Video: The birth of an F1 car, by Professor James Allison

©Mercedes

In addition to his outstanding engineering and design skills, Mercedes technical director James Allison has a natural gift for eloquence.

Understanding Formula 1's massive technical complexities and creating a championship-winning car require an extraordinarily bright and productive mind.

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But explaining the sport's intricacies with fluency to the common person demands an equally agile and natural intelligence.

In the following video published by Mercedes, Allison resorts not only to his astuteness and verbal intelligence to explain the genesis of a Grand Prix car, he relies first and foremost on his passion.

The end result is a fascinating insight into the process of developing a concept into an F1 challenger, as conveyed by a captivating lecturer.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.