Matt Bishop: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Article Images

Line 1:

{{Short description|English writer and public relations executive (born 1962)}}

{{Infobox person

'''Matt Bishop''' (born December 25, 1962) is an English journalist, author, novelist and public relations executive. After leaving the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Holland Park, in 1981, he failed to qualify as a London bus driver and then worked as a bookmaker, a betting-shop manager, and a minicab driver until the 1990s, when he began to freelance as a writer for ''[[Sporting Life (British newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' and applied to university to study psychology.<ref name="SunTimes">{{cite journal |last1=Fox |first1=Sue |title=Relative Values: Stephen Kovacevich and his son, Matt Bishop |journal=Sunday Times Magazine |date=January 7, 2001 |page=7}}</ref> Dropping out after a year, he began his full-time writing career at ''[[Car (magazine)|Car]]'' magazine in 1993, becoming features editor, then in September 1995 moved to ''Focus'' magazine as deputy editor then acting editor, before joining ''[[GP Racing|F1 Racing]]'' (now renamed ''GP Racing'') magazine as editor in December 1996, remaining until September 2007.<ref name="Velasco">{{cite web |last1=Velasco |first1=Paul |title=Matt Bishop, F1 media man extraordinaire |url=https://www.grandprix247.com/2018/12/07/video-matt-bishop-f1-media-man-extraordinaire/ |website=GrandPrix247 |publisher=PeeVeeMedia}}</ref> ''F1 Racing'' has been credited with transforming the coverage of Formula 1 in print, and became the world's best-selling Formula 1 magazine, selling 1.25 million copies worldwide during Bishop's tenure.<ref name="Velasco"/><ref>{{cite web |title=F1 editor: Stability at the top helps titles reach pole position |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/f1-editor-stability-at-the-top-helps-titles-reach-pole-position/ |website=Press Gazette}}</ref>▼

| name = Matt Bishop

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|12|25|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} [[British people|British]]

| net worth =

| other_names =

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| employer =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| known_for =

| spouse =

}}

'''Matt Bishop''' (born 25 December 1962) is an English journalist, author, novelist and public relations executive.

== Career ==

In the wake of the [[2007 Formula One espionage controversy|2007 Formula 1 espionage controversy]], which resulted in the [[McLaren]] [[Formula One|Formula 1]] team being fined an unprecedented $100 million,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spurgeon |first1=Brad |title=McLaren fined $100 million in Formula One spying scandal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/sports/13iht-prix.5.7500107.html |website=New York Times}}</ref> Bishop was recruited by McLaren chairman [[Ron Dennis]] to become the company's communications director.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goren |first1=Biranit |title=McLaren appoint Bishop as head of PR |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/62731/mclaren-appoint-bishop-as-head-of-pr |website=Autosport.com |publisher=Motorsport Network}}</ref> He left McLaren in July 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matt Bishop announces decision to leave McLaren Technology Group |url=https://www.mclaren.com/group/news/articles/matt-bishop-announces-decision-leave-mclaren-technology-group/ |website=McLaren.com}}</ref> He then took a sabbatical to write his first novel, ''The Boy Made the Difference'' (published in 2020),<ref name="BoyReview">{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Matt |title=The Boy Made the Difference is harrowing yet realistic tale of the effects of HIV/AIDS |url=https://gaytimes.co.uk/culture/the-boy-made-the-difference-is-harrowing-yet-realistic-tale-of-the-effects-of-hiv-aids/ |website=Gaytimes.co.uk |publisher=Gay Times Group}}</ref> before returning to motorsport public relations work in 2018 as a member of the senior leadership team of [[W Series (championship)|W Series]], the world’s first single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers only. After the 2020 W Series season was cancelled owing to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was announced that eight races in the championship's 2021 season would take place in support of [[Formula One|Formula 1]] Grands Prix.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Agini |first1=Samuel |title=Women's motor racing championship secures a spot on F1 schedule |publisher=Financial Times |date=November 13, 2020}}</ref>▼

▲~~'''Matt Bishop''' (born December 25, 1962) is an English journalist, author, novelist and public relations executive.~~ After leaving the [[Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School]], [[Holland Park]], in 1981, he failed to qualify as a [[London bus]] driver and then worked as a bookmaker, a betting-shop manager, and a [[minicab]] driver until the 1990s, when he began to freelance as a writer for ''[[Sporting Life (British newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' and applied to university to study psychology.<ref name="SunTimes">{{cite journal |last1=Fox |first1=Sue |title=Relative Values: Stephen Kovacevich and his son, Matt Bishop |journal=Sunday Times Magazine |date=January 7, 2001 |page=7}}</ref> Dropping out after a year, he began his full-time writing career at ''[[Car (magazine)|Car]]'' magazine in 1993, becoming features editor, then in September 1995 moved to ''Focus'' magazine as deputy editor then acting editor, before joining ''[[GP Racing|F1 Racing]]'' (now renamed ''GP Racing'') magazine as editor in December 1996, remaining until September 2007.<ref name="Velasco">{{cite web |last1=Velasco |first1=Paul |title=Matt Bishop, F1 media man extraordinaire |url=https://www.grandprix247.com/2018/12/07/video-matt-bishop-f1-media-man-extraordinaire/ |website=GrandPrix247 |date=7 December 2018 |publisher=PeeVeeMedia}}</ref> ''F1 Racing'' ~~has been credited with transforming the coverage of Formula 1 in print, and became the world's best-selling Formula 1 magazine, selling~~sold 1.25 million copies a month worldwide during Bishop's tenure.<ref name="Velasco"/><ref>{{cite web |title=F1 editor: Stability at the top helps titles reach pole position |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/f1-editor-stability-at-the-top-helps-titles-reach-pole-position/ |website=Press Gazette|date=23 November 2006 }}</ref>

