Autosport Explains: Engineer-Driver Relationship

The relationship between a Formula 1 driver and their race engineer has always been important, and this has been amplified in 2026 due to the complexity of the regulations.

To understand their bond, we've spoken to ex-F1 engineer Julien Simon-Chautemps, who offered guidance from the pit wall to drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Vitaly Petrov, and Jolyon Palmer across his time at Lotus/Renault, and Sauber.

Julien delves into what makes a good race engineer, how their role in 2026 has changed, and what it was like to work with drivers like Raikkonen during his time in F1.