McLaren’s Melanie Franklin is living her dream and preserving the Papaya's heritage

McLaren’s Melanie Franklin is living proof that motorsports is not something you pick up along the way, but something that is in your blood. Her father Tony has been with McLaren since 1997, while she’s been with them from 2017 and held several positions at the team. 

Franklin said it's a role she’s dreamt of since she was a little girl and from around the time her parents first took her to Silverstone in the UK. She is the fourth member of her family to have worked for McLaren, with also includes her mother Tracy and sister Vicky. 

“My inspiration growing up was always my parents," said Franklin.

"Growing up, watching my parents work together, celebrating race wins and championships, and seeing their excitement for the team’s success, had a huge impact on me. That’s why I’ve always wanted to be part of McLaren and be involved in building cars. 

“My first memories of motorsport are of my parents taking me to Silverstone. We would all camp together, and McLaren would have their own grandstand where families from the factory would sit together. I got to watch the car my dad had designed parts for race around the track and win,” Franklin said. 

When Franklins first joined the company, she worked at McLaren Applied Technologies, then in Formula E and is now in the Testing of Previous Cars programme (TPC). 

Her early days in the TPC programme saw her build and run cars that her dad would have helped design during his early days at McLaren.  

When Tony first joined Mclaren, he worked on an eight-week temporary contract as a design engineer, which he said was a risk at the time. The now seasoned McLaren employee could not be more proud of his daughter’s drive to follow her dream and work for one of greatest racing teams the world has ever known. 

“Melanie's focus on getting into the sport has been very impressive, with no help from us. We certainly haven't pulled any levers or anything like that. Sure, we’ve offered her some advice, but she’s done it all herself,” Tony said. 

Before joining McLaren, Franklin had worked her way up the industry, earning her stripes as a mechanic in the Porsche Carrera Cup and W Series. It was around this time that was recruited to McLaren, where she initially worked in an administrative role. 

An opportunity presented itself to Franklin and she stepped out of administration and worked in a team developing the Gen2 Formula E car batteries. The British motoring enthusiast said chasing your dreams is no easy feat, as she spends 36 weekends away from home and living off suitcases. 

Her philosophy around her success does not seem to be focused on academic theory, but rather hands-on experience, which she owes much of her progress at McLaren to. 

“You can go to university, but I would tell anyone – go and do work experience even on the side of university. Go and gain knowledge and confidence anywhere you can – it doesn’t have to be in motorsport.

“Push for what you want and get the experience to push yourself forward. I was doing work experience and working at the same time – I was pretty much doing seven days a week. I would take anything. When I was at McLaren Applied, I was working in Touring Cars on the side, I did W Series on the side, I took everything I could.

“I was away for 36 race weekends a year, which is crazy. I don’t think I was ever home, I would drop off one suitcase and pick up another,” Franklin concluded.