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F1/motorsport work experience!

I am currently in Year 11 and I want to find work experience in the motorsport industry as this is where I want to work in. Any help or recommendations in finding work experience in this industry would be very beneficial!!!

Also, is there any way of finding work experience in Formula 1, f2 or f3?
Names of such teams offering WE would help me a lot!!!

Finally, what is the pathway to get a f1 job in the future?
Try to visit universitys that participate in the Formula SAE. It a competion held anually where top universitys(globally) participate it consists of making a race car by group of student(normally mechanical engineering) and racing againsg other universitys. I know Birmingham and Leeds do this. Best way to find about work experience email the companys, or try the YINI plan. To get a job in formula 1 you should be aiming to do mechanical engineering at university. Hope this helps.
Reply 2
Not sure about experience.

But for pathway to F1; depends what position you're after. People usually take aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering- these sort of degrees to get the more technical roles in F1. But don't expect to be picked up right after graduation: you will have to prove yourself in the lower formulae (that's from what I've read anyway).
Reply 3
Original post by f1mad
Not sure about experience.

But for pathway to F1; depends what position you're after. People usually take aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering- these sort of degrees to get the more technical roles in F1. But don't expect to be picked up right after graduation: you will have to prove yourself in the lower formulae (that's from what I've read anyway).


Thanks a lot. But any suggestions which lower f2 or f3 teams I should find work experience in?
Reply 4
Original post by micboy
Thanks a lot. But any suggestions which lower f2 or f3 teams I should find work experience in?


No idea- you may get more informative responses if you try other forums i.e Autosport forums.
Reply 5
Original post by micboy
Thanks a lot. But any suggestions which lower f2 or f3 teams I should find work experience in?


Any.

You'll probably have to go after a lower class than F3 anyway, it's a ridiculously competitive career path.
Reply 6
Original post by J_90
Any.

You'll probably have to go after a lower class than F3 anyway, it's a ridiculously competitive career path.


just wondering wot the next class down is. Is it formula ford???
Reply 7
Just wondering how much f1 engineers actually get.
Reply 8
Original post by micboy
just wondering wot the next class down is. Is it formula ford???


There's a ton. It doesn't have to be single seater either. Not being funny but that's the type of thing you should already know tbh.


Original post by micboy
Just wondering how much f1 engineers actually get.


Not a massive sum really considering what they have to do. The hours are long, very long - if something needs doing to be ready for testing, qualifying etc. then you aren't going to sleep until it's done! You're away from home a lot too.

I know a few people who work in motorsport and they say it's really not as glamorous as people think, it's very demanding work.
Reply 9
My friend's brother did work experience in the Red Bull factory in milton keynes in year 11 (last year), although I have a feeling it may have had something to do with vaguely knowing one of the engineers there. But it shows that it is possible, although obviously all you'll really be doing at this level is observing the engineers/designers...
And yeah, for future reference if you want to work is something like this you're gonna need a degree in engineering, probably aerospace :smile:
Reply 10
Original post by Katterson
My friend's brother did work experience in the Red Bull factory in milton keynes in year 11 (last year), although I have a feeling it may have had something to do with vaguely knowing one of the engineers there.


That'll be the reason!
Reply 11
If you want F1 work experience, you aren't going to get it without contacts, and you certainly aren't going to get in now - only two teams actually have an application process for work experience - Williams and McLaren. McLarens deadline for work experience this summer passed last year, and Williams passed at the very start of the year so you are waaaaay too late to apply to any team now. GP2, Formula Two and FR3.5 are huge no-no's too, again waay too late. You need to be looking way lower, so F3, FR2.0 and GP3 at a stretch might consider you. Your best bet is to look at the junior categories that race on the weekends of events like BTCC and F2. Also look for companies outside of motorsport teams, but that work in motorsport. There are thousands of companies, you just have to work to find them! Google is the best place to start really, look through series websites, go to the teams websites, send CVs/covering letters off to the teams, then look at the companies they work with and send CVs off to them too.
Also, whilst I'm at it, if you want to go into F1, you're an idiot if you don't pick anywhere other than Hertfordshire. We have more graduates in F1 than any other university in the world. Plus theres an F2 driver on the course. Plus we're the only university in the world to have an actual F1 simulator (the same as three F1 teams). Plus F1 teams actually come to our university asking for graduates to employ!! It's mega!!!
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by dancingrobots
Also, whilst I'm at it, if you want to go into F1, you're an idiot if you don't pick anywhere other than Hertfordshire. We have more graduates in F1 than any other university in the world. Plus theres an F2 driver on the course. Plus we're the only university in the world to have an actual F1 simulator (the same as three F1 teams). Plus F1 teams actually come to our university asking for graduates to employ!! It's mega!!!


More grads than any other university in the world? Source? I'd say Imperial and Cranfield are much better choices for F1 in general and Brooke's have excellent ties at Lotus...
Reply 13
Original post by Lib
More grads than any other university in the world? Source? I'd say Imperial and Cranfield are much better choices for F1 in general and Brooke's have excellent ties at Lotus...


It's not like the FIA release a report of which F1 team has the most grads each year, but last year alone Renault asked for 15 of our grads, not to mention those who go to other teams. If you want proof of how good we are, just look at things like our Formula Student results. Currently we're best in the UK and the only British team to qualify for automatic entry into FS Germany this year. We've been constantly good at it, and we're getting better :wink: But seriously, a university that has an actual F1 simulator - you expect us to be anything less than average with one of those badboys?! :tongue:
Reply 14
Original post by dancingrobots
It's not like the FIA release a report of which F1 team has the most grads each year, but last year alone Renault asked for 15 of our grads, not to mention those who go to other teams. If you want proof of how good we are, just look at things like our Formula Student results. Currently we're best in the UK and the only British team to qualify for automatic entry into FS Germany this year. We've been constantly good at it, and we're getting better :wink: But seriously, a university that has an actual F1 simulator - you expect us to be anything less than average with one of those badboys?! :tongue:


So you shouldn't be going around making sweeping statements like that then! Assuming you mean Lotus Renault GP, then I'd love to know where we put these 15 Herts grads because I've never met anyone at work who came from Herts... By far the majority of our grads have come from Brooke's, and probably Cranfield second... Even then we probably have less than 15 total. And I'm more impressed by wind tunnels than simulators, sorry. Maybe I'll change my mind once ours is online though.
Reply 15
Original post by Lib
More grads than any other university in the world? Source? I'd say Imperial and Cranfield are much better choices for F1 in general and Brooke's have excellent ties at Lotus...


Imperial yeah definitely, they produced Tombazis :biggrin:.
Reply 16
If you work for f1 you meet famous people is this why you want to do it:smile:
look into attending the national college for motorsport, silverstone. i’m currently a student here and i have already within the space of a few months learnt loads about the industry, had work experience with the likes of dragon racing (formula E) and made lots of great contacts. it’s a great environment to be in and it will certainly help you to get to where you want to be in the future. the qualification you get after your first year is the EAL Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Technology– Motorsport. lots of race teams like you to have this qualification so they will be more inclined to give you work if you do. all of the lecturers have work in the motorsport industry for many years, know lots of people, have buckets of knowledge and always push you to achieve the best. this college will be a great stepping stone for you if working in the motorsport industry is your goal. Liam.P
(edited 4 years ago)

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