Team Feature: Will Picken

11th April

2019

We spoke to Will Picken, one of our Architects, to find out more about his motor racing hobby.

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Aside from architecture and design, my other passion in life is motorsport. It all started, as these things do, at an early age. I remember constructing Lego racing cars as a child and drawing old engine parts. I also enjoyed many years spectating at various motor racing events with my Dad…until we discovered our local outdoor go-karting track. My first kart was red, powered by a Honda engine. We didn’t have any expectations at first. However, I won the club championship in my first full season and the following year moved up into a faster category for karts with 2-stroke engines, with a top speed of 80mph. Understanding the mechanics of the kart was essential and you quickly learn how to fine-tune the set-up to suit track conditions. I competed successfully at regional and national level, fitting racing around my academic studies in Architecture.

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Following two years gaining professional experience in Reykjavik, Iceland, I attended Silverstone racing school and obtained my competition car licence. This marked the first step to fulfilling a dream! I competed in the F1000 championship, driving a purpose built single-seater racing car with slick tyres, sequential gearbox and aerodynamic wings, capable of 0-60mph in less than 3 seconds. Speed, consistency and race-craft skills I had acquired through Karting proved invaluable. The highlight was two victories in mixed weather conditions at the Silverstone Circuit, in front of the striking new pit lane and paddock building. I then moved into sportscar racing and competed in the Mazda MX-5 Supercup. This remains a fiercely contested one-make series based on the road going production car, however with some performance modifications. Despite a limited budget, my strongest results were actually at my ‘home track’ Croft Circuit, near Darlington.

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Recently, I competed in the Scottish Mini Cooper championship at the challenging Knockhill Circuit. This track demands a high level of commitment as the car is launched over kerbs through blind corners. It was also my first experience driving a front wheel drive racing car, which required a slightly different technique, including left-foot braking. I have driven on some fantastic circuits, including the infamous Nürburgring in Germany and recommend to anyone interested in competing to join a local motor club, maximise their track time and choose a category that offers close and exciting racing!!

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