A YOUNG Donegal man who grew up watching his heroes compete in the Donegal International Rally has gone on to pursue a dream career in motorsport.
Simon Breslin (24) from Ardara is a race mechanic with Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR), one of Europe’s most renowned auto racing development teams.
Based in the Netherlands, VAR had two cars competing in this year’s FIA Formula 2 championship which consisted of 13 rounds, all support events of the Formula 1 World Championship.
As a child, Simon was always interested in rallying: “My dad used to take me to watch the Donegal Harvest Rally while I remember sitting in front of the television watching Formula 1 with my grand dad as a young boy.”
The pathway to becoming a mechanic began when Simon was a Transition Year student at St Columba’s Comprehensive School in Glenties.
“I spent a week working up in Cormac Ward’s garage and that was it – I was sold,” he explained.
“I always wanted to do an apprenticeship and when it came time to filling in my CAO forms I spoke to mum and dad about my options. I was watching a Formula 1 race on television when mum asked me what I wanted to be. I told her I want to do that (pointing to the TV) and she said why not apply.
“I then went upstairs and googled motorsport courses. The first thing that came up was for the National College of Motorsport in Silverstone so I sent off my application. A few weeks before I sat the Leaving Cert I got word that I had been accepted,” he recalled.
After completing the six-month course Simon began his career in motorsport with Arden Motorsport based in Banbury, Oxfordshire: “I started off doing the tyres and learning how to work on racing cars. After some time in Formula 4 I graduated to FREC (Formula Regional European Championship) with Arden and became their Number 1 mechanic.
A move to the Netherlands, and MP Motorsport, followed before Simon joined up with the Van Amersfoort Racing team.
Last month, Simon was offered an opportunity to join two F1 teams ahead of the new season: “Reluctantly I told them that the timing wasn’t quite right.
They understood where I was coming from, and we agreed to take a rain check.”
Unlike in F1, where teams have engineers and mechanics who specialise in specific areas, teams in F2 are limited on the number of staff they can have working on the cars.
“I’m the number 2 mechanic with VAR but I would like to be the number 1 mechanic before making my next move. It’s a massive jump (from F2 to F1) and one that I’m hoping to make but I’m still learning my trade. I’m looking forward to another good season with Van Amersfoort and, hopefully, a few podium finishes too” he explained.
Surrounded by the thunder of engines, the Formula 2 paddock is a hub of activity and the job isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s full-on and high-pressure, and you’re doing it all in the noisiest of environments for long hours at a time.
“When you work in motorsport, you kind of get used to it all. It can be stressful but when it all comes together and you get a result, that is really satisfying,” he said.
Formula 2 has announced its calendar for the 2023 season and features events across three continents for the first time including its highly anticipated debut in Australia.
Continuing the two-race format alongside the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, the F2 crown will be fought over 14 rounds.
The season starts in Sakhir, Bahrain in early March before moving to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and then its debut at Melbourne’s Albert Park at the end of the month.
Baku, Azerbaijan is the venue in April before moving on to Imola (Italy), Monaco and Barcelona. Races are also pencilled in for Austria, England, Hungary, Belgium and Holland before the season ends in Abu Dhabi in late November.
“We’re back at base here in the Netherlands now preparing the cars for next season. While it’s hard work it’s also great to get the opportunity to visit some wonderful countries around the world,” he said.
Simon’s parents Ted and Jacinta as well as older brother Nicholas and sister Evanne are hoping to get the opportunity to watch Simon’s team in action next year.
In the meantime, Simon is looking forward to getting home for Christmas.
“I’ve three week off over Christmas and the New Year and it’s always nice to get home. That said, I’m already looking forward to another exciting season,” he said.
The F2 Championship continues to play a hugely important role in nurturing the talent of the future – both on and off the track – and motorsport enthusiasts in Donegal will be keeping a close eye on results from the Van Amersfoort Racing team.
A keen runner, Simon gets the opportunity to run some of the most famous race circuits in the world. What about driving those same circuits in an F2 car?
“Drivers are paid millions to race F2 and the cars are far too expensive for bucks like me to be let sit behind the wheel. I’m happy enough making sure that the car is set up to give the driver every chance of success. It’s all about the performance. If they (drivers) perform well it helps put them into the shop window. It would be nice to get a few podium finishes next year. I think we can do that,” he said.
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