Early F1 Career
Mike Gascoyne began his Formula 1 career in 1989 when he joined McLaren as head of aerodynamics. After a year, he moved to Tyrrell, where he worked under designer Harvey Postlethwaite. Gascoyne’s talent was quickly recognized, and he followed Postlethwaite to Sauber in 1991 to help design their first F1 car, the sauber C12. He returned to Tyrrell in 1993 to 1998 as deputy technical director, further solidifying his reputation in the sport.
Jordan & Renault F1
In June 1998, Mike Gascoyne joined Jordan Grand Prix as Technical Director, where he designed their successful 1999 car. This period marked the team’s most successful season, finishing third in the Constructors’ Championship and securing two race victories. Shortly before the 2001 season, Gascoyne moved to Benetton, which later became the Renault F1 team. His tenure saw significant improvements, setting up the team and processes which led ultimately to the successful 2005 and 2006 World Championships.
Toyota F1
In 2003, Mike Gascoyne joined Toyota F1 as Technical Director, where once again he restructured the team. His first car for the Toyota F1 team, the TF105 won the team’s first podium finishes and led to their most successful season in Formula 1. In 2006, he moved to Spyker F1 (later Force India) as Chief Technical Officer. Gascoyne’s expertise helped the team transition and lay the groundwork for future successes.
Lotus Racing and Caterham F1
In 2009, Mike Gascoyne under the umbrella of his company MGI founded the Lotus Racing F1 team. In under 6 months MGI set up the complete Formula 1 team and designed the team’s 2010 challenger. Both cars were ready for the first GP in Bahrain and finished the race. The team later rebranded as Caterham F1, where Gascoyne continued to influence their engineering direction. His leadership helped the team navigate the challenges of competing in Formula 1. He also set up the automotive arm of Caterham Technology which included its partnership with Renault Alpine.
MGI Engineering
After his tenure with Caterham F1, Mike Gascoyne transitioned to focus on broader engineering challenges. In 2015, he founded MGI Engineering, leveraging his extensive F1 experience to deliver innovative solutions across various industries. Under his leadership, MGI Engineering has become a pioneer in sustainable technology, applying high-performance engineering principles to projects in automotive, aviation, and marine sectors, including cutting-edge eVTOL and ROUV developments.
