 1 is a monster that keeps growing. And it has been a privilege to share that monster from the inside with you.
