|
Paul Howarth told us
The big interview
Letter from SWRT
14 July 2006
We caught up with Subaru World Rally Team operations director Paul Howarth to discuss the season so far, the change in his role and the challenges of running a top rally team…
 |
 |
| Copyright © STI |
Eight weeks between rallies, but we assume you've still been busy.
We've done a lot of testing in this period between rallies. By the end of the summer, we'll have done four major tests, which is a lot for any team, and hopefully we'll see the benefits in coming events. We have nine cars in build for the second half of the season at the moment, so the demands are still very high. Even under pressure we still need to keep the level of quality and attention to detail and ensure the package delivered to events is a good step forward.
There have been several changes in the team in the last six months and your role in particular has expanded. How have the last six months been?
The engineering side has changed, with Steve Farrell taking responsibility for all the technical and engineering aspects of the team and I work very closely with him to help the engineers produce a car that meets our performance criteria. The introduction of François-Xavier Demaison as Petter's engineer has been a good step and has allowed other people to focus specifically on areas of the car such as testing and development. For me, the position I now hold requires me to have a certain amount of political skill and I'm having to develop this area more. People rely on me to make decisions and push things forward, so if I don't analyse the performance, negotiate with the FIA or push the drivers to reach the right level, we won't reach the targets we set ourselves. It will take some time to turn things around, but we showed in the last three events that things have already improved. It was only the loss of two tyres in Sardinia and an unfortunate road accident in Greece that stopped us challenging for the top two.
Will further changes be introduced?
A professional team is highly driven and if you make a positive change you will see a higher level of performance naturally. The second half of the season will be very challenging though, with technically difficult events, tough logistical operations and paired events. Don't underestimate Cyprus and Turkey, or the slippery roads of New Zealand and Australia. Rally GB will also be phenomenally demanding. In early December you could get snow, ice or rain. What we need to do in the second part of the year is deliver consistently fast stage times and be in a position where we can push the opposition. Marcus Gronholm and Seb Loeb are both highly consistent and we need to be at that same pace.
 |
|
| Copyright © STI |
How do you keep the team motivated?
It's down to delegation, empowerment and being accountable for the work you do. I've tried to allow areas to manage themselves and become responsible for their own performance - you've got to make people feel they're empowered and can make a difference. There is obviously a lot of knowledge in big teams, but if people are not in a position where they feel they can add something, then we go backwards. For instance we've also made a lot of improvements to our buildings over the summer and I've invited people to put their plans and ideas forward. Every member of the team knows their strengths and I have to keep making them go forward. You have to keep pushing every day, chipping away.
How has Petter's re-signing affected the mood in the team?
In a team of this size and history, we have to have one of the top three drivers to be able to win the championship. The news is good for the team, for Subaru and for Petter and morale is high as it's taken away some of the uncertainty. We've got a lot to do in three years, we have to deliver championships, but it's a sign of Petter's faith and commitment that we can do this.
|
 |
2006
2005