Through the Day in the Life program, Komatsu employees Yosuke Shuto and Honoka Uehara had the opportunity to become honorary members of Atlassian Williams Racing and immerse themselves in the world of motorsport.
While they didn’t know much about F1 beforehand, they came away from their experience at the Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix 2025 with a new appreciation for the sport, as well as many unforgettable memories.
Honoka Uehara, left, and Yosuke Shuto, right, watch the Atlassian Williams Racing team in action.
Uehara and Shuto were chosen out of thousands of Komatsu Ltd. employees to represent the company for Day in the Life,
a program that pairs Komatsu personnel with the Atlassian Williams Racing pit crew.
Day in the Life pairs Komatsu and affiliate personnel together with members of the Atlassian Williams Racing pit crew as a chance to shadow them during practices and come away with an unforgettable experience.
“The moment I put on the uniform, I felt a sense of determination,” Uehara says.
“Wearing such a valuable uniform made me feel a strong sense of responsibility and unity as a member of the team. Every time I look back at the photos, that sense of unity comes flooding back, and I realize just how special the experience was.”
The speed and precision of Atlassian Williams Racing are deeply intertwined with sophisticated technology — a realm understood by Komatsu's Uehara. As a software engineer, she architects the intelligent apps and automation that empower Komatsu's construction equipment, a role demanding a high level of intricate programming. The advanced technologies of an FW47 onboard system, monitoring everything from power delivery to machine health for drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, provide the critical data that allows the pit crew to perform their repairs.
Similarly, Shuto, a Quality Assurance Engineer at Komatsu, ensures the robust reliability of their machines, a dedication mirrored in the Atlassian Williams Racing team's meticulous preparation. While the environments differ, the underlying principle is the same: highly skilled individuals, whether in the Komatsu facility or the F1 paddock, leveraging cutting-edge technology to achieve peak performance and unwavering dependability.
“While my work is often methodical and planned, the pit crew operates in a high pressure, fast-paced setting where every second counts. Their ability to perform under such intense conditions is truly impressive,” Uehara says.
And with Shuto’s job, quality assurance makes sure a construction machine is ready for hard work on jobsites. “I feel that the way they operate is similar to how we do things at Komatsu,” Shuto says. “They focus on fine-tuning the machine to its best condition for the race and bringing together the pit crew and drivers to perform at their best. Similarly, my job requires focusing on the objectives of our work and managing a variety of tasks — I believe it is very important to ensure that all team members share the same mindset and approach.”
The Day in the Life experience began with Shuto and Uehara meeting Atlassian Williams Racing staff and then getting a tour of the paddock, pitlane and garage areas, as well as assisting with pushing the FW 47 into the pit. “I was surprised by how light the car was,” Uehara says.
They then observed the practice run on the Friday before the Grand Prix, which took place on April 6, and saw how such a large team (as many as 20 people in the pit and an additional 20 in a control center) operate.
“The Atlassian Williams Racing team members were very approachable and took the time to explain everything in detail, showing their pride and confidence in their work,” Uehara says. “This attitude is very similar to that of Komatsu engineers, who are always willing to provide detailed explanations.”
“Before the actual race, I observed how everyone in the team was focused on the race, acting with the race in mind,” Shuto says. “This reminded me of how, at Komatsu, when a new project is launched, many departments collaborate more than usual, coming together as one team to work towards the same goal.”
“I was impressed by the cleanliness and organization of the pit, where everything was precisely arranged,” Uehara says.
“This reinforced the importance of efficiency and orderly work environments, which we also prioritize at Komatsu.”
“We are different — Komatsu is creating excavators, but Atlassian Williams Racing is creating Formula 1 cars. It’s totally different mechanical things, but as an engineer, it’s very similar,” Shuto says. This included the passion shared between the Komatsu and Atlassian Williams Racing teams in building high-quality vehicles with performance in mind.
The pair both stayed for the race, watching from the grandstands. After the work they’d put in the previous days, it was an opportunity to see that work payoff for the Atlassian Williams Racing team. It also brought with it a flood of feelings. While practices can give a taste of how fast a motorsports machine can go, the actual race day brings a packed crowd from around the world to cheer on their team, competing in an environment where milliseconds count, pit crews have two seconds to change a tire and every piece of the puzzle has to fall into place just right for the racing team to succeed.
“First of all, I was astonished by the sheer scale of the sport of F1,” Shuto says.
“This year's Japanese Grand Prix attracted over 260,000 visitors over three days, far exceeding my expectations. The excitement was palpable, not just among the drivers but also the spectators, which heightened my own emotions.”
“My first F1 race was an indescribable experience filled with emotion and excitement,” Uehara says. “I felt the harshness of the race and realized up close that the drivers were risking their lives. I was overwhelmed by the sight of the cars running at incredible speeds.
“Through this experience, I realized that both companies are continually pushing the boundaries of technology and working towards creating a sustainable future.”
