Even as a schoolboy, Eric Boullier was fascinated by racing cars, with pictures of his childhood hero Ayrton Senna adorning the walls of his family home in Laval, Mayenne, France. After graduating from the French Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Appliquees in Ivry-sur-Seine, he was quickly drawn to the racetrack, working in the World Series by Nissan and A1 Grand Prix. His managerial skills saw him graduate to a role overseeing the careers of several promising young racing drivers. Becoming team principal at Lotus F1 in 2010, he oversaw a period of growth and redevelopment that led to the hiring of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, and the re-emergence of the team as one of grand prix racing's top contenders. Eric became McLaren's racing director in a structural re-organisation at the start of the 2014 season.