Pascal GIRARD
LAXOU
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
Work History
Technical Circuit Manager
Federation Internationale de L’Automobile
01.2018 - 01.2025
- GT, Touring car, Karting (World championship), Truck racing, Drifting, Drag racing, Electric car (Eco rally) & Hill climb.
- Between 2018 and 2022 I was also in charge of the Formula e and endurance (WEC) categories.
- Managing the FIA Technical Team of circuit categories (14 persons)
- Be the reference point on all technical issues, coordinating the department during and outside of race weekends, monitoring operational objectives, carrying out annual performance reviews.
- Contributing to the strategic vision of the technical and sporting regulations.
- Be the reference point for teams and other main parties or suppliers regarding current and future Technical Regulations and their implementation. This will include any clarification requests of a technical nature arising during and/or outside of race weekends.
- Supporting Circuit Sport Director and commission members in their strategic orientations.
- Preparing and conducting all technical regulation meetings for the circuit categories
- Technical Working groups
- Commissions
- Preparation of the dossiers for the World motorsport council
- Head of Châssis Department, Research and Innovation activities
- Study of the various technologies that could be of interest for integration into motor sports.
- Work on sustainable fuels, particulate emissions, hydrogen and battery cells.
- State of the art in collaboration with different laboratories such as CEA in France and different universities around the world.
- Analysis of international standards and exchanges with the relevant authorities
- Feasibility study on how to integrate these systems into different vehicle architectures
- Work with vehicle manufacturers on feasibility, particularly for prototype cars, GTs and trucks.
- Work on infrastructures for electric and hydrogen recharging with industry professionals such as Air Liquide and EDF.
Technical director R&D department
SEGULA MATRA Technologies
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Developments and innovations in the fields of new energies: electric traction chains, suspensions, vehicle architecture.
- Technical Expertise on the R&D programs for Customers
- Technical and financial editing of programs, partner searches
- Cost management, customer relations, commercial approaches.
- Industry engineering– 2500p
- Expertise:
- Dynamic handling :development, tests and measures analysis
- Electric /hybrid development power train
- Methodology development of programs
- Project management
- Organization of research lines with laboratories and authorities competent in the fields under consideration
Research & Development Manager
SEGULA MATRA Technologie
01.2009 - 01.2013
- Reporting to the President of the automotive industry group.
- Management and recruiting team (21 people), which includes trades: electrical, electronic, mechanical, composites and testing.
- Technical responsible of the studies
- Automobile ingeneering– 2200p
- Project manager:
- Technical and financial management of programs, partner search
- Cost management, customer relations, marketing approaches.
- Developments and innovations in new energy: electric traction chains, suspensions, vehicle architecture, Infrastructures
- Major Projects:
- Electric Single-seater: initiator of the project, program manager until the sale of the project to a developer:
- Advance projects studies for Automobile & Competition :
- Product specifications
- Research on power train (hybrid)
- Architecture of vehicle
- Structure body reaserch
- Dynamic handling
- Development ground link vehicle competition:
- WRC, Le Mans LMP1, GT EUROPE, France GT, F3, GP Series.
- Customers : Jaguar , Ferrari, Michelin , Hutchinson ….
- Race customers: ASO Dakar, Teams of 24 Le mans
- Electric Andros CAR : technical manager of the drivetrain and its integration in the vehicle, sizing the battery drivetrain, engine simulation tools with dedicated drafting of specifications, sourcing and selection, study software, programming and validation of ECUs car up the road and follow the race.
- Peugeot EX1 Concept car
- Electrical Technical Manager of the drivetrain for its development and startup.
- Hybrid vehicle for the competition: study PARIS DAKAR vehicle, based on study LMP1.
Project Manager
MATRA AUTOMOBILE INGENEERING
01.2002 - 01.2009
- Mechancial drawing office (12p)
- Cost management, project team leader, customer relations, marketing approaches.
- Development of prototype vehicles
- Expertise dynamic vehicle for competition
- O WRC, WTCC, FIA GT, Le Mans, Andros Trophy.
- Development tools: test benches, simulation software
- Technical assistance on track
- Automobile Industry - 400 p
- Major Projects :
- M72: heavy quadricycle Matra: Product Manager / Process LAS
- Electric vehicle Bolloré Blue CAR(Paris Car Sheering): Architect and vehicle power train manager of the pre study of industrialisation.
- O Architecture Study
- O Electric Power train Study (produit/process)
- O Rolling chassis Study (produit/process)
- O Supplier evalutions for serie
- Agricultural Vehicle:
- O Development of a tractor cab suspension
- O Implementation of new working methods from the automotive
- O Establishment of average levels of testing: modeling, bench 4 wheels.
- O Exploratory Study of the tractor of the future in light of new regulations: the main points discussed: architecture vehicle tires with Michelin, steering, suspensions.
- Military vehicle Sherpa 2-3: Architect and Technical Lead for vehicle response to tender for the Australian army and the gendarmerie.
- Electric BUS Gruau Microbus: Architect and technical manager of the pre study (study of a prototype test track).
R&D Manager
PROST GRAND PRIX
01.1997 - 01.2002
- Reporting to the Technical Director in charge of the overall R & D Mechanical and Vehicle Dynamics. Mentoring service for 6 people, definition and management of test resources (1.2M euro).
- Responsible for relations with external testing centers, speaker of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for the approval of Formula 1.
- Definition (specification), followed by design and implement testbenchs to study the dynamics of the vehicle and power train.
- Definition, design and development of innovative suspensions
- Formula 1 Team - 210 p
R&D Manager
LIGIER FORMULE 1
01.1990 - 01.1997
- March 1995 - September 1997:
- Responsible Windtunnel tests (definition and development).
- Service manager dampers (production and development). Follow on the track
- Design new ways of testing.
- Supervision of 5 technicians.
- June 1990-April 1995:
- Manager R & D:
- Definition and design of test dynamics.
- Development of the hydraulic active suspension.
- Formula 1 Team - 120 p
Education
Formation ESTACA Dynamic Handling -
01.2003
CNAM - undefined
01.1992
DUT Génie mécanique et productique - undefined
IUT Montluçon
01.1990
Baccalauréat E - undefined
01.1988
Skills
- Customer service
- Team leadership
- Time management
- Decision-making
References
- Gilles, Simon, Technical Director FIA
- Eric, Barbaroux, Formulec
- Loic, Bigois, Ferrari , Wind tunnel Director
LANGUAGE
English: daily professional practice.
HOBBIES
Running, Biking, SKiing
Timeline
Technical Circuit Manager
Federation Internationale de L’Automobile
01.2018 - 01.2025
Technical director R&D department
SEGULA MATRA Technologies
01.2014 - 01.2018
Research & Development Manager
SEGULA MATRA Technologie
01.2009 - 01.2013
Project Manager
MATRA AUTOMOBILE INGENEERING
01.2002 - 01.2009
R&D Manager
PROST GRAND PRIX
01.1997 - 01.2002
R&D Manager
LIGIER FORMULE 1
01.1990 - 01.1997
CNAM - undefined
DUT Génie mécanique et productique - undefined
IUT Montluçon