AOTech - 03/09/2024

MEET THE TEAM

[MEET THE TEAM] The AOTech simulator would not be what it is without its people! Let’s meet our simulator engineer and project manager Vincent Gontier. After two years of prep class, Vincent integrated the famous ESTACA and did his last year of study in Cranfield, UK to study motorsport. He then integrated AOTech as an intern, working on his end of studies thesis. Freshly graduated, he then started working at AOTech full time as simulator engineer and now simulator project manager since last year. When asked why motorsport, he said that the passion was driving him. He was also highly interested in the technical and technological aspect of the sport. The engineering sharpness was what he was looking after. As simulator project manager, Vincent is fully in charge of the simulator sessions schedule, working closely with our clients to be aligned schedule wise and goals wise. He is also in charge of the simulator maintenance. In parallel, Vincent keeps developing models and softwares for the simulator. On a daily basis, Vincent is a DiL system engineer helping teams and clients making the link between the sim and the teams’ tools, to ensure they can work as if they were on track. He also oversees every sim sessions and makes sure everything is going as planned. For two years now, Vincent has been working on a major project : updating the sim software environment. In order to stay aligned with our clients’ goals and to stay at the top of what can be done, our project manager works on graphism, models fluidity and realism, and on keeping each track up to date and even more realistic. Working with teams like Michelin, Alpine and McLaren has been keeping the job interesting for Vincent. With different ways of working and highly structured sim sessions, the level of requirement increases drastically and makes the work more challenging but also way more rewarding. You want to become a simulator engineer? For Vincent, the most important thing is to have technical knowledge on how a car works in terms of chassis, dampers, engine, aero, etc. IT is also a huge part of the job. Vincent highlights that you don’t need to be an expert ; being skilful and resourceful will help you get there. Moreover, always take advice from the race team. What a better way to recreate a track than with the help of the people working on-track?