▲In the wake of the [[2007 Formula One espionage controversy|2007 Formula 1 espionage controversy]], which resulted in the [[McLaren]] [[Formula One|Formula 1]] team being fined an unprecedented $100 million,<ref>{{cite ~~web~~news |last1=Spurgeon |first1=Brad |title=McLaren fined $100 million in Formula One spying scandal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/sports/13iht-prix.5.7500107.html |website=New York Times|date=13 September 2007 }}</ref> Bishop was recruited by McLaren chairman [[Ron Dennis]] to become the company's communications director, starting work at McLaren in January 2008.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goren |first1=Biranit |title=McLaren appoint Bishop as head of PR |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/62731/mclaren-appoint-bishop-as-head-of-pr |website=Autosport.com |publisher=Motorsport Network}}</ref> He left McLaren in July 2017.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matt Bishop announces decision to leave McLaren Technology Group |url=https://www.mclaren.com/group/news/articles/matt-bishop-announces-decision-leave-mclaren-technology-group/ |website=McLaren.com|date=31 July 2017 }}</ref> He ~~then took a sabbatical to write~~wrote his first novel, ''The Boy Made the Difference'' (published in 2020),<ref name="BoyReview">{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Matt |title=The Boy Made the Difference is harrowing yet realistic tale of the effects of HIV/AIDS |url=https://gaytimes.co.uk/culture/the-boy-made-the-difference-is-harrowing-yet-realistic-tale-of-the-effects-of-hiv-aids/ |website=Gaytimes.co.uk |date=August 2020 |publisher=Gay Times Group |access-date=11 November 2020 |archive-date=19 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119144840/https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/the-boy-made-the-difference-is-harrowing-yet-realistic-tale-of-the-effects-of-hiv-aids/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> before returning to motorsport public relations work in 2018 as a member of the senior leadership team of [[W Series (championship)|W Series]], the world’s first single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers only. After the 2020 W Series season was cancelled owing to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was announced that eight races in the championship's 2021 season would take place in support of [[Formula One|Formula 1]] Grands Prix.<ref>{{~~cite news |last1=Agini |first1=Samuel |title=Women's motor racing championship secures a spot on F1 schedule |publisher=Financial Times~~ cn|date=~~November~~February ~~13, 2020~~2023}}~~</ref>~~

On 10 December 2020 it was announced that Bishop had been recruited by the [[Aston Martin F1 Team|Aston Martin]] Formula 1 team to be its chief communications officer, starting in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Velasco |first1=Paul |title=Szafnauer: Matt Bishop will add enormous value to Aston Martin F1 team |url=http://www.grandprix247.com/2020/12/10/szafnauer-matt-bishop-will-add-enormous-value-to-aston-martin-f1-team/ |website=GrandPrix247 |publisher=PeeVee Media}}</ref>▼

▲On 10 December 2020 it was announced that Bishop had been recruited by the [[Aston Martin F1 Team|Aston Martin]] Formula 1 team to be its chief communications officer, starting in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Velasco |first1=Paul |title=Szafnauer: Matt Bishop will add enormous value to Aston Martin F1 team |url=http://www.grandprix247.com/2020/12/10/szafnauer-matt-bishop-will-add-enormous-value-to-aston-martin-f1-team/ |website=GrandPrix247 |date=10 December 2020 |publisher=PeeVee Media}}</ref>{{bcn|date=February 2023}}

==Personal life==▼

Bishop is openly gay, has been a forthright speaker on [[LGBTQ+]] issues for many years, and is a founder ambassador of [[Racing Pride]], a movement developed with [[Stonewall (charity)|Stonewall]] and launched in June 2019, its aim to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the motorsport industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ambassadors |url=http://racingpride.com/ambassadors/ |website=Racingpride.com}}</ref> Bishop lives in London with his husband Angel Bautista, a chef and makeup artist.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Page |first1=Ian |title=In 1996, I Was Absolutely The Only Gay In The F1 Village |url=http://overtakemotorsport.com/2020/09/28/in-1996-i-was-absolutely-the-only-gay-in-the-formula-one-village/ |website=OvertakeMotorsport.com |publisher=Crowther Media}}</ref>▼

