Alastair Pemberton

Alongside the drama-filled races, F1 is known for intense rivalries between teams off the track, fueled by competition for championships and individual driver rivalries. 

It's a fast-paced job that comes with huge pressure, but one that Alastair, who has been in the role for six years, is relishing.  

He said: “When people ask me what I do, I tell them my job is basically to find the best people and keep the best people. I’m responsible for recruiting everybody apart from the race drivers – so that includes everyone from people working in finance to race engineers. We currently have almost 1,000 employees and I think a lot of people don’t realise how many staff make up a Formula 1 team. They just see the cars racing on the track on TV at the weekend but it’s a massive operation behind the scenes and a hugely competitive environment. A lot of the F1 teams are based around Oxfordshire and the Midlands, ourselves included, in what is called Motorsport Valley 

“We’ve seen the popularity of the sport increase significantly in recent years, and a large part of that is down to the success of the Netflix F1 documentary ‘Drive to Survive’. My role is a tough job and it does come with pressure, but F1 is also a unique industry to work in, and everybody is committed to working hard and doing their best to achieve something. We might be behind the scenes but if the team has a good or bad result, if affects people’s moods on Monday morning, so we all feel it. I was fortunate enough to be in Hungary in 2021 when the team secured its first win in Formula 1 and the atmosphere was incredible – something I’ll never forget.” 

Alastair graduated from Keele in 2006 with a degree in Human Resource Management and Sociology. After working as an assistant HR Business Partner at Housing 21 and a HR Business Partner at NSF International, he was appointed Talent Manager at Alpine in 2017 before becoming Head of Talent in 2022. 

In June 2023, a group of investors, including actor Ryan Reynolds, agreed a deal to pay €200 million for a 24% stake in the Alpine F1 team. More investors joined the group later in 2023, including NFL player Patrick Mahomes, golfer Rory McIlroy, heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and Premier League footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

Alastair said: “Working at  Housing 21 was my first proper HR job and it was great experience. I worked my way up and then a big opportunity came up to work for an American company, NSF, which was another completely different role where I learnt a lot. It was there when I was approached to be Talent Manager at Alpine, who were building a new F1 team, and it was one of those opportunities that are too good to turn down.  

“Admittedly I didn’t know much about the sport but once I got into it, I was completely hooked. I’m quite a competitive person, so working in F1 is a perfect fit for me in that sense. I’ve been in my current role for six years now and it feels like it has gone so fast, which is often a good sign that you are enjoying it. I’ve done some amazing things and I feel like I am constantly pushing myself to the best I can be.” 
 
Reflecting on his time at Keele, Alastair said: “I came to an open day at Keele and it reminded me of Centre Parcs! It was a beautiful sunny day and walking around the campus, it felt more like a holiday camp than a university. I’d been to another couple of open days but they just didn’t compare to Keele.  
 
“I had a great time at Keele. I worked in the bar at Horwood, played football and generally had a great time. Keele was such a perfectly rounded university from an educational and social point of view, and it really shaped me as a person.” 
 
“To the current students at Keele, I would say don’t put too much pressure on yourself when you graduate. Your career is going to be long and finding your way into something you really love and are passionate about can take time. If things don’t work out straight away, you’re not failing. I think you just have to work hard and take any opportunities that come along, but also don’t be afraid to try things, as they can often be building blocks for the long term.”