Tony Purnell's dissertation was on the subject of Formula One aerodynamics.
10 Facts About Tony Purnell
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Tony Purnell did not complete his PhD, but began work on wind tunnel hardware and analysis software for the Lola organisation and consulted for the short-lived FORCE F1 team.
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Tony Purnell went on to found Pi Research and by the late 1990s had built the company into a highly successful global electronics business.
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Tony Purnell was given the job, and alongside fellow countryman David Pitchforth, immediately set about restoring the team's fortunes.
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Red Bull Racing was born and new team owner Dietrich Mateschitz appeared to give his backing for Tony Purnell to continue in his role of team principal.
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The period of stability which Tony Purnell had striven to achieve at Jaguar was short-lived however.
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In 2010, Tony Purnell left the FIA and became part of the IndyCar Series' ICONIC committee which chose new engine and chassis specifications for the 2012 season.
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In May 2013 Tony Purnell joined British Cycling as head of its much-vaunted "Secret Squirrel Club" responsible for technical development, succeeding Chris Boardman.
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In September 2017 the Royal Academy of Engineering announced that Tony Purnell had been elected a Fellow.
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Tony Purnell is married to Alison and has two children, Lucy and Oliver.