Ernesto Desiderio, Liam Lawson’s Race Engineer at Racing Bulls, opens up in an exclusive interview, revealing the secrets of one of the most complex and fascinating jobs in motorsport.
The role of the Race Engineer is extremely complicated: it is a figure that sometimes goes unnoticed, but acts as the liaison between the entire team and the driver and can ultimately change the outcome of a race. A prime example? In the recent Dutch Grand Prix, after the incident between Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli, the Monegasque’s Ferrari was stranded in the middle of the track, with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls approaching. The corner where the contact occurred was blind and the yellow flags had not yet been displayed: Lawson, therefore, was driving at full speed as if on a normal lap.
Ernesto Desiderio, his Race Engineer, noticed the incident before anyone else and immediately informed him, thus preventing a potential accident far more dangerous than the one that had just occurred between the Ferrari and the Mercedes. The Racing Bulls driver even got on the radio to thank him, saying: “You saved me there.” This is just one of many examples demonstrating the talent of Ernesto Desiderio, a Formula 1 Race Engineer with experience in NASCAR, IndyCar, and WEC, and author of the book “Formula One Race Engineering”, the subject of our exclusive interview today.
How did your passion for motorsport begin?
“It was born when I was still very young. I liked cars ever since I was a child: pedal cars, models, anything with an engine or wheels drew my attention. But the first real memory, the one that really struck me, is when I was on holiday in Monaco with my family and there were Formula 1 free practice sessions. I was perhaps five years old. We couldn’t afford a ticket, but my dad lifted me onto his shoulders, and I still remember today the crazy noise of those cars coming out of the tunnel at incredible speed, with that astonishing sound. Everything started there.” .
“I would watch races with my father. It wasn’t just the beauty of the cars, but also the mechanics, the aerodynamics, how everything worked. Even as a child, I was more interested in understanding the mechanism, the ‘why’ of things, rather than the color of the bodywork. I started out as a Ferrari fan, but my passion extended to motorsport in general. The driver was the central element: this being who would climb into the cockpit, making decisions at incredible speeds. That, for me, was the most fascinating part.” .
“Then I also got into karts, always on an amateur level, because I simply don’t fit in a kart, I’m too big! But the seed of passion was there, and over time, the curiosity to understand the technical functioning of the cars developed as well, eventually pushing me toward specific engineering studies.”
“Even as a child, I was more interested in understanding the mechanism, the ‘why’ of things, rather than the color of the bodywork” – Ernesto Desiderio
Which drivers impressed you the most when you were growing up?
“Since I was born in 1986, I started watching it in the ’90s. My first real memories, where I began to understand what was happening, date back to the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Michael Schumacher era. I remember a few Senna races, then there were Mika Häkkinen, Damon Hill, and all the great drivers of the time, but Michael was my benchmark.” .
How did you structure your studies to reach the position you hold today?
“I attended the industrial technical institute with a specialization in aeronautics in Pisa. Even back then, I was fascinated by the aerodynamics applied to motorsport, and I was always trying to figure out how what I was studying could be applied to a Formula 1 car. I remember one year Michael [Schumacher] came to Grosseto for a drag race with an Eurofighter, and I went to see it.” .
“After high school, I enrolled in university for aerospace engineering, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master’s in vehicle dynamics and automotive engineering. I was fortunate enough to study under Professor Massimo Guiggiani, a world-leading figure in vehicle dynamics, who applied aeronautical concepts to cars, which completely fascinated me. With him, I took part in Formula SAE, completed my thesis at Dallara, and then I stayed to work there in the Vehicle Dynamics Department as a Simulations and Performance Engineer. There, I developed vehicle models, followed drivers and teams, and prepared for various races.” .
“The path wasn’t linear: there was a year when I stopped studying and wanted to be a chef. I worked in a restaurant as a waiter and cook to pay for my studies. That experience gave me a different perspective: studying is a privilege, not a duty. From there, I understood what I truly wanted to do, and I shifted gears.” .
How important is the human relationship between the engineer and the driver?
“It is fundamental, perhaps even more important than the technical side. You have to understand who you have in front of you and adapt to their style. Building trust is essential: the driver must feel confident following your advice, even if it involves calculated risks, such as braking later or trying a different setup. I’ve worked with many different drivers, and each one has taught me something. Surprisingly, the most famous ones are often the most humble and collaborative. The driver sees you as a confidant, a friend, and a reference point both inside and outside the car. You are his representative within the team, carrying an enormous responsibility that goes beyond technical data: safety, performance, strategies. Everything passes through your relationship with him.” .
Who has been the most talented driver you’ve worked with?
“It’s difficult to choose just one. I’ve worked with many drivers, including Grosjean, Montoya, Fittipaldi, Mick Schumacher, Mazepin, Latifi, Tsunoda, Lawson, Buemi, Nakajima, [Kamui] Kobayashi. Among those I’ve never worked with, Max Verstappen is, for me, the prime example. In terms of sheer single-lap speed, I was impressed by Kamui [Kobayashi]: he managed to make complicated things look simple, and he was the only driver I saw go faster than the simulation time when we set the record at Le Mans. Even for [Fernando] Alonso, it was difficult to beat Kamui on a single qualifying lap. However, I consider Fernando to be at the top for race management: he gives you perspective and control; he is the driver you would always want behind the wheel.” .
