Nick Chester began his career at Simtek Research after graduating from Cambridge University in 1991, initially focusing on vehicle simulation before moving into their Formula 1 team in 1994.
He joined Arrows F1 in 1995, advancing from vehicle simulation and suspension design to trackside engineering roles, including Performance Engineer for Damon Hill and Pedro Diniz, and Race Engineer for Mika Salo and Pedro de la Rosa.
In 2000, he moved to Benetton as a Test Engineer, working with Alexander Wurz, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Mark Webber. After Renault acquired the team, he served as Performance Engineer for Fisichella and Jarno Trulli, including a standout win at the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix.
He played a key role in Renault’s consecutive Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship victories in 2005 and 2006 as the Head of Vehicle Performance, driving innovation in areas such as brake materials, suspension design, and the tuned mass damper system. He became Head of Performance Systems in 2010 and Engineering Director at Lotus F1 in 2012, helping develop the race-winning E20 and E21 cars.
Appointed Technical Director in 2013, Nick led the design and development of all Formula 1 cars produced at Enstone until January 2020. He then moved to the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team as Technical Director, where he guided the team to double championship victories in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
Nick Chester is Chief Technical Officer of the Cadillac F1 Team, where he is leading the team’s technical direction and car development ahead of its Formula 1 debut in 2026.