'I used to sell kitchens, now I work in F1'

Wayne Meakin (right) and his son Cole Fell-Meakin, work in the composite laminating team for Aston Martin Aramco F1

The technical expertise that goes into producing a Formula 1 car has become something of a family affair at one of the sport's biggest and newest teams.

Wayne Meakin, 54, and his 27-year-old son Cole work in the composite laminating team for Silverstone-based Aston Martin Aramco.

They are responsible for laminating the chassis, front wing assemblies, rear wing assemblies, suspension and most of the structural components and the hundreds of carbon fibre brackets that go into the assembly of each car.

Wayne, who runs the team, first started working at the Northamptonshire site 19 years ago.

He knows a thing or two about the sport, having worked for five other F1 teams: Jordan, Spyker, Midland, Racing Point and Force India.

"What we had back in the day was held together with sticky tape," he told BBC Look East.

"We now have everything, it's state of the art. The transformation is massive."

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin Aramco during the F1 pre-season testing at Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain last month

Aston Martin F1 has recently finished the development of a £200m factory at Silverstone, with a workforce of 900 people.

"People ask about what it's like to work here now because we are Aston Martin, but when we were Force India, Spiker, Midland – no one did," said Wayne.

"Our kit back then used to have holes in, and the level of interest wasn't as great.

"It hurt. We didn't work any less, but the brand of Aston Martin means people now ask what it's it like to work here."

The state-of-the-art machines of today are a far cry from Wayne Meakin's early days, where bodywork was "held together by sticky tape"

Two years ago, Wayne's son Cole was working in kitchen sales and recruitment with the DIY chain B&Q, until Aston Martin began recruiting for trainees.

'Constructive criticism'

"I was terrified," he admits.

"I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and came in with no experience. They trained me from the ground up and I was really worried about letting you [his father] down.

"A lot of people say 'you have it easy because your dad works here'. Believe me it's the complete opposite.

"If I get told off here, it continues back at home at the dinner table.

"It drives me to be as good as I can be, to be the best you can for the team. I know it is only constructive criticism."

He adds: "The biggest issue I had was that because I was trying so hard to impress and please him, I started rushing - and it lead to mistakes.

"I had to slow right down.

'I found myself slipping into an obsessive, wanting things to be perfect. It made me want to care and you learn a lot."

Driver Lance Stroll during qualifying at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone last July

Wayne says he is proud of the way his son has turned his life around and dedicated himself to his new place of work, although he admits people did criticise it as perceived nepotism.

"The people he used to work with said 'how did he manage that? One day he was designing kitchens, the next he was at Aston Martin F1'," he says.

"They say its nepotism, but actually Cole was a guinea pig.

"We wanted to get trainees through the door and we now have a stream of them who are worth their weight in gold.

"I was worried when he first started, when I saw it at home, playing on his computer games, I was worried about his work ethic, but he slotted straight in.

"I sit in my office, glance over and see him working hard and it makes me proud."

F1 is in the Meakins' blood. Wayne's brother also used to work for Red Bull F1 in Milton Keynes.

"It's the family joke," said Cole.

"F1 is the family business. It's always on our minds."