Pat Fry

Infobox Person
name = Pat Fry


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1964|3|17
birth_place = Shepperton, Surrey, UK
nationality = British
title = Chief Engineer, McLaren.

Pat Fry (born March 17 1964) is a Chief Engineer of the McLaren Formula One team.

Career

Pat Fry was born in Shepperton, Surrey, UK. After attempting several engineering courses, he became an apprentice at Thorn EMI in 1981. While at Thorn EMI, he completed a day-release course in electronics at the City of London Polytechnic. He moved onto Thorn's missile programmes, before deciding to leave the company in 1987 to pursue a career in motorsport.

Fry had an interest in building suspension systems for motorbikes in his spare time and joined the Benetton Formula One team's research and development department at Witney who at the time were working on active suspension systems. [cite web | title = People: Pat Fry | url = http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-frypat.html | work = GrandPrix.com | publisher = Inside F1, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-07-09] He moved to the test team, and then to the teams Godalming research and development department. He returned to the test team in F1|1991, before being made Martin Brundle's race engineer in F1|1992.

In F1|1993, former Benetton colleague Giorgio Ascanelli persuaded Fry to join him at McLaren. His initial postition was to work on active suspension systems, and run the McLaren test team, but active suspension systems were banned by the sports governing body before the start of the 1994 season and so Fry moved to an engineering position in the race team. [cite web | url = http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=32280711 | title = Pat Fry: Executive Profile & Biography | work = BusinessWeek | publisher = The McGraw-Hill Companies | accessdate = 2008-07-09] After a season as Mika Häkkinen's race engineer in F1|1995, he returned to the McLaren test team in F1|1996 despite rumours linking him with a move to Ferrari. [cite web | title = Schumacher to test a Ferrari this week | url = http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00361.html | date = 1995-11-13 | work = GrandPrix.com | publisher = Inside F1, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-07-09] He renewed his contract with McLaren in F1|1997 to became David Coulthard's race engineer, a role he held for four years. He moved to a tactical coordinating role in F1|2001, overseeing both the team's race cars. [cite web | first = Andrew | last = Benson | title = Consistency is the key, says Coulthard | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/1187640.stm | date = 2001-02-24 |publisher=BBC | work = BBC Sport Online | accessdate = 2008-07-09] [cite web | first = Ewan | last = Tytler | title = The Atlas F1 2001 Teams Preview | url = http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2001/feb21/tytler.html | work = Atlas F1 | publisher = Haymarket Publications | date = 2001-02-21 | accessdate = 2008-07-09] In 2002 he was promoted to the role of Chief Engineer of Race Development, and was responsible for the MP4-20 and MP4-22 chassis. As of 2008, he is working on the MP4-24, McLaren's planned entry for the 2009 Formula One season. [cite web | title = Pat Fry Biography | url = http://www.mclaren.com/theteam/pat-fry.php | publisher = McLaren Marketing Limited | work=McLaren.com | accessdate = 2008-07-09]

Personal life

On April 20 2002, Fry married Kate Habershon, a food editor and stylist who had worked in motorsport catering. [cite web | url = http://www.habershons.com/kateswedding.php |title=Kate's Wedding | work = Habershons.com | accessdate = 2008-07-09]

References

External links

* [http://www.mclaren.com/theteam/pat-fry.php McLaren team biography]