People of the Paddock: Introducing Invicta Racing's Mark Lincoln

16 July 2024

In 2024, he became the most tenured member of the Formula 2 paddock so it’s about time we put the spotlight on Invicta Racing’s Mark Lincoln.

As Chief Mechanic, Lincoln has been a mainstay in the paddock going back over 20 years at this level. After recently celebrating his 50th birthday, we sat down with him at Invicta’s workshop to talk about his role, the team and his involvement in racing throughout his career.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT’S YOUR POSITION WITH THE TEAM?

“My name is Mark Lincoln, I am Chief Mechanic with Invicta Racing. I’m also Purchaser and fill other areas, sorting and keeping on top of things really.”

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED IN THE TEAM?

“I think I’ve missed two or maybe three races since 2005. Two were for the birth of my children and the other one was because I was ill. So, I’ve basically seen it all. I was there when GP2 Asia started out, had the normal GP2 series running alongside that so I was kind of floating between the two. When I first started doing GP2, it was iSport. I’ve been with the team all the way to now as it is currently known as Invicta Racing.”

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ROLE?

“As Chief Mechanic, it’s been the last few years. Before that, I was a number one mechanic when it was GP2. I first started out as number two back in 2005, fresh faced and naïve I guess, but I was number two for that first year before progressing up to number one in 2006 from then on until a few years ago, when I became Chief Mechanic. Before that I was in Formula Renault, doing British rounds and I did that from 2000 to the end of 2004. So nearly 30 years in motorsport and maybe too long!”

WHAT IS THE MAIN SKILL YOU NEED IN YOUR ROLE?

“A good sense of humour. Over my career, I’ve amassed a lot of skills that you can pass on to the younger generation. Sometimes the younger generation think they know it all, but you have to trust the wise old man!”

Lincoln has been with the Norfolk-based outfit throughout his tenure in F2

WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE RACE WEEKEND LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

“Busy. It’s flat out from the moment you get to the race weekend. Obviously, you have to set everything up, unload and unpack everything from the truck. The floor, awning, backdrops, unload the cars, organise everything and that’s just to get the weekend started.

“Generally, the busiest time is between Free Practice and Qualifying, depends on what the time between the sessions is. If things run smoothly and you have no accidents, that’s generally pretty hectic anyway, but it’s pretty busy all the time.”

IS THERE ANY PREPARATION YOU HAVE TO DO AHEAD OF A WEEKEND?

“You try to organise yourself so you’re prepared for all eventualities as much as you can be. Hopefully when you get there, you’re on top of everything and if anything does happen, you’ve hopefully catered to it.”

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE TOUGHEST ASPECT OF YOUR JOB?

“The results. That’s the toughest part. If you don’t get the results. Everybody’s working 110% to get the result and through one thing or another, if they don’t come, that’s the toughest thing. But you just have to roll onto the next one and see what happens there.

“You’re always evolving, you think you’re always on top of things but you’re constantly having to improve and then you find little bits here and there, whether they make a big difference or not, who knows? But you’re always trying to do better and better all the time.”

Chief Mechanic for the majority of his career, Lincoln says the passion for racing is still there

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

“It is also the best part. When you get a good result, all that hard work is worthwhile. It’s a great morale-booster for the whole team. You get a good result and the great memories from those. I’ve won the Teams’ Championship a couple of times. I haven’t personally won with a driver in the Drivers’ Championship despite coming close a few times.

“You’re giving 100% commitment on both cars and all of the team in all areas. But I think personally, winning the Drivers’ Championship with the car that you’ve built, that’s like the cherry on top. But you obviously want the best for both cars and both drivers.”

ANY FUNNY STORIES FROM YOUR TIME WITH THE TEAM SO FAR?

“I’m trying to think about something but I’m coming up with nothing. I think it’s just having good banter with everyone, but I couldn’t pinpoint one particular thing.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DO WHAT YOU DO?

“You have to be passionate about motorsport. I think if you’re not passionate about it, I don’t think you’d get very far in the job because it’s not a normal 9-to-5 job. When you’re away, working in Europe and different cities, the days can be long. So, you need dedication and passion for it, which is rarer nowadays.

“It doesn’t get easier. It’s relentless. GP2 and F2 is relentless because of the workload that you have. You only have a small number of people that are allowed to be involved with the team whereas F1 you have hundreds and hundreds of people. You’re constantly working, and you’ve got to love the role.

“I think the day you stop loving the job is the day you need to find something else to do. So at the moment, I’m still enjoying it, I still have that passion, that’s still there.”