==Background and writing career==

Bishop was born in London to [[Bernardine Bishop]] (~~1939-2013~~1939–2013), an English novelist, teacher and psychotherapist, and the American classical concert pianist [[Stephen Kovacevich]] .<ref name="SunTimes"/> A critically acclaimed author of five novels, one of them, ''Unexpected Lessons in Love'', short-listed for the 2013 [[Costa Book Awards|Costa Novel Award]], Bernardine Bishop died of colon cancer in July 2013.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tumulty |first1=Desmond |title=Bernardine Bishop obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/05/bernardine-bishop |website=Guardian.com |date=5 July 2013 |publisher=Guardian News & Media}}</ref>

Matt Bishop’s grandmother was [[Barbara Wall (writer)|Barbara Lucas]] (née Wall, ~~1911-2009~~1911–2009), an English journalist, author, novelist and peace campaigner. His great-great aunt was [[Viola Meynell]] (~~1885-1956~~1885–1956), an English author, novelist and poet, and his great-great grandmother was [[Alice Meynell]] (~~1847-1922~~1847–1922), an English author, poet and suffragist, whose husband was [[Wilfrid Meynell]] (~~1852-1948~~1852–1948), an English author and editor.<ref name="BoyReview"/>

Matt Bishop has worked as a voluntary fundraiser for the children’s cancer charity [[CLIC Sargent]] for many years, having been introduced to the charity in 2007 by ex-Formula 1 team principal [[Eddie Jordan]]. All proceeds from sales of ''The Boy Made the Difference'', Bishop’s first novel, will go to CLIC Sargent.<ref name="SunTimes"/><ref name="BoyReview"/>

Early in Bishop's tenure as editor of ''F1 Racing'', the magazine achieved a notable scoop by exposing the 'brake-steer' system on the [[McLaren MP4/12]], an innovation by which drivers could brake the rear wheels independently of the front, altering the car's handling characteristics to improve laptime. It was subsequently banned after protests from [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collantine |first1=Keith |title=Banned: McLaren's rear brake pedal |url=https://www.racefans.net/2007/05/24/banned-mclarens-rear-brake-pedal/ |website=RaceFans.net|date=24 May 2007 }}</ref> Bishop and photographer Darren Heath had observed in photographs that the McLarens' rear brake discs were glowing in the middle of corners, and arranged to surreptitiously photograph the inside of the cockpit via a plan in which Bishop tipped off Heath via phone if either of the cars broke down mid-race.<ref>{{cite web |title=The search for the extra pedal |url=https://www.mclaren.com/racing/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-extra-pedal-3153421/ |website=McLaren.com}}</ref>

While editor-in-chief of ''F1 Racing'', Bishop also wrote columns for ''[[Autosport]]'' and Autosport.com, entitled ‘Praise Be!’ And ‘From the Pulpit’.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bishop |first1=Matt |title='From The Pulpit' |url=https://www.autosport.com/all/feature/18/matt-bishop-from-the-pulpit |website=Autosport.com |publisher=Motorsport Network}}</ref>

''The Boy Made the Difference'', Bishop’s debut novel, takes as its subject matter the [[HIV/AIDS crisis]] of the late 1980s and early 1990s. A fictional tale about a ~~fictitious~~ family living in north-west London, ~~the Davises,~~ it draws on Bishop’s experiences of working as a home support volunteer, or ‘buddy’, for London Lighthouse, at that time the world’s largest HIV/AIDS centre.<ref name="BoyReview"/>▼

~~Bishop ghost-wrote the autobiography of double Formula 1 World Champion [[Emerson Fittipaldi]], ''Emmo: a Racer’s Soul'', published by Haymarket Media Group in 2014.~~

▲==Personal life==

▲''The Boy Made the Difference'', Bishop’s debut novel, takes as its subject matter the HIV/AIDS crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. A fictional tale about a fictitious family living in north-west London, the Davises, it draws on Bishop’s experiences of working as a home support volunteer, or ‘buddy’, for London Lighthouse, at that time the world’s largest HIV/AIDS centre.<ref name="BoyReview"/>

▲Bishop is openly gay, has been a forthright speaker on [[LGBTQ+]] issues for many years, and is a founder ambassador of [[Racing Pride]], a movement developed with [[Stonewall (charity)|Stonewall]] and launched in June 2019, its aim to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the motorsport industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ambassadors |url=http://racingpride.com/ambassadors/ |website=Racingpride.com}}</ref> Bishop lives in London with his husband Angel Bautista, a chef and makeup artist.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Page |first1=Ian |title=In 1996, I Was Absolutely The Only Gay In The F1 Village |url=http://overtakemotorsport.com/2020/09/28/in-1996-i-was-absolutely-the-only-gay-in-the-formula-one-village/ |website=OvertakeMotorsport.com |date=28 September 2020 |publisher=Crowther Media}}</ref>

==Works==

Line 38 ⟶ 61:

Line 43 ⟶ 67:

[[Category:21st-century English novelists]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:~~Gay~~English ~~writers~~male journalists]]

[[Category:English male novelists]]

[[Category:English gay writers]]

[[Category:English sports journalists]]

[[Category:Gay journalists]]

[[Category:Gay novelists]]

[[Category:1962 births]]

[[Category:English LGBTQ journalists]]

[[Category:English LGBTQ novelists]]

[[Category:Formula One people]]

[[Category:English motorsport people]]