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James Dornor

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James Dornor
James Dornor
Family name Dornor
Given name James
Born July, 1988
Harrow, London
Occupation Engineer / Entrepreneur
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James Dornor is a British-born, award-winning systems engineer of Ghanaian heritage, known for his work in Formula 1, high-performance automotive engineering, and his contributions to increasing diversity & inclusion within the sector. Over a decade-long career, he has worked with leading manufacturers such as BMW, McLaren Automotive, GT & F1, Haas F1, and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

In April 2023, he founded Driven By Us (DBU), an organisation dedicated to improving accessibility and diversity within motorsport and the automotive industry.

1. Early Life

James Dornor was born in 1988 in Harrow, North West London, to parents of Ghanaian heritage. Born prematurely at 24 weeks, he spent his early months in the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) recovering from various health complications, including a broken arm and leg.

His father passed away when James was just six years old, leading the family to move frequently between council houses before finally settling in 2000. From a young age, James developed a strong sense of responsibility, helping his mother with multiple jobs after school as they struggled financially. Despite facing academic challenges, he remained determined to succeed, understanding that success required perseverance.

2. Career

2.1 BMW Mini Oxford (2009)

In 2009, Dornor secured a one-year industrial placement at BMW Mini Oxford after facing 50 application rejections. As a reliability engineer, he was responsible for reporting faults on internal and external vehicles to various function groups, marking his first major role in the automotive industry.

2.2 McLaren Automotive and GT (2010–2017)

Dornor joined McLaren in 2010 as part of a work experience program, contributing to vehicle prototype and pre-production software testing. His performance led to a permanent role at McLaren Automotive in 2011, where he became a vehicle engineer for McLaren’s press and marketing cars. He led a team focused on software updates for high-performance models, including the McLaren 12C, 12C Spider, 650S, and P1.

In 2012, he transitioned to McLaren GT as a Customer Support Engineer for GT3 racing cars, providing global technical assistance. He later became the Lead Development Engineer on the 12C GT Sprint and 570 GT4 projects, which were later rebranded as the Artura GT4 in 2022.

2.3 Formula 1 Career (2017–2023)

Dornor moved into Formula 1 in 2017, joining Haas F1 Team as a Trackside Electronics Engineer, supporting Kevin Magnussen’s car. After months of applications, he finally secured an opportunity to showcase his engineering talent.

In 2018, he returned to McLaren F1 as a Systems Support Engineer, working both factory-side and trackside. He played a crucial role in the mission control team, supporting McLaren’s F1 operations and helping develop trackside systems. During this time, he contributed to the development and testing of McLaren drivers, including Lando Norris before his debut F1 season in 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Dornor joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as an Electronics Support Engineer within the Heritage division, overseeing on-car and off-car electronics systems from 2013–2023. His role included race, test, and demo support for world-class drivers such as Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE, George Russell, Valtteri Bottas, and Nico Rosberg.

2.4 Driven By Us (2023–Present)

In April 2023, Dornor and other leading engineers founded Driven By Us (DBU), a community-driven initiative focused on STEM, media programmes, and industry events. The organisation aims to provide access to motorsport and the wider automotive industry for underrepresented individuals.

DBU became the first ethnically-led organisation to be recognised by Motorsport UK (MSUK) as an official club (April 2023 – November 2024) for its contributions to increasing diversity in motorsport.

3. Personal Life

James is currently a Principal Systems Engineer at Leonardo, a global security company. Since July 2023, he has been responsible for the integration of hardware and software for advanced Surveillance Radar technology, used by Search and Rescue teams at sea.

With over 13 years of experience in the automotive and motorsport industries, Dornor has worked across McLaren Racing, Haas F1, McLaren GT, and McLaren Automotive. He previously managed electronics and car systems for Mercedes-AMG F1 Heritage cars driven by Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE.

A qualified and serving STEM ambassador, Dornor is passionate about inspiring the next generation of engineers through talks, discussions, and interactive sessions. He has been an active mentor for university engineering students and an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) champion, advocating for industry-wide inclusion.

4. Recognitions

5. References

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