Born in Guildford, Surrey, on 21 March 1958, and married with three children Frank is a B.Sc graduate in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, having read at Kingston, London. He is also full member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Between 1974 and 1979 Frank trained in aeronautical construction and design at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. From 1979 until 1985 he worked at British Aerospace in Weybridge on aircraft wing design and composites engineering, developing the valuable experience which would become so crucial to his later career as a top Formula One designer.
His motor racing career began in 1985 when he joined the FORCE Lola Formula One team, based in Colnbrook near Heathrow, where he was responsible for overall monocoque design and structural testing. Then, in 1986, he moved to the Tyrrell Racing Organisation in Ockham, Surrey, where he worked for three years and was responsible for all composite design. Taking to the tracks, he acted as team race engineer as well, and was one of Tyrrell's key technical staff throughout this period.
Between 1989 and 1991 Frank held the position of Chief Designer at Team Lotus in Norfolk, but in 1992 he opted for a year away from Formula One when he joined Dick Simon Racing for the PPG Indycar Series in the USA. Later that season he returned to the UK, working for two years as Technical Director at TOM'S GB, working primarily on the design of the TOM'S Formula One car.
When TOM'S announced that it would shelve its Formula One plans, Keith Wiggins approached Frank with a view to him joining Pacific Grand Prix as Chief Designer. With full agreement from TOM'S, Frank and fellow design Peter Elleray were able to move to Pacific in September, and commence design on the dramatic new Pacific-Ford PR02 along with gearbox design Peter Weston and Chief Aerodynamicist Dave Watson.
The car was launched to the world's media on February 23rd, 1995, and despite testing only briefly prior to be shipped to Brazil for the opening round of the World Championship, the all-new design finished 9th on its debut in the hands of Andrea Montermini - a fitting tribute to the world of Frank Coppuck and his design team.