Stuart Morrison watches the race from his office in the paddock at the Sakhir International Circuit. On the screen, in front of him, Romain Grosjean’s single-seater hit the barrier head-on. “I saw the fireball. I knew it was one of our cars,” says Haas team communications director.
At this moment, November 29, 2020, the entire planet is imagining the worst. Teams, drivers and fans are holding their breath.
“Immediately, you say to yourself: this is bad, probably the worst crash in which I will be involved”, continues Morrison.
“Then you get the flow of information. Is it correct? We try to shut down communications when that happens, so there are only a few people talking to each other. »
Less than three years later, the 48-year-old has settled into Haas headquarters at the Miami Grand Prix to recount his memories to The Press. Behind us, through the window overlooking the team village, we can see Romain Grosjean deep in conversation with Kevin Magnussen.
In eight years at Haas, this crisis is the most important that Stuart Morrison has managed.
“We have a good communication system, it was important. Ultimately, he was correct, so we relayed that information first. Then he spent a few days in the hospital. »
PHOTO TOLGA BOZOGLU, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Rescuers try to put out Romain Grosjean’s burning car on the Sakhir circuit on November 29, 2020.
Saved by the roll bar, Grosjean escaped practically – and miraculously – unscathed, with scars on his hands.
“That accident created the equivalent of a crazy work week,” Morrison recalls. All the media in the world wanted to talk about it. I had requests not only from the motorsport media, but also from Good Morning America, CNN… All these media which, normally, would not have covered the race. »
Morrison and Montreal
Our meeting with Stuart Morrison takes place on May 7, a few hours before the race in Miami. Shaved head, well-trimmed beard, his transparent glasses on his nose, the friendly Scotsman devotes nearly half an hour of his time to The Press. In front of him, two copies of the book Surviving to Drivewritten by Haas senior director Guenther Steiner, and released two days earlier.
If the name and face of Stuart Morrison are unknown to Montrealers, Montreal is far from unknown to Stuart Morrison. The native of Glasgow, Scotland, lived in the metropolis for 12 years, from 2004 to 2015. His wife, Jennifer, grew up in Montreal. The couple and their two children left for England when the father of the family was hired by Haas in 2015, when the team made its arrival in F1.
Every year, Morrison looks forward to getting on the plane to Quebec for the Canadian Grand Prix. His in-laws and several of his friends still reside there. “I see it as a home run for me,” he says.
Morrison had quite a career as a motorsports publicist before being hired by Haas. A graduate in film and media studies, he began in the field within the Formula Palmer Audi Series. Over the years he has worked for Canadian drivers, sponsors and teams.
PHOTO JOAN MONFORT, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Kevin Magnussen
As Director of Communications at Haas, Morrison is responsible for a team of three people. Among his tasks: planning Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg’s schedules, managing media requests, managing Guenther Steiner’s public relations, creating content for social networks… and more.
It is he who, after each day of qualifying and each race, accompanies the Haas drivers to television interviews, then to the written media. A task not always as obvious as it looks, especially when the session on the track did not go as planned.
“It can be one of the hardest things because you’re dealing with someone who’s frustrated and the first thing you have to do is put a TV camera in front of them. »
Is it as fun and glamorous as it sounds, traveling around the world? we ask him.
“It is and it isn’t. For the youngest, it’s a great opportunity to get paid to see the world. […] People only post the best on Instagram and TV only shows the good side of things. But we work long days. We face many challenges and that’s part of the job, but it’s not necessarily always glamorous. »
Well, here we are interrupted by Guenther Steiner, who asks a question about the schedule to Morrison. “I’m very lucky; Guenther understands the role of the media, he understands how important it is to serve the media,” Morrison told us after Steiner left.
PHOTO SIMON GALLOWAY, PROVIDED BY HAAS F1 TEAM
Stuart Morrison, right, with Haas Managing Director Guenther Steiner
A beautiful life
Working in Formula 1, for a father of two children, requires sacrifices. Over the years, Stuart Morrison has missed his children’s and wife’s birthdays on more than one occasion.
The families of people in Formula 1 sacrifice a lot too because it’s so demanding. But no one puts a gun to our heads. We do it because we are passionate.
Stuart Morrison
When asked how long he plans to work in this field, Morrison hesitates. “It changes from race to race,” he said. If he wants to stay in F1 “for a long time”, he intends to reduce the number of trips.
“Motorsport has given me a good life. I have many friends in the business. […] Maybe one day I’ll wake up and I’ll know it’s time. But for now, I don’t know. So I will continue. »