Not every role in Formula 1 sits on the pit wall or appears on television.
Role Call is Sector’s Q&A series spotlighting the people whose job titles do not always reveal the influence they have on the sport.
This week, Sector speaks to Joe Diamond, Partnerships Lead at Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team.
Sector: How did you get into Formula 1?
Joe: From about the age of about six, I started watching motorsport a lot on TV and in person with my Dad. I started reading Autosport at an early age and quickly decided I wanted to become an F1 journalist. Fast-forward a few years, and I was studying Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
After graduating, I took my first steps in the industry as a freelance journalist covering national motorsports, football, etc, before trying my hand at PR, comms and copywriting. I moved to London in 2016 when I was 22 to work in the agency world with Patterrn and CAA before being approached by the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team in 2021. It’s been a (green) blur since then!
Sector: What are the top three skills that matter most in your job that people would not expect?
Joe: Working in partnerships requires a wide range of skills to excel, which is one of the reasons I love it. As you can probably tell from the previous answer, I have a background that includes different roles/career paths that have led me to where I am now. In terms of unexpected skills that matter:
1. Versatility – One moment you’re working on a partner activation strategy for a Silicon Valley tech brand like ServiceNow or Netapp, the next you’re building out a guest programme for the Breitling or Elemis of this world at the upcoming race in Latin America. Working in partnerships is a difficult role to summarise; it requires a holistic approach and positive curiosity to excel from one day to the next, and a passion for spinning plates and juggling a huge number of workstreams and projects across the season (and beyond).
2. Relationships/Communication – This is the bedrock of working in F1 partnerships. In such a fast-moving sport, on and off the track, it’s really important to be proactive in sharing information and updates. Ultimately, that helps build relationships both internally at Aston Martin Aramco and externally with our partners, who contribute so much to the team commercially, technically, and reputationally. My colleagues in the Partnerships team are on the front line of these relationships, so ensuring they are nurtured and grown in line with the team and our partners’ ambitions, business objectives and beyond is vital.
3. Cultural Understanding – F1 continues to grow exponentially via whichever metrics you choose to analyse. An element of this is the influx of new partners from every corner of the world, and with that comes a greater focus on cultural considerations. In our world, these predominantly relate to partners with headquarters or prominent regional teams that we need to work with around the clock, both across and outside of race weekends. From Australia to the US, and from Saudi Arabia to Japan, our ability to understand our partners’ ways of working and cultures is key to fostering positive relationships and achieving and identifying each partnership’s overarching objectives.
Sector: What does a good day look like in your role?
Joe: There isn’t an easy answer to that! But I’ll give it a go… A good day for me is one where I’ve contributed to a milestone moment with the support of my colleagues and our partners. For example, it could be securing that green light on a year-long activation strategy for one of our partners. It could be collating data and metrics to prove that a campaign we’ve worked on for months has met all predetermined KPIs and objectives. It could be as simple as onboarding and introducing a new partner or colleague to the world of Aston Martin.
I’m someone who loves working in and building a team, and I never take for granted how fortunate I am to work alongside incredibly talented, determined and brilliant colleagues and friends. F1 is such a demanding environment to work in, but it is infinitely more rewarding and gratifying when you have the pleasure of spending each working day surrounded by great colleagues and fantastic partners.
Sector: What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in F1 but doesn’t know where they fit?
Joe: F1 teams today are made up of so much more than drivers, engineers and mechanics. Partnerships, communications, HR, ESG, marketing, health & safety, facilities management, legal… There are a plethora of internal teams and individuals (1,100 at Aston Martin Aramco) that are essential to the day-to-day running of the outfit.
To find out where your passion and skill sets lie, my biggest piece of advice would be to shortlist the areas that pique your interest and begin networking with teams and agencies across the breadth of motorsport. There are thousands of professional race teams around the world that look to discover and leverage enthusiastic talent with an ambition to work in motorsport.
So do some research, reach out to teams/agencies, offer your services, even on a voluntary basis to start, take on critique/feedback, and begin to carve out your interests and your niche that will one day help you become the 1,101st member of an F1 team. Back yourself!
Sector: If you were starting again tomorrow, what would you do differently?
Joe: ‘No regrets’ isn’t a phrase I’m particularly fond of, but as far as my career is concerned, there is very little I would change. Every positive experience, every challenge, every good trip, every bad trip, every poor decision, and every success I’ve experienced have led me to where I am today; both current-me and six-year-old me are very happy where we are.
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