Just 25 miles from the iconic Silverstone Circuit, sitting in the depths of ‘Motorsport Valley’, Blenheim Palace will play host to an off-track battle of the fittest, as relay teams from three Formula One outfits go head-to-head at the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Blenheim Palace Triathlon on 13-14th June 2015.
With fitness being of vital importance for both drivers and support crew, triathlon offers great cardiovascular training for F1, as championed by seasoned triathlete and previous Blenheim Palace Triathlon entrant, Jenson Button.
Falling on an off-weekend in the Formula One season the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Blenheim Palace Triathlon provides the perfect opportunity to maintain track fitness, with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Red Bull and Force India all entering relay teams on Sunday 14th June. From engineers to fabricators, trimmers to accountants, each F1 team will have three relay teams representing them on race day.
With ages ranging from 22 to 52, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS teams are no strangers to triathlon and endurance sport, with a number in training for half and full distance ironmans later this year and three are returning triathletes to the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Blenheim Palace Triathlon.
Matthew Storry, a Senior Systems Engineer from MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS commented: “I’ve always been interested in triathlons but my main interest in this event is the venue – I actually had my wedding reception in the Orangery of the Palace back in 2006! My individual aim for the weekend is to have a competitive swim and to be the first MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS swimmer out of the water, I’d love to beat all the other F1 teams and have a Mercedes 1-2-3 triathlon win.”
The strength of the field at Red Bull is no different, with every team member lining up at the start with at least one triathlon under their belt. Competitiveness is also high, with big aims to beat each other as well as the other F1 teams in their wave.
Chris Finister, a Senior Design Engineer from Red Bull’s ‘A’ team enthused: “I got into triathlon when I convinced my nine year-old son to take part in one at a local pool which he did without hesitation, I immediately thought if he can…I can! We have a great group of runners and cyclists at Red Bull Racing and usually we compete against each other in races – this event will give us a great opportunity to compete in a team with colleagues instead. My aim is to win and destroy the other F1 teams – that’s why everyone else is entered right?”
Force India have the youngest average age (32) of the three Formula One teams, but what they lack in age they make up for in athletic experience and competitiveness. Despite all being first-timers to the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Blenheim Palace Triathlon, the teams have taken part in a multitude of triathlons, marathons and charity challenges between them.
Paul McEvoy, Force India’s ‘C’ team captain said: “I got into endurance events after recovering from cancer in 2012 – I’ve been all clear since and have had a real drive to keep fitter. Fortunately my interest in multi-sport events is shared by my colleagues and we motivate each other to keep pushing. We are a competitive bunch and all share a passion, or perhaps obsession, for fitness.”
Lining up at the start line of the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon will be:
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS – A
Swim: Matthew Storry (35), Senior Systems Engineer from Oxford
Bike: Allyson Anstee (42), Fitness Instructor from Brackley
Run: Oliver Langford (28), Software Engineer from Brackley
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS– B
Swim: Paul Warren (52), Production Planner from Milton Keynes
Bike: Stuart Morgan (37), Senior Design Engineer from Northampton
Run: Ed Cooper (38), Aero Model Technician from Banbury
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS – C
Swim: Andy Hallas (36), Senior Mechanical Design Engineer from Kidlington
Bike: Mark Shepherd (48), Freight Coordinator from Brackley
Run: Andrew Atkins (22), Personal Trainer from Northamptonshire
Red Bull – A
Swim: Chris Finister (42), Senior Design Engineer from Cambridge
Bike: Kevin Dunkley (35), Senior Management Accountant from Northamptonshire
Run: Matt Child (32), Assistant Management Accountant from Newport Pagnell
Red Bull – B
Swim: John Batchelor (48), Composite Inspector from Cambridge
Bike: John Buchannan (45), Bill of Materials Controller from Woburn Sands
Run: Jeremy Vick (37), Aerodynamics Design Team Leader from Milton Keynes
Red Bull – C
Swim: Christian Lancaster, Aerodynamic Design Engineer from Towcester
Bike: Andy Damerum (44), Business Development Engineer from Northamptonshire
Run: Andi Scott (34), Driver Development Engineer from Mawsley Village
Force India – A
Swim: Dean Walsh (33), Finance Analyst from Northampton
Bike: Enrico Cacciatori (39), Senior Control Systems Engineer from Daventry
Run: Antonio Fischer (33), Senior Composite Design Engineer from Northampton
Force India – B
Swim: Andrew Brown (39), Head of Research & Development from Oxford
Bike: Steve Holmes (32), Design Engineer from Northampton
Run: Dan Carpenter (40), Head of Mechanical Engineering from Buckingham
Force India – C
Swim: Jamie Underwood (21), Fabricator / Trimmer from Brackley
Bike: Paul McEvoy (29), Mechanical Design Engineer from Towcester
Run: Elliot Cave (25), Composite Trimmer / Fitter from Brackley
To keep up with all the latest news from the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon, visit www.theblenheimtriathlon.com,www.twitter.com/blenheimtri and www.facebook.com/blenheimtri.