A great win, a shocking crash, and off the back of the New Zealand event Scott McLaughlin was in the workshop working on the car with the team.

It brings a new meaning to ‘behind the wheel’ – part of the Fujitsu GRM driver’s arrangement is to work as a fabricator to finish the final year of his apprenticeship.

McLaughlin said he always wanted to be in the motor racing industry – if not driving the cars, building them.

In fact, his foot in the door came by completing work experience with Stone Brothers Racing when he lived on the Gold Coast. McLaughlin worked there for a few years and has now transferred his apprenticeship to complete with GRM.

“I’m in my last year, so hopefully I’ll finish by the year’s end,” he said.

“It’s definitely a good thing for me to work on my own car – and when we do well it’s a bit of a reward for me because I put work into it.”

McLaughlin said it was important to him to have a back-up career and something to focus on other than racing.

“A lot of drivers out there put their whole heart and soul into getting a drive – and good on them – but you can’t forget that you need a life behind the racing,” McLaughlin said. “In case it doesn’t work out I needed an income or trade behind me.

“Even when I do finish my driving career, I might go back to fabrication, because I enjoy it. It’s good not to think about racing all of the time.”

McLaughlin said he felt more like a part of the team, rather than the stereotypical idea a driver just stepping into the car on race day.

“After the crash the boys stripped the car and put it down on the jig – it brings you down to reality (working on the car) but you learn a lot and build a relationship with the team members; I feel like I’m more inside the team.”

Plus, he understands the finer details of the car.

“I think a lot of the drivers know fundamental stuff, but I learn how it all pieces together, down to the thickness of a tube – you know it’s fragile.

“It helps you a little bit knowing how hard you hit the car in this place, because you know what damage can happen, if it’s a lightweight part.”

At Pukekohe McLaughlin had a look around the car before going back to the pits so he could give the team feedback on the damage.

“I think it helps me look after my equipment more because I know what goes (into it)…  I work 7.30am to 4pm every day – it depends what commitments I have on, I get a leave pass for sponsor commitments, but otherwise I work a normal day like everyone else, have ‘smoko’ at 9.45am, lunch at 12.30pm and back to work. It’s the same as any other fabrication job.”

McLaughlin encourages any aspiring drivers to work towards a qualification to give themselves a greater shot at a job within the motor racing industry.

“I definitely encourage it, I think it’s a great thing,” he said. “You get to see a lot of Australia and the world, if you’re lucky enough to go with a team.

“It’s a good environment to work in with experienced people, you have the chance to learn handy skills… Everything on the race car has to be very good quality, and good quality presentation as well.”

McLaughlin behind the wheel