Q&A: Porsche LMP1 engineer Jeromy Moore

Australian engineer Jeromy Moore talks about his dream ride with Porsche since joining its hi-tech LMP1 sportscar program.

After leaving Triple Eight as Craig Lowndes’ longtime engineer at the end of 2014, Moore has helped Porsche to two WEC drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles in the World Endurance Championship.

Speedcafe.com sat down with the 37-year-old after the final round of the WEC in Bahrain.

SPEEDCAFE: It has been a big couple of years for you?

MOORE: It has definitely been a big learning curve from Supercars to LMP1.

They are totally different cars and have totally different requirements on what is needed to make them go fast.

I have enjoyed the challenge. At the moment there are no future plans on what to do next.

I would like to keep progressing my career. At the moment I am still a race engineer and committed to the end of this year and we will see what happens next year.

I still want to be a race engineer, but above that who knows.

SPEEDCAFE: So the obvious question, is Formula 1 a future option?

MOORE: I always wanted to get involved in there (F1) and it is definitely not too late.

I have a young family so I always have to consider the impact on them.

It has been a big impact on them coming to Germany, which is obviously a completely different culture for them, different language.

But I am lucky to have a wife and a young daughter that have been willing to follow me everywhere around the world.

If there was the right opportunity I would like to consider it.

At the moment I am fully committed to LMP1. It is a great category, there is no less technical innovation.

It has been quite interesting all the systems and different power units in this category compared to F1.

But the pinnacle is still F1 in terms of development. It really is a never-ending battle where the cars are never the same from one event to the next.

Here we are more consistent because the car has to run for so long and we can’t change things left, right and centre.

Although the development is not changing every race, there is plenty of pushing going on in the background.

F1 – I’m not ruling it out, but at this point there are no plans to (move there).

SPEEDCAFE: In regards to Porsche, what is the potential for future growth within the company?

MOORE: Porsche is a big family and everyone who starts there tends to stay there and grows and gets promoted.

Even if it’s not LMP1, if they change their plans and go to something else… Formula E or some other, there is always some opportunity that arises.

I don’t think I have reached where I can reach. I think I can go further within the Porsche family and I am hoping that is what is going to develop.

SPEEDCAFE: Obviously a couple of manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships and a Le Mans 24 Hour win doesn’t hurt your cause?

MOORE: Exactly. The success doesn’t hurt, but obviously that is not all me.

It is a massive team of over 200, just developing the car.

It has almost been a case of right place, right time, but at the same time I have to be doing the right job to be holding that position and having the success.

Timing was good, but I have been up to the challenge and pushing the guys and the drivers to do their best.

SPEEDCAFE: How does the success you have had here in the last two years compare to what you achieved in Supercars?

MOORE: It’s different. I still really cherish the Bathurst win in 2010 and all the results we have had with Triple Eight.

It was more of a different role I was involved in there, more of the design of the car.

Here I am more involved operationally, pushing guys to do development, pushing drivers and planning all the test points. So a Le Mans win is as special as Bathurst.

I would not say Bathurst is nothing compared to it. Bathurst is a good race, but it’s hard to beat a Le Mans win and a WEC championship.

SPEEDCAFE: Did you realise how big Le Mans was before you went there – and then to go and win it?

MOORE: In Australia there is only one racing series and that is Supercars and to win that you feel quite proud.

But then you realise there is a bigger world out there. There is Indy (500), F1, Le Mans.

Le Mans was huge. I didn’t realise how big it was for sure. I had seen snippets on the news broadcast.

You think, oh that looks pretty cool. The cars are really interesting, but you never really think about it in depth until you get there.

You see how many people there are. Racing for 24 hours, engineering a car. In fact it is more than 24 because you have the warm-up and a big week before that.

There is sleep deprivation. Trying to stay focused. It is a massive race.

The whole series is one step above Supercars in regards to concentration, focus and testing is endless.

To go on to win Le Mans was a massively proud moment.

It is bigger than I thought it would be and I am really happy that I made the move.

SPEEDCAFE: Was part of the motivation of moving to the Porsche LMP1 program having the opportunity to work with Mark Webber?

MOORE: It was. I have always been a fan of Mark, watching him in F1.

I didn’t have any motivation to follow him around as a fan, it was more just the admiration an Australian has for another Australian sportsman.

To meet him just sealed the deal. He is the most down to earth guy, or racer, that I have ever met.

His focus. He is never assuming. He is always thinking outside the box. As a driver that surprised me.

Drivers can be prima donnas, especially coming from F1, and I thought Mark would have some sort of attitude, but is quite the reverse.

So having the chance to work with him was a great incentive to come to Porsche.

I mean, I probably would have come anyway, but it almost made it feel a bit like home because I had a fellow Australian.

We are also quite similar in our personalities. We like similar things like bike riding.

SPEEDCAFE: How do you think he (Webber) will be missed by Porsche, in and out of the car, and by the WEC?

MOORE: I definitely think a great amount – especially by the series.

He was a big drawcard for the series and I am not sure how we will step up to fill that void.

In terms of in the car, he was we not only good at developing the cars, but working with the drivers around him, particularly Brendon (Hartley).

Brendon looked up to him as a role model and he has learnt a lot from Mark.

I think a lot of people in the team have learnt a lot from Mark and his background in Formula 1.

Engineers back at the factory pick up points from him all the time.

He has been a big part of the Porsche development.

He will still be around to pop his head in and bounce ideas off.

SPEEDCAFE: If Europe takes up the next 10 years of your life, is there a thought of coming back to Australia, or will you be done?

MOORE: For sure Australia is still home. I still have family there and I miss them. I have been quite fortunate that they have been able to come over and visit.

I think this year my mother is coming over for Christmas. In the end I do see myself going back there.

But I really want to find out what I can do here. Until I can see how far I can go, I will keep pushing over here.

SPEEDCAFE: Have you proven to yourself what you thought was possible in the last two years?

MOORE: Absolutely. I think you can start to think (in Australia), that I am a race engineer in Supercars and this is all I can do.

You think the leap over to Europe and to the WEC or F1 is too big a step to take.

For someone to give you a job is quite a big confidence booster.

To be on such a steep learning curve and knowing I could match it and do it with the best guys in this series has given me the confidence to know this is not all I can do.

SPEEDCAFE: Have you earned your stripes? Do you fit?

MOORE: Yeah, I fit quite well in the Porsche family.

I have certainly learnt a lot. When you start here there is a lot of things to learn.

The cars are completely different and you feel like you are on the back foot a bit, but over time over the last year and a half of two years, I feel confident I know what I am doing.

Every round I am still learning little bits here and there, but that’s more the icing on the cake.

That’s what I enjoy the most – I did not realise I would enjoy it as much, being in the same position for a while in Australia, but this has opened my eyes to what I could be doing in terms of personal development.

Life is too short to be doing the same thing over and over.

SPEEDCAFE: What about your relationship with Roland (Dane)?

MOORE: We stay in touch for sure. He really has been like a father figure to me.

Of course I was only a young engineer when he bought the team (Briggs Motor Sport).

He has overseen my personal development and been a massive part of it. We are still good friends.

Of course, he gave me the final nudge to send me off into the greater world and I am eternally in debt to Roland.

He has told me there is always a place for me back in Australia.

You can’t buy that friendship. He has been a great mentor and hopefully that will be the case for years to come.

SPEEDCAFE: In closing what advice would you give any young engineer considering their next move?

MOORE: Have a go.

Never give up. Just keep pushing and see how far you can go, because you don’t want to die having a regret not knowing what you could have done.

Better knowing what you can’t do, than thinking about what you could have (done).