"I think some of my work colleagues are still unaware of my two 'jobs' – my role at McLaren as Project Manager, and my other job on the race track as Basis Technologies' race driver, racing a McLaren GT car."
In his day job at McLaren Automotive, he is Fred Martin-Dye, MEng., but on the race track, he becomes 'Fast Freddie,' successful McLaren GT race driver. Whichever way you look at it, Fred's story of hard work and determination is an inspirational one.
Fred's racing career started at the age of 8; the same age that he won his first club championship. There were many further successes, in the UK and Europe, competing in the British, Italian, French, German and European Karting Championships, racing for world renowned RFM Motorsport, Italian works team, Maranello, and Swiss factory team, Swiss Hutless. He was British Vice-Champion three times, raced for England, and became the youngest ever member of the British Racing Drivers Club, as a Rising Star member, aged just 15.
However, when he could not find a budget to race cars, he knew he had to take a different approach to achieve his racing dreams. So after finishing school, Fred went to top engineering university, the University of Bath, where, after a four year course, he was awarded a Masters Engineering Degree.
"I knew that I could make myself an even better race driver with a thorough knowledge of all engineering aspects of the car and its set-up."
And so it proved. Fred joined McLaren Automotive, and in his spare time he became a race instructor, a drift instructor, and a Pure McLaren coach and got involved in on-track shakedowns of new McLaren models. Fred then concluded an agreement with Basis Technologies Group to drive a McLaren GT4, and fulfil his dream of racing again. He signed with McLaren Customer Race Team Dӧrr Motorsport, part of the German Dӧrr Group, to race a McLaren GT4 race car in the German ADAC GT4 series, and with a podium at the Austrian Red Bull Ring in just his second race meeting, he showed the world that all the hard work and sacrifice had been worthwhile.
"My determination to be racing cars at the very top level has never wavered. It may have needed a great deal of very hard work to get to where I am now, but with the backing of Basis Technologies and the support of everyone at McLaren, it has all been worthwhile."
The Basis Technologies McLaren GT car competes at F1 circuits such as the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Hockenheim and Nurburgring in Germany, and Zandvoort in Holland; races which attract crowds of up to 25,000 and are televised throughout Europe and live streamed worldwide. Basis Technologies use their European race programme to entertain and develop relationships with staff, clients and potential clients, as well as generating great media coverage.
"At the circuit, any down time I have between track sessions and team briefings is spent entertaining Basis Technologies' guests, either in the team race awning or in one of the hospitality enclosures. Away from the track I'm also involved in Basis seminars and presentations. My partnership with Basis is a very successful one; the fast, professional world of motor racing reflecting Basis Technologies' rapidly growing reputation as the world's only automated DevOps and Testing platform for SAP users."
"I guess you could even say that my motor racing career has followed a similar path to that of a typical Basis Technologies' customer. When I was just 10 years old, software giant SAP generously decided to support my kart racing, and from that initial SAP start-up, I now have the support of Basis Technologies to develop further; making me faster, more focused, and more professional than ever!"
"Motor racing is all about emotion and passion, and is a great way to develop staff, client, and potential client relationships; something that is really working for Basis Technologies. And as for me, I'm really proud to be an ambassador for Basis Technologies and McLaren."