Becoming a WRC Mechanic - How Hard Can It Be?

Mechanics don't get a lot of the spotlight, but for WRC teams, they're a crucial gear in the system. To find out just how difficult it is to be a WRC Mechanic, M-Sport invited Tom Howard, Autosport's WRC Reporter, to join them on a four day rally in Belgium, living the life of one of their mechanics. He's never changed a wheel before, so this can only go well... right?
0:00 Becoming a WRC Mechanic
1:26 M-Sport's Invitation
2:08 Setup & Service
3:13 Hybrid Power
4:41 Driving a WRC Car
5:25 Rally Stage Day
6:26 Thoughts On Being A Mechanic
7:31 Work Hard, Play Hard
8:01 End Credits Scene
#WRC #MSport #Rally
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[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Being brought up by a retired rally driver dad (and a very tolerant mother!), this brought a big smile to my face. It took me right back 40+ years. Rally mechanics are as good as you'll get anywhere on the planet! Funnily enough, I had only about an hour ago spoken to my eldest (home on holiday!) about my dad teaching me to drive. He said that when he took his newly-bought car down to show him, despite him being in his eighties, Dad insisted they go out for a drive and he kept telling him where to turn. From the description, they ended up on the nearest part of the Round Britain Rally to his place 😂 Dad and his two co-drivers (they'd swap between them) actually designed our region's stages, some of which, at least in part, were still in use in the 1980s when I learned to drive (they designed it in the '60s). At least my son's car is closer in size to a rally car, I learned in a 2 lt (almost 2 tonne, no power steering) Datsun Laurel in which I couldn't see over the steering wheel! I had to learn early on to trust _my_ co-driver!

[@muntedarius7628]

I am working in the local championship on rally2 cars aka wrc2 or r5 cars, they are amazing and it just reminds me of what I have to do tomorrow at the next rally and last of my season

[@pbfamous07]

this was fascinating. i dont even follow rally that much

[@h-rtautomotorsport9780]

As a rally mechanic, thx for showing it for pple.

[@marktucker208]

Much easier these days with less servicing, shorter rally’s, restrictions in which parts you can change

[@JTeam45]

Wait, how do you get work for a car mag and haven't ever changed a tire before? You'd think people who work in motorsport magazines would work on their own cars let alone just rotating their own wheels, no?

[@hishamhilal8332]

I grew up hanging around motorhomes in local rallies. Yeah its frantic work.

[@jamdc2000]

In short, itbis like a stage play, where the driver and co-driver are the protagonists, but behind courtins is where the magic is done.

[@eldavso5703]

Keep up the wrc content im a relatively new fan and im trying to learn more about it.

[@JohnDoe-yq9ml]

This channel definitely isn’t the one you should be watching then. This guy and this channel is a joke.

[@inVAINwetrust]

Not sure i would openly admit never changing my own tire before much less to be a motorsports reporter 😂🤣 thought we had people with some sense and experience behind the mic

[@dwaynehicks6838]

Wonder what it's like for the truck drivers who deliver the cars ? Do they stuck in as well ?

[@alveolate]

feels like not much detail was being shown tho? you say changing a gearbox took 10mins and a damper took 4mins... but there was barely any matching footage, much less a walkthrough of any particular job... guess i was expecting more.

[@bucketslash11]

"structural damage, what's that?" - Colin McRae

[@scottmeredith3359]

Being an adult that works for an autosport outlet and he's never changed the wheel on a car?

[@torbjornkrondahl8116]

God film and story but where are the real story ? I’m have been working in professional Motorsport in nearly 35 years now and started as a Mekaniker and worked my way up to engineering. The life as a Mekaniker is a hard job and hard on the body , long hours , now weekends or vacation more then the travel days. When I was most active as a mek in WRC , ERC and LMP i had 200-230 traveling days round the glob plus the event on top of this. After 10-12 years of this I crashed my body was screaming and I had to rest and find a different way forward , so I started with formula cars and tarmac racing and forth that was better 🤣 , I stared with Indy car moved to USA after some years there I moved home and started to work in Europe and moved up the ladder and got to be race engineer , people doesn’t believe how brutal this business is and how mentally burned out you are after a race weekend as a mek or engineer and when you get up in age it’s not better 🤣 I am 51 years old now and I got drafted a week ago to be senior engineer in a TCR team , I told myself for 5 year’s ago that I stop by 50 but it’s a not easy to let go even when you’re body protesting .

[@TheChannel1978]

Thanks for your perspective. Agree that the video was a bit thin on substance

[@moseskinuthia1069]

Give me your email pliz sir

[@WerdnaLiten]

Not as hard as it used to be during the 4-5 day WRC era, with no centralised servicing.

[@Van_mau]

Becoming a WRC Mechanic - How Hard Can It Be?

[@tacklefatkids]

Harder if your Fourmaux'a mechanic

[@yj914]

6:43 impact wrench - Milwaukee M12 FIWF

[@debozebever]

'or a simple tyre change' Me... easily spending half a day changing my tyres of my 'simple' road-car.

[@aricroy4258]

nah thats just sad at that point.

[@timmyboy2276]

great video. But this guy needs to be fired! Are you telling me that he's never change a tire and he works for a racing car magazine?! that's blasphemy! knowing how to change a tire should be on the resume for the job. At the very least.

[@furyofbongos]

All fluff, very little real content.

[@jakefeng4516]

Autosport at its finest!