By Stephen Harber, content strategist, talent marketing

What does it mean to be high performing?

Dr. Mandar Hazare, General Motors’ Performance Engineering lead on the Cadillac F1 Team, is obsessed with that question.

Fascinated by the core philosophical values that motivate us, Hazare is constantly pushing his GM team towards new standards of excellence. Hazare, who joined the company in January, prioritizes building a work culture focused on the well-being of its members, as much as it does hard work. We sat down with him to learn more.

Mandar, what was your road to GM like?

Growing up in India, I loved watching Formula 1 races on TV.

I became interested in electronics, especially mechanical engineering. I chose that as a career path, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the curiosity I had about vehicle dynamics and car performance.

I moved to the U.S., and earned a Master’s and Ph.D. in vehicle dynamics from Clemson University, close to GM’s Charlotte Technical Center. I worked with a variety of professors and industry partners there. It was fantastic. After I finished university, I did a bit of IndyCar before moving to the UK to work with the Alpine F1 team for vehicle performance.

Why did you join the Cadillac F1 team?

GM establishing an F1 team is a great opportunity to test myself in a new environment, to help build a culture from the ground up. A culture rooted in high-performance, while focusing on the well-being of the people – one of GM’s key values.

What excites you about the automotive tech industry?

It brings all engineering disciplines together – mechanical, electrical, computer science, and chemical. It's also about understanding the psychology of consumers: what they desire, and how you market products.

What are your goals on the F1 team?

My main goal is to set up a strong foundation for a vehicle performance group within Cadillac F1 at GM Motorsports.

It's not just about being state-of-the-art in terms of the tools, the processes, and the methods we use. It’s also about creating a high-performance culture within each and every individual that is on the team. Building that culture, which can sustain itself in the long term, will be one of our key differentiators.

We keep talking about high performance culture. How do define that?

For me, it starts with core values and behaviors within everyone. GM has a very strong identity in this space, and key behaviors to live by. We’re establishing a subset of key behaviors for the F1 team which are very close to us: respect, courage, humility, psychological safety, Individual mastery, hard work and resilience. We hope this causes a snowball effect of creating a self-sustaining work culture.

How is your work-life balance here?

To me, being a high performer means taking care of myself physically and mentally, as well as my family. When I'm at work, I give my best. This is the philosophy we want to instill in all members of the Cadillac F1 Team. It’s a part of developing an environment where each one of us is a high performer on their own.

What challenges do you face?

The biggest challenge is dealing with the geographical disparity of our team.

We have a base in Charlotte – we also have a parallel base in the UK. The time difference is a factor. Not having enough personal one-on-one interaction with the UK group is a challenge. But we're trying our best to arrange trips across the Atlantic, and we’re maximizing every channel of communication.

How can GM stay ahead in the automotive technology space?

Investing in the right people, culture, and mindsets - that’s where great technology and innovation comes from.

Also, it’s vital to stay flexible and agile in the ever-evolving landscape of the technology that determines our lives now. 

How do you think Cadillac fits in the world of F1?

Cadillac F1 is a magnet for pulling a massive audience together. The brand is rich in heritage, full of legacy. Cadillac’s recent cars – especially their foray into the European market – are exciting. And F1 is a fantastic opportunity to put the Cadillac brand on steroids and reach a global audience.

Why should top engineers join the Cadillac F1 team?

You’ll be a part of a group which is establishing itself. Our team operates differently. We take a holistic view of what drives high performance.

Yes, it’s about technology. Yes, it’s about the tools. But it’s also about the well-being of the people. It's about creating structures so people can perform at the highest level. That’s our differentiator. And everybody is welcome.

Interested in joining the Cadillac F1 Team? Visit the GM Motorsports Team page.

Check out these stories to learn more about the Cadillac F1 Team at GM:

• General Motors launches Cadillac Formula 1 Team and power unit
• A few minutes with GM Formula 1 aerodynamics engineer Anthony Heenan