Speedcafe revealed last year that long-serving administrators Tim Schenken and Henk van den Dungen would not continue in their roles.
Schenken had been Clerk of Course for the event since 1988, with van den Dungen the National Clerk of Course, a position he’d held since 1985.
Pressed for comment at the time, none was forthcoming from the national governing body, which provides officials for the grand prix.
However, with Vohra a guest on today’s episode of the KTM Summer Grill, the Motorsport Australia CEO moved to explain the decision to move away from Schenken in particular.
“Tim’s a legend of Australian motorsport, that’s a competitor and as a senior official, over many years, and has held that role at the Australian Grand Prix for many, many years,” Vohra explained,
“He would say in his own words that he would have loved to continue the role, probably until his last breaths, which hopefully are many, many, many years away from now.
“But it’s also a conversation that had been happening with him and with many of the senior officials over many years about renewal, about the next generation coming through.”
At 81, Schenken is a veteran of the motorsport industry, firstly with a successful driving career followed by a sizeable contribution as an administrator.
That has seen him hold senior positions within the FIA, working as part of its track inspection and safety teams, among other responsibilities.
He’s also been a senior member of Motorsport Australia where he worked alongside the likes of Michael Masi and others who’ve risen through the ranks internationally.
That includes the likes of David Mori, who has worked as clerk of course at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“We have highly skilled individuals within the organization and within the officials community who have the ability to step into roles such as that,” Vohra explained of the clerk of course role.
“With Tim, it was about saying: how do we honour and acknowledge his legacy and his contribution, and particularly in the 25th year, which is his 40th year of contribution to the Australian Grand Prix.
“He will still be in race control, he’ll still be wearing our shirt.
“He’ll still be providing that key mentor role, but it’s the time for transition to the next generation to come through, to take the senior roles, and for that to be done in a way where that transfer is one where we don’t lose knowledge, we don’t lose capability – and particularly given that such a high profile event.
“It’s the biggest motorsport event in the world when it runs on that weekend,” Vohra added of the grand prix.
“The services that Motorsport Australia provides to it need to be at the top level, and Tim still has that oversight and support.
“He’s still chairing our organising community, he’s still working every day with the [Australian] Grand Prix Corporation, he’s still doing great things for us, and will do for years.”
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