A few days ago and for no apparent reason, I was reminded of an old Punch cartoon that has stuck with me for over forty years. The cartoon itself is much older than that, dating from the First World War, and it is wry rather than hilarious; it has lurked in the dark recesses of my memory for so long perhaps because it states very simply one of the great truths of life. This morning I googled its caption (for reasons that will eventually become apparent) and, to my surprise and delight, found the cartoon itself. Here it is:
To understand why this quiet jest has become relevant this morning, one should read the Pitpass article, "A mutiny at Brackley... but here's a way to sort it". It seems that not all in the Honda F1 team are happy with the rumored management takeover because it means they will not get the fat redundancy cheques they are entitled to if the team is closed down.
I do not know whether the story is true but this is not the first time I have read of it and it seems quite likely to me, especially as several journalists have expressed concern over the situation too. Assuming that there is at least some foundation of truth in the rumor, however, I find myself reflecting on work and our reactions to it.
An ex-brother-in-law of mine spent much of his late twenties sailing a yacht filled with rich people around the Caribbean, visiting one tropical paradise after another. No doubt the work has its irritations but it must still be the most common dream of the perfect job. My own dream was somewhat different, however, and it was not until my fifties that I was able to give up security for the sake of writing. Before that, I had done a variety of jobs which has given me something to write about, at least. The pay may be lousy but I am doing what I was designed to do at last.
I used to imagine that it must be the mechanic's and engineer's dream to work in F1 - to be a part of a team working at the famed cutting edge of technology and to be locked in battle with the great names of the sport must surely be the ambition of the best and most brilliant in the field. In a previous post, I even suggested that, so great is the appeal of competing in the sport, that the drivers would happily take a pay cut to enable them to continue to be a part of the game. Rumor has it that Jenson Button has done exactly that, accepting a reduction of 50% in his retainer for this year.
Yet it seems that I was wrong and not all employees of an F1 team are ecstatically happy to do what they do. When it comes to either keeping their jobs or having a juicy lump sum to spend, some would take the money, according to rumor. My illusions are shattered and I am left pondering on the frailty of mankind and how easily we are deflected from the purpose of our existence.
There are plenty of people who are losing their jobs through the recession without any substantial hand-out to sweeten the pill. They may not have liked the work they found themselves in but it was a meal ticket they may find difficult to replace. You cannot tell me that mechanics and engineers of F1 quality will find it equally hard to get another job, even though it may not be in the sport. The mere fact of being employed in such a demanding field means a very attractive resume, after all.
So I have little sympathy for the pampered and well-paid employees at Brackley. They should remember that rarely do we find work being paid for doing what we love and, if keeping the job means taking a pay cut and saying goodbye to a golden handshake, it is no more than the usual price of happiness.
If the rumor is true and Ross Brawn will be leading the team from now on, I think he would be fully justified to say to the workforce on Monday morning, "If you knows of a better 'ole, go to it!"