Former British Touring Car Championship driver and current British, French and Spanish GT driver Tom Onslow-Cole is coaching 17 year-old Rob Cox from Flamstead in his second season of motorsport, as he moves from the Junior to the Senior class of the BRSCC Fiesta Championship.
Here, Tom talks about how he met Rob, how he can help and what is important for young racing drivers nowadays.
Q:
When and how did you first meet Rob Cox?
TO-C:
I met him for the first time at Brands Hatch in 2012. I coached him through his first on-track experience.
Q:
What were your first impressions of him, both as a young man and as a race driver?
TO-C:
As a driver, I thought he was extremely professional and marketable; as a young man, I thought he was wise beyond his years.
Q:
Was it clear from the first meeting that he had talent?
TO-C:
Meeting him face-to-face, he talked a good game and once we got out on track, it was evident this guy could drive.
Q:
With a young driver such as Rob who clearly has talent, what do you try to impart into him?
TO-C:
Accountability. There are a lot of variables in motorsport and you'll hear a lot of drivers talk about their race result being affected by external influences. My philosophy is that a driver can control more than just their own car and actions in a race. A good driver can control a whole race.
Q:
What sort of student has Rob been?
TO-C:
Rob has been easy to coach; rarely do you ever have to suggest something more than once and he has it mastered.
Q:
What are his particular strengths?
TO-C:
Other than outright pace on the track, I think a true strength of Rob is his media understanding and marketability. This is something not every fast driver has.
Q:
How can you help him develop as a driver as he moves forward through his career?
TO-C:
As Rob develops, my role will change from driver coach to career mentor.
Q:
Rob spent time on driving sims before he ever took the wheel - is this a useful start for young racers?
TO-C:
Absolutely - I'm a big advocate of simulators. With the cost of karting these days, I think it's a great way to cut your teeth and learn your craft.
Q:
Rob has a very clear idea of how he would like his racing career to develop - do you think this is realistic? (Clios x 2 - BTCC x 2 - British GT/WEC - works Aston Martin driver)
TO-C:
Any career plan is realistic as long as you can justify the how. When it comes to the how, Rob is very lucky to have his family right behind him and I'm sure with their support and guidance he will get where he wants to go.
Q:
Are there any parallels between your early racing career and Rob's?
TO-C:
Not really, no. I started in a different way. For me, it was very family-orientated as with Rob but we started looking after ourselves, not with a team. When I started - 19 years ago - things were different. We didn't have simulators and I didn't get a driver coach until I was 16 years old. I just got in and drove - if I had a good day, I didn't really know why and vice versa.
Q:
If you could sum up Rob's racing style in three words, what would they be?
TO-C:
Calculated, measured and controlled.
Q:
Talent used to be enough to help a driver make it to the top. However nowadays, there seems to be more emphasis on budget. What is the relationship between the two, do you think?
TO-C:
Talent isn't enough anymore, even at Formula One levels. There are drivers who run at front but others who are 2/10s off pace and come with £30 million. It's a business and as a team owner, it is the way it is going.
Q:
If you were to offer Rob, or any young racing driver, a single piece of advice, what would it be?
TO-C:
When coming up through the ranks, the easy thing to do is rest on your laurels when you are doing well. But a driver needs to take into account that, for every time you're not sat there working on your career, someone else is. It doesn't come easy in this sport at the moment.