“Even Liam [Lawson] and Yuki [Tsunoda], in terms of pure talent, have innate speed: they often drive beyond the limit of the car, but manage to pull it back and control it, dancing on that invisible boundary. All these guys are incredibly fast, but mental resilience is equally important: Romain [Grosjean], for example, on a perfect day was among the top four or five drivers on the grid. Helping a driver regain confidence and consistency is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.” .
“The most talented driver I’ve worked with? In terms of single-lap speed, Kamui Kobayashi; in race conditions, Fernando Alonso” – Ernesto Desiderio
How did you manage Lawson’s return to Racing Bulls after Red Bull?
“It’s never an immediate switch. Even at Red Bull, he hadn’t forgotten how to drive; he simply didn’t find the characteristics in the car and the team that suited him. When he returned to Racing Bulls, I already knew him, so I had an advantage. In my job, you have to understand what kind of car the driver needs, which is not necessarily the fastest one for everyone. We worked together on him and the car, modifying the setup, brake pedal, seat, and steering feedback. He saw that we made an effort to meet his needs, and he regained confidence and performance. His championship truly started from Austria onwards.” .
How much work goes into communicating with the driver during a Formula 1 race?
“Every lap counts. You are completely immersed in the car, the data, the driver, the engineers, and the strategy. You are working at 110% for an hour and a half. You listen to your own driver and two or three others, usually those around him. At the beginning of your career, you don’t have the capacity to manage everything: now, if four people speak to me simultaneously on the radio, I can understand them. I am the filter between the team and the driver: in my headset, I have the tyre engineer, the brake engineer, the performance engineer, and the strategists. I have to absorb all that information and transmit it to the driver.” .
“Every minute, every piece of information has to be calibrated: too many communications can slow the driver down, because every time you speak to him on the radio, he takes a bit of attention away from driving to listen to you. You have to decide which information is useful, when to intervene, and when to leave the driver free to concentrate. Some tracks have windows that lend themselves to radio communication, such as Spa or Monza with their long straights. On street circuits like Singapore, concentration is maximized, the heat is extreme, and even the slightest distraction can compromise performance. You have to strike a balance between communication and driver autonomy. Liam [Lawson], for instance, hardly ever replies, but he absorbs all my information.” .
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What is a typical day like for you at the office compared to a race weekend?
“At the factory, I analyze the previous race and prepare for the next one, I work on the simulator, and I interact with the drivers and engineers. During a race weekend, I execute the program I prepared at home in the best possible way: I study the free practice plan, prepare a wet setup, monitor the weather, and evaluate alternative scenarios. Every corner, every lap is an opportunity for testing and improvement, especially with so little time in the car as is the case now. If, then, as happened in Singapore, your driver crashes in free practice, he has to learn the circuit directly during the qualifying laps.” .
“The days last 14 hours, right up until curfew: sometimes, on Friday night, I take work back to the hotel, with parallel simulation and analysis running in England. Physical training, rest, and energy management are equally important: even the slightest distraction can compromise safety and performance. If I had been tired at Zandvoort, for example, I might have missed the situation regarding the avoided crash. For me, it is essential to maximize every moment, physically and mentally, to best support the driver and the team.” .
You have worked in NASCAR and IndyCar with Dallara, in WEC with Toyota, and in Formula 1 with Haas, Williams, and Racing Bulls: what are the main differences and similarities between these worlds?
“NASCAR and Formula 1 are very similar from a technical point of view: you are working for that thousandth of a second over an hour and a half race with many similar cars, and every detail makes the difference. In NASCAR, the data during race weekends was less abundant than in F1, but during testing, there was much more, and the quality was extremely high: sensors on the tyres measured all the forces and moments, allowing us to perfectly characterize the tyre model.”.
“WEC, however, is a completely different world: in the years I worked there, the cars were true technological spaceships, with complex powertrains, batteries, and highly sophisticated tyres and aerodynamics. The challenge there is not just speed, but balancing reliability and performance for races lasting 6, 8, or 24 hours. I did the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. We almost won one[nel 2016], with Kazuki Nakajima’s car stopping while in the lead after 23 hours and 57 minutes. Toyota still paid us 99.7% of the victory bonus even though we didn’t officially win. The following year we set the track record, which also resulted in me getting a tattoo due to a lost bet with Kamui Kobayashi. Every category has different rules, complexities, and goals, but all of them require precision, team management, and adaptability.” .
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How have you managed the travel and sacrifices required by this job in relation to your family?
“It hasn’t been easy, especially because motorsport involves frequent travel and long absences. For example, I am away from my wife for about 200 days a year. Shortly after graduating, I lost my father and had to make important decisions to provide financial support for my family, such as going to the United States for a NASCAR project with Dallara in Indianapolis. I was supposed to stay for two months but ended up staying for nine, living far away from my mother and my family. The experience was incredibly tough, but profoundly formative: I set up a simulator, followed a team as a performance engineer, and gained experience in the field. All of this paid off the sacrifice enormously.”.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career like yours in motorsport?
“Follow what makes you happy. In my case, realizing that I wanted to work with cars and drivers was crucial. You must be willing to make sacrifices: motorsport is your life, you have to move, relocate, and deal with being away from home and family, often for long periods. Much of the success depends on your determination: if you are asked to do something you are not sure you can do, the right answer is always to try, give it your all, learn from your mistakes, and move forward.” .
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ernesto Desiderio and Visa Cash App RB F1 Team (Red Bull Content Pool)
