22/08/2011
Here at Enstone, tucked away in the lush green Oxfordshire countryside, we’ve been delving a little deeper to find out more about some of the staff that make Lotus Renault GP what it is.
30 years old
Chris Martin
Fabricator/welder
Chris Martin joined in 1981 and is the longest serving employee at Enstone. The Fabrication department makes the metal components of the car - parts including radiators, exhausts, oil and water pipes - out of aluminium and titanium. The work is exacting and highly-skilled and demands meticulous precision: “Everything [on the car] is so compact now,” explains Martin. There is no space for error. Everything is exact. Everything we make has to be right. Everyone knows that. It’s a given to work to such a high standard and it’s a level that everyone is at and a level that we all work to. Personally, I like having to be so precise in my work and I take pride in what I do.” employees in fabrication have been working together for a long time and know one another well, which is important for when the job is at its toughest during the winter time: “When we are making a new car the mid January deadline is immoveable, so you have to put the hours in to get it done. But everyone just pulls together and gets on with it.”
Despite being so far from the track, even in the fabrication department the desire to excel is fierce: “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of the materials and working in such a way makes you very competitive. I think this unites everyone at Enstone regardless of their personality type. The best moments are watching the car go over the line in first position. We have had several world championships here and winning is a fantastic feeling.”
Credit: Lotus Renault GP (www.lotusrenaultgp.com)
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