People

David Pitchforth

At the end of 2002 Jaguar Racing replaced managing-director Gunther Steiner with Yorkshireman David Pitchforth. He joined the Schwitzer turbocharger company as an apprentice in 1981 and after graduating from the University of Huddersfield's School of Design Technology he became a senior engineer with the firm, specialising in colling fans and in 1994 moved to the United States to work at Switzer US Inc, where he became increasingly involved with engine dynos and windtunnels. In 1997 he was recruited by Reynard to oversee the design, construction and commissioning of Reynard Motorsports's US research and development facility known as the Auto Research Center in Indianapolis. In 2000 he became managing-director of ARC and also worked on the company's other windtunnel projects including the NASCAR windtunnel in Mooresville, North Carolina, the BAR windtunnel in Brackley and finally the Jaguar Racing windtunnel in Bicester. It was through this connection that he joined Jaguar Racing in March 2002, becoming project manager of Jaguar R3C and then the 2003 F1 car, the R4. When the team was reorganised under Tony Purnell Pitchforth was named managing-director and led the company throughout 2003 and 2004. When the team was taken over by Red Bull at the end of 2004 Pitchforth stayed a few weeks but Red Bull decided to install its own management team and Pitchforth was placed on "gardening leave".