It’s been an afternoon of celebration at Red Bull Racing Australia HQ and not only because the team’s being allowed to see the light of day over the Easter weekend.
Triple Eight Race Engineering Australia turned 10 years old in September 2013, which means we’ve got a few members of the family among us who’ve hung around for a fair while and, more impressively, put up with RD for longer than anyone should really have to.
Although he may not come across as the most caring, sharing kinda guy on TV, RD puts a huge amount of value on his minions, ahem staff, sorry. Whether it’s a trip to Thailand, a team dinner at the local Japanese joint or doubling the odd win bonus when we’ve been good boys and girls, he does continually remind the folks at Triple Eight that we’re a family and the backbone of the team’s success.
To celebrate the members of staff who’ve been with the team for the milestones of five, 10 and, in Ludo’s case as he was with Triple Eight in the UK before the Australia days, 15 years, RD had pins made for everyone who’s stuck it out with him. As Jamie would say, that’s longer than most marriages these days.
While Ludo was also presented with a Ducati Hypermotard SP at the end of last year, this afternoon every staff member who’s reached a milestone was presented with their corresponding pin, or pins if they’ve hit the 10 or 15 year marks.
Bearing the Triple Eight Race Engineering logo and the milestone the staff member’s reached, the pins are made of hallmarked silver for five years, gold for 10 and white gold for 15. Rest assured the boss will be on the hunt to make sure no one’s melted theirs down for a few bob.
Of the current 40 staff, the Frenchman stands alone at 15 years of service, while there are 10 Triple Eight members who’ve reached the decade and another nine who’ve clocked up five years.