The article discusses the evolution of engineering over thirty years, emphasizing how advancements in technology, particularly AI, reduce “friction tax” in workflows. Despite efficiency gains allowing engineers to handle more complex tasks, the piece questions the future of roles primarily focused on managing friction. The ongoing impact of AI on labor dynamics is explored.
Category Archives: f1
The Agentic Bench: What Hitchens, Thatcher and Eleven Others Taught Me About AI
By Mark Preston Update — April 2026. The debate tool above has evolved. What began as three agents arguing a motion is now a full Oxford Union bench: four speakers a side, each with a distinct role and a distinct historical voice. The post below has been rewritten to describe where the architecture has actuallyContinue reading “The Agentic Bench: What Hitchens, Thatcher and Eleven Others Taught Me About AI”
The Future of Motorsport: My Insights on the Electric Age
I had the pleasure of joining Roger Atkins in his video, “The Future Of Motorsport In The Electric Age.” We sat down to discuss a defining challenge for our industry: how do we reconcile the 70-year romance and heritage of racing with the pressing realities of climate change and technological innovation? During our conversation, IContinue reading “The Future of Motorsport: My Insights on the Electric Age”
From Paper to Code: The Future of Engineering Tools
Jan 2026 Over the last few months, since the original blog post on vibe coding, I have been experimenting with workflow and development methodologies. Modern vibe coding has its limitations, but for a subset of “jobs to be done”, it works incredibly well. Engineering software tool design is one of those areas in which IContinue reading “From Paper to Code: The Future of Engineering Tools”
What Racing Teaches Us About Change: Reflections on Leadership, Pressure, and the Art of Decisive Progress
By Mark Preston Every motorsport story has two tracks running side by side. One is the obvious one—the fight for championships, the engineering battles, the split‑second choices. The other is the quieter, deeper track: how you build, steer, and sustain a high‑performance organisation through uncertainty. My second conversation with PJ Stephens was really about thatContinue reading “What Racing Teaches Us About Change: Reflections on Leadership, Pressure, and the Art of Decisive Progress”
Leading Through Change: What Motorsport Taught Me About Building High‑Performance Teams
By Mark Preston Formula E has a way of pulling you back in. Not because the racing is unpredictable or because the technology is evolving at breakneck speed—though both of those are true—but because the championship has become one of the clearest mirrors we have for how organisations adapt, align, and win in complex environments.Continue reading “Leading Through Change: What Motorsport Taught Me About Building High‑Performance Teams”
Formula E’s Evolution: Reflections From Inside the Garage
By Mark Preston When you spend long enough in motorsport, you develop a second sense for whether a championship is moving forward or just treading water. Formula E has never suffered from the latter. It’s been restless from day one — a kind of experimental lab disguised as a racing series — and that’s preciselyContinue reading “Formula E’s Evolution: Reflections From Inside the Garage”
From Bookshops to Parallel AIs: My Journey Into Vibe Coding
In 2025, “vibe coding” is the buzzword on everyone’s lips. As someone who’s been around the block a few times in the engineering world, I couldn’t resist diving in to see what all the fuss was about. A recent conversation with a young programmer, who told me how much faster AI tools had made hisContinue reading “From Bookshops to Parallel AIs: My Journey Into Vibe Coding”
Keeping Track – Another Aussie F1 team – almost
Motor Racing Australia, 2006 A few issue ago in MRA we ran a story on ambitious Australian F1 engineer Mark Preston’s plans to start his own Formula 1 team. A lot of people thought it was a beat up, but as the 2006 F1 season began in Bahrain, there was Mark standing on pit rowContinue reading “Keeping Track – Another Aussie F1 team – almost”
Another Australian-owned Formula 1 team
This article was written by Barry Lake and was published in Motor Racing Australia 85, April/May 2005. It’s a long way from a done deal, but most of the pieces are in place for a brand new Formula 1 teamto join the circus. And the man behind it is still-young Australian engineerwho has worked hisContinue reading “Another Australian-owned Formula 1 team”