The drivers might be front and centre when it comes to motorsport, but there are many other team members working hard behind the scenes to strive for success.
Season 12 of the Formula E World Championship is now well underway, with five rounds out of 17 now complete.
The whole team, as ever, is working hard to strive for success, both on-track and at home between races.
But who are some of the key players making sure the Porsche Formula E Team is fighting fit?
The second profile in our Meet the Team series comes from Crew Chief Alexandre Saint-Voirin.
Bringing good vibes to the garage since Season 9, Alex is always up for a dance and keeping spirits high in stressful situations.
He has worked in Formula E since 2017, and joined the Porsche Formula E Team in 2023.
Here’s what Alex had to say when we caught up with him over the Jeddah race weekend:
How long have you been in your role?
“I’ve been with the team for three seasons, so since season 9.”
Give us a brief summary of your career so far?
“I started in motorsport in 2010 with the Carrera Cup. After that, I moved to the European Le Mans Series. Later, I joined a brand-new team where we progressed from running small prototypes up to LMP2, competing in ELMS and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. About eight years ago, I had the opportunity to join Formula E, starting with Techeetah in Season 4. I was the lead mechanic for Jean-Éric Vergne. At the end of the GEN2 era, I transitioned to Season 9 with Porsche.”
What does a day at work look like to you?
“No day is the same as the one before; every day brings something different. When you arrive at the racetrack, you need to set everything up. On the second day, you prepare the car, then get ready for free practice, scrutineering, and the legality checks. Saturdays and Sundays are race days, so each day is unique. This is the most interesting part—you don’t get a routine in this job. Off-track, I work from home, debriefing what happened on track, identifying issues, and discussing how to solve them. We focus on improving the team, our tools, and equipment. After the next race, we see if the changes we made are working.”
What is your favourite thing about your job?
“Again, you don't have any days the same as the one before. It's like every day is a new day. The adaptation and reaction you need to put in place every day because you don't know what can happen—it's not a boring job.”
What drew you to Formula E?
“It was an opportunity in my career to see new technology and how we can improve the efficiency and speed of electric cars. When I started in Season 4, we had the GEN2 car. Now, with GEN3, it’s already a very powerful car. We are currently preparing the next step with GEN4, which features four-wheel drive and is almost comparable to Formula 1 in terms of performance. The fact that it’s 100% electric and so fast, along with how the technology continues to evolve, is the most interesting part of the job.”
What is your favourite circuit on the calendar and why?
“This is a really tricky question! Every venue is different. The most beautiful is Monaco. Mexico is completely outstanding with all the fan areas. It feels like an after-Christmas party where we all come together on the racetrack for the New Year, with the grandstands and stadium completely full—the atmosphere there is incredible. Then there’s London, the final race, with a cool venue featuring an inside-outside racetrack. It’s the most dramatic race weekend of the year because it’s the season finale. If you’re competing for the championship, you can be really happy or really sad. If you’re not fighting for the championship, it’s still amazing as a spectator to watch others battle, knowing that at the end, you’ll be happy because the season is over and you can look forward to the next one.
How does it feel to be a member of the Porsche Formula E Team?
“I feel really proud to be with a historic brand working on new technology, where no one probably expected Porsche to put this much effort into making it work. I’m truly proud to work for this premium and historic brand in motorsport.”
What is your favourite memory from your time at Porsche?
“I have many good memories, but I think the most special was the first world championship title—the drivers’ championship with Pascal. Finally, all the effort and energy put in paid off, and we brought home the title. I believe that with all the work from the racetrack and the factory, everyone deserved to bring the trophy home.”
Tell us an interesting fact we might not know about you!
“Because it’s a really stressful and loud environment with so many people around, I like to be quiet at home and do puzzles. It helps me disconnect my mind from everything and just be alone, thinking about nothing, simply enjoying putting the pieces together. It’s a bit like a race team—you need to fit all the puzzle pieces in the right place to create a beautiful picture.”
