Mike Gascoyne

Michael Robert Gascoyne (born 2 April 1963) is a British Formula One designer and engineer.

Gascoyne has worked for numerous Grand Prix teams including McLaren, Sauber, Tyrrell, Jordan (later known as Midland F1, Spyker, Force India, Racing Point and Aston Martin), Renault, Toyota, and Team Lotus, which was later renamed to Caterham F1 Team.

Gascoyne was born in Rackheath, Norfolk, England.

He lived in Sprowston and went to Sprowston Junior School and before moving to Old Catton.

He went to Wymondham College from 1974 to 1981.

Although he gained admission to study for a PhD in fluid dynamics at Cambridge University (Churchill College) from 1982 to 1988, he gaining a series of degrees but started working before graduating with a PhD. He was, however, active in his college Boat Club, as a successful coxswain of Churchill's leading women's crew.

After leaving Cambridge in 1988 he briefly worked for Westland System Assessment Limited, part of Westland Helicopters, but maintained a keen desire to work in motor sport.

In 1989 he joined McLaren as a wind tunnel aerodynamicist but only remained with the team for a single year before joining Tyrrell, who at the time were enjoying something of a renaissance with Frenchman Jean Alesi at the wheel of the 019 chassis.

While at Tyrrell he worked for designer Harvey Postlethwaite, who came to hold Gascoyne in such regard that when Postlethwaite departed in 1991 to design the Sauber team's first Formula One car, he took the twenty-eight-year-old engineer with him to Switzerland.

Postlethwaite's stay with the Sauber team was short, but Gascoyne remained for the first season, his Sauber C13 chassis taking 12 points during 1993.

In late 1993 Postlethwaite returned to Tyrrell and invited Gascoyne to become deputy technical director responsible for the design of the team's 1994 car.

Gascoyne accepted and remained with the team for four years, although lack of money severely limited his ability to produce a competitive racing car.

When Ken Tyrrell announced his intention to sell to British American Tobacco, Gascoyne was forced to leave in the knowledge that the renamed British American Racing was to employ Malcolm Oastler as technical director.

In June 1998 Gascoyne joined Jordan Grand Prix as technical director and immediately set about designing their 1999 car.

The season was the team's most successful in its history, finishing third in the Constructors Championship and taking two race victories.

Shortly before the start of the 2001 season he moved to Benetton, whose results had been in serious decline since the mid-1990s.

Gascoyne's two-and-a-half seasons with Benetton, and later Renault, saw a marked improvement in the team's fortunes, culminating in victory at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.

By now however, the highly rated technical director had already been placed on gardening leave by his French employers pending a move to Toyota F1 for an undisclosed financial settlement.

In December 2003 Gascoyne made his move to the Cologne base of Toyota and began working on the 2004 car.

With Formula One design timelines stretching back many months before the start of the season, he was unable to have full influence over many early decisions and the season proved to be a disappointment.

The 2005 season was Toyota's most successful Formula One season by far, as they scored points in all but the opening race and the controversial United States Grand Prix, where Trulli qualified in pole position but like all the drivers using Michelin tyres, retired before the start of the race.

Toyota surprised the Formula One community by dropping Gascoyne from their technical department after the Melbourne race where Ralf Schumacher finished 3rd on the podium, especially as the Englishman had contributed to their rise in competitiveness during 2005.

However, the poor performances of the TF106 in the opening two races of the season, particularly in Bahrain where the team had finished on the podium 12 months earlier, prompted disagreement over the team's technical direction.

Gascoyne disliked the corporate way the team's management operated while team management were unimpressed by the TF106 car Gascoyne had produced and he was duly dismissed.

Although he made no immediate comment, the Toyota team issued a statement citing a "fundamental difference of opinion with regard to the technical operations" and that Gascoyne had been suspended until further notice.

On 6 April Gascoyne and Toyota parted company "amicably".

Pascal Vasselon became temporary technical director with immediate effect.

Gascoyne's aim for 2006 was high and the team's first victory and the championship were the next two steps.

The early stages of the 2006 season proved to be average, with the team struggling with the late switch to Bridgestone tyres and the new V8 engines.

Many observers had predicted race wins and possibly even a title challenge.

In September 2006 Gascoyne was signed by Spyker F1 as chief technology officer.

He took up his new position in November 2006.

An updated version of the F8-VII chassis was introduced at the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix.

It was the first Spyker car designed by Gascoyne and he stated the new car could be up to three-quarters of a second per lap faster than the original F8-VII.

In 2008, Spyker became the Force India team after its sale to Vijay Mallya.

Gascoyne continued as chief technology officer.

On 7 November 2008 it was announced that Gascoyne would no longer play any formal role at the team, with Force India owner Vijay Mallya taking full responsibility for running the team.

In 2009 Gascoyne was part of plans by the Litespeed F3 team to enter Formula One in 2010, under the Team Lotus name.

They failed to gain entry, but Gascoyne continued to work on the plans and got backing from the Malaysian government to form Lotus Racing.

The team gained entry for the season in September 2009.