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Famous Red Bull mechanic responds to book critics: 'You're sorely mistaken'
Calum Nicholas, former Red Bull Racing mechanic, has recently released a book detailing his long career in motorsport. Covering a range of topics—some more controversial than others—the book has sparked criticism from certain quarters. While Nicholas anticipated some backlash, he urges fans not to judge too quickly and to consider the full context of his experiences before forming an opinion.
Nicholas posted a statement on X about the criticism he received for excerpts in his book. "I spoke about my own experiences with the sport's lack of diversity," he began. "I spoke about the mental health implications for those that travel all season through a gruelling calendar. I spoke about the death of Jules Bianchi, the impact it had not only on me, and how the safety of the sport has improved as a result." Nicholas was working for the Manor Marussia team at the time of Bianchi's untimely death.
He continued: "I spoke about a cost cap that is killing the meritocracy of the job market in the sport and driving the best, most valuable personnel into other industries."
Having spent over 15 years in Formula 1, Nicholas has now transitioned into an ambassador role for Red Bull. He acknowledged that certain topics in his book would attract attention from both fans and industry professionals, fully expecting criticism on social media. However, despite the risks, he remained committed to being honest and sharing his personal experiences openly.
Nicholas is rightfully 'proud of the book'
Nicholas stresses that he would have been horrified if even one of the people he has worked with would have had problems with something he included in his book. "Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and I’m very proud of the book we produced.
"What I will say is that if you think that taking a 10-second excerpt out of a 15-year career and think that it provides you with the insight to offer any opinion of value, you’re sorely mistaken. All I ask is that you read ‘Life In The Pitlane’ in its entirety, put your fandom to one side, and try to offer something constructive to the conversation."
This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel.