Tony Purnell
Encyclopedia
Tony Purnell is a businessman and former principal of the Jaguar
and Red Bull
Formula One
teams.
and the United States
. A pupil of The John Fisher School
, he gained a scholarship
to study Mechanical Engineering
at Manchester University in the 1970s: then won the Kennedy Scholarship
at MIT where he completed his Masters Degree. His dissertation was on the subject of Formula One
aerodynamics
.
After a short time at the MIT Sloan School of Management
, Purnell returned to the United Kingdom
as a researcher at the prestigious Cambridge University
. Here he began work on wind tunnel
analysis software for the Lola organisation and consulted for the short-lived FORCE F1 team.
Purnell went on to found Pi Research around his software and by the late 1990s had built the company into a highly successful global electronics business. In 1999 this company was purchased by the Ford Motor Company
making Purnell a multi-millionaire
. Still under Purnell's management, Pi Research was made part of Ford's Premiere Performance Division alongside Cosworth
and the Jaguar
Formula One team.
and finally Niki Lauda
. In late 2002 the Austria
n was unceremoniously dumped by Ford who now required a new principal for their flagship motor sport brand. Purnell was given the job, and alongside fellow countryman David Pitchforth, immediately set about restoring the teams fortunes.
The next two seasons saw a gradual improvement in results as Australian Mark Webber
was signed to replace Eddie Irvine
, and management stability began to pay dividends, but with parent company Ford needing to make financial savings the teams future was uncertain. By late 2004, after a series of budget cuts, Ford announced their withdrawal from Formula One placing Jaguar Racing, Pi Research and Cosworth up for sale.
With Jaguar's future now in serious doubt Purnell set about trying to locate a new owner, and on November 15, 2004, Red Bull
announced that they had purchased the team. Red Bull Racing
was born and new team owner Dietrich Mateschitz
appeared to give his backing for Purnell to continue in his role of team principal.
The period of stability which Purnell had striven to achieve at Jaguar was short-lived however. By January 7, 2005 it had been announced that F3000 team owner Christian Horner
would succeed him as principal and he left the team.
Numerous rumors surfaced linking Purnell to other Formula One teams, but in December 2006 it was announced that Purnell would return to the sport as a technical consultant to the governing body, the FIA. In addition to his FIA role he now holds the position of Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the Engineering Department of Cambridge University.
In 2010, Purnell was part of the IndyCar Series
' ICONIC committee which chose new engine and chassis specifications for the 2012 season.
Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
and Red Bull
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
teams.
Pre-motorsport career
Before entering motorsports, Purnell had a lengthy academic career in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A pupil of The John Fisher School
The John Fisher School
The John Fisher Old Boys Association is an exclusive members club for past pupils and teachers of The John Fisher School in Purley, Surrey.Membership of the Association is available to all former pupils of the John Fisher School and those members and former members of the School Staff who are...
, he gained a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to study Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at Manchester University in the 1970s: then won the Kennedy Scholarship
Kennedy Scholarship
Kennedy Scholarships provide full funding for six to eight British post-graduate students to study at either Harvard University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
at MIT where he completed his Masters Degree. His dissertation was on the subject of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
.
After a short time at the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, Purnell returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a researcher at the prestigious Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Here he began work on wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
analysis software for the Lola organisation and consulted for the short-lived FORCE F1 team.
Purnell went on to found Pi Research around his software and by the late 1990s had built the company into a highly successful global electronics business. In 1999 this company was purchased by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
making Purnell a multi-millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
. Still under Purnell's management, Pi Research was made part of Ford's Premiere Performance Division alongside Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
and the Jaguar
Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
Formula One team.
Motorsport career
By 2002 the Jaguar team had failed to live up to its early promise under the direction of Neil Ressler, Bobby RahalBobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
and finally Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
. In late 2002 the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n was unceremoniously dumped by Ford who now required a new principal for their flagship motor sport brand. Purnell was given the job, and alongside fellow countryman David Pitchforth, immediately set about restoring the teams fortunes.
The next two seasons saw a gradual improvement in results as Australian Mark Webber
Mark Webber
Mark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career...
was signed to replace Eddie Irvine
Eddie Irvine
Edmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
, and management stability began to pay dividends, but with parent company Ford needing to make financial savings the teams future was uncertain. By late 2004, after a series of budget cuts, Ford announced their withdrawal from Formula One placing Jaguar Racing, Pi Research and Cosworth up for sale.
With Jaguar's future now in serious doubt Purnell set about trying to locate a new owner, and on November 15, 2004, Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
announced that they had purchased the team. Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
was born and new team owner Dietrich Mateschitz
Dietrich Mateschitz
Dietrich Mateschitz is an Austrian businessman who co-founded the Red Bull energy drink company and holds 49 per cent of the company's shares.-Biography:...
appeared to give his backing for Purnell to continue in his role of team principal.
The period of stability which Purnell had striven to achieve at Jaguar was short-lived however. By January 7, 2005 it had been announced that F3000 team owner Christian Horner
Christian Horner
Christian Horner is the team manager of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, a position he has held since 2005...
would succeed him as principal and he left the team.
Numerous rumors surfaced linking Purnell to other Formula One teams, but in December 2006 it was announced that Purnell would return to the sport as a technical consultant to the governing body, the FIA. In addition to his FIA role he now holds the position of Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the Engineering Department of Cambridge University.
In 2010, Purnell was part of the IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
' ICONIC committee which chose new engine and chassis specifications for the 2012 season.