One of the main reasons the World Series by Renault is now into its 11th season is the unstinting team work that goes into staging it. The man responsible for making sure everything goes like clockwork at the Fast, Free & Fun meetings is WSR Event Manager Hervé Mazza, who heaps praise on the people around him : “There are a lot of professionals who ensure things flow smoothly and that our visitors stay safe. It all comes down to teamwork.”

The modest Hervé takes a global vision of each event before setting about the job of ensuring the races, other on-track shows and paddock events and activities dovetail to perfection. “We work with RPM Racing in managing the relationship with the tracks, and we green-light the track schedule so that all the other events can slot into the race schedule.”

Formerly with Renault UK, Hervé worked for Renault Sport Technologies before taking up his current post. “My job involves creating events that revolve around the brand and its values,” he says. “It’s very rewarding work and it involves a number of different strategic and operational aspects. I get to meet a lot of people in different areas.”

The World Series by Renault is a wide-ranging event designed for the whole family, as Hervé explains : “More than anything, Renault is a brand that’s there for people to enjoy and experience. Renault is passion. We want this event to be all about sharing and for families to come and experience it. It shares the same DNA as the company itself, and providing all these attractions allows us to stage not only a classic motorsport event but one big motorsport party for people young and old to enjoy.”

As well as the fans, Hervé also gets the chance to meet some very special celebrities at some very big occasions. “At the 2008 World Series by Renault meeting at Le Mans we were lucky enough to welcome (French swimmer) Alain Bernard, who had just won gold at the Beijing Olympics. As part of his visit we invited him to take a look at the F1 department, the jewel in the Renault crown. He’s such a big guy, though, that we had a real job getting him into the car, which caused a lot of laughter in the team.”

There are times, however, when an event manager has to deal with the unexpected, even after everything has been planned down to the last detail. “There was one time when Renault Trucks had just won the European Truck Championship and we had them along to a meeting in Spain,” says Hervé. “The idea was for them to do a parade on the track because the vehicle is so big. The driver was so happy at having won the title and at parading before the Spanish fans that he decided to put his foot down and do some donuts on the pit straight. From a personal point of view, I found it a lot of fun, but in safety terms it wasn’t. We didn’t have cranes powerful enough to clear the truck away if it had got stuck.”