Mark Preston, currently the Motorsport Director at Lola Cars, shares his inspiring journey in the racing world. From his early days working with Formula Fords in Australia to leading teams in Formula 1 and Formula E. His passion for motorsport has been a constant throughout his career, driving him to innovate and adapt to newContinue reading “Motorsport Passions”
Author Archives: markandrewpreston
Experimenting with AI for creating a Podcast
As you all well know, AI tools are moving forward at a great rate of knots, so its worth saying that this post is being created in Oct 2024, because this might be out of date in months if not weeks! If you haven’t had a try of Google’s NotebookLM, its definitely worth experimenting with.Continue reading “Experimenting with AI for creating a Podcast”
How to become an F1 Technical Director
🚀 Thrilled to share my journey in motorsport through the “How to Become an F1 Technical Director” interview. I reflected on my transition from a mechanical engineer in Australia. This journey led me to work with some of the top teams in Formula 1 and Formula E. It has been an incredible experience. The keyContinue reading “How to become an F1 Technical Director”
24 Great Truckin’ Songs
In 1976 I was 8 years old, living on a farm in Kiacatoo, outside Condobolin in central New South Wales, and… into trucks. For Christmas that year I was given my first LP: ’24 Great Truck Drivin’ Songs’. It even had CB Trucker Talk code words on the back to decode the “secret” trucker talk, and thisContinue reading “24 Great Truckin’ Songs”
Move the Ball: Mark Preston, Pushing the Boundaries in Motorsports and Beyond
Mark Preston’s journey in motorsports, from his early days on an Australian farm to groundbreaking achievements in Formula 1 and Formula E, reflects his passion, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. As Motorsport Director at Lola Cars, he continues to drive innovation with a focus on sustainability, marking him as a significant figure in the evolution of motorsports.
The StreetDrone Origin Story
STREETDRONE STORY_ If you want to understand how StreetDrone came to be, simply visit their office courtyard around the end of June every summer. The StreetDrone Summer Party has become legendary in the tech industry in the UK. In this little corner of Oxford, you’ll find autonomous vehicles running nonchalantly up and down the roadContinue reading “The StreetDrone Origin Story”
Lola Cars returning to top-tier global motorsport with technical partners Yamaha by joining the Formula E grid
Lola partners with Yamaha to enter ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, marking its return to global motorsport. The alliance aims to develop and supply high-performance electric powertrains, focusing on sustainability. Lola’s rich history and expertise in motorsport, combined with Yamaha’s innovation, promise exciting opportunities in the zero emissions transportation space.
Communication and the Use of LLMs in Motorsports
During his tenure at Arrows Grand Prix in 1999, the author used genetic algorithms to enhance F1 cars’ performance, a pioneering move at a time of limited computing power. Moving to McLaren, he considered implementing an ‘on-prem’ Google server to harness the team’s vast ’embedded knowledge.’ Experiencing communication difficulties at the Super Aguri team, he experimented with relocating pitwall engineering and exploring texting for in-car communication. Owing to computing advancements, machine learning has evolved, with tools like ChatGPT facilitating enhanced race communications and decision-making based on a data-informed ‘prompt engineering.’
An open letter to Scott Morrison: we need a green new deal. Now
Reposted after the original letter published Jan 11, 2020, on Medium Mark Preston has travelled through the world of the Australian automotive industry to Formula 1 and on to Formula E and autonomous vehicles, constantly considering the future of his favourite subject — cars. The race team he leads — DS TECHEETAH Formula E TeamContinue reading “An open letter to Scott Morrison: we need a green new deal. Now”
Autonomy: The future of motorsport and personal travel
Autonomous technology has the power to redefine driving, both on the race track and in our daily lives, states Mark Preston, Team Principal of the Team Aguri Formula E squad Autonomous vehicles have been a regular feature in the headlines over the past year as the technology has been refined and global brands such asContinue reading “Autonomy: The future of motorsport and personal travel”