Our Founder
Phil Charles is the ‘P’ and ‘C’ in PCEMS (Phil Charles Engineering Management Services Limited).
In 1994, while attending a British Championship karting prize presentation at the headquarters of the Benetton F1 Team, a 14 year old Charles moved away from the karting group while on a factory tour to leave CVs on the desks of several key managers and engineers. This started his more than 30 years career in motorsport as he worked each summer for free at Benetton F1 team throughout the remaining of his schooling and university.
Renault F1 Team
As his race career came to a funding-limited end, and with his university studies complete, Charles Joined Renault F1 team full time as a Junior Designer in 2004.
While working on the 7 post rig program in 2005 Charles was credited (along with Dave Hamer) for the idea of the fitment of a large vibration absorber (Tuned Mass Damper) in the nose of the Renault Formula 1 car. It gave significant lap time improvement through reducing vehicle pitch motions and was used by the Renault F1 team in their Championship-winning cars up until the German Grand Prix in 2006 when, after intense lobbying by Ferrari, the FIA banned its use.
Coming up with this innovation was rewarded by the Technical leadership at Renault F1 at the time (Bob Bell, Pat Symonds) and the opportunity was given to Charles to move around various departments of the team, accumulating a wide knowledgebase, before he found a home at the trackside as a Race Engineer.
After this period, Charles would work at Red Bull’s Junior F1 team, then known as Toro Rosso, as Chief Race Engineer seeing several of Today’s stars take their first steps in Formula 1 cars.
In 2017, searching for a new challenge and wanting to focus more on using his design and development experience, Charles moved to Formula E joining the Jaguar Team (based at the Williams F1 factory working in the Advanced Engineering Company).
Across 6 full seasons, the car performance improved significantly and the Team’s results followed rising from 10th in the Constructor’s Championship to 1st and 2nd (Customer and Works team) in Season 9.
PCEMS
In 2024, Charles left the Jaguar Team and formed a new Engineering Project and Contract Support Business called PCEMS.
Using his wide knowledge of Simulation, Vehicle Concept, Mechanical Design, Composites, Research and Development, Rig / Track Test approach and more, Charles would use these as foundation for a highly advanced engineering consultancy business.
The business also benefits from the engineering resource and supply chain links that Charles has amassed over his wide ranging career.
