The Student Room Group

Uni for F1 - what do I do

this is going to be really long winded oops
I’m currently in year 13 and applying to uni very soon. I am keeping my options quite open. As of now, I’m thinking of motorsport engineering at Coventry or motorsport/mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes. Still have more research to do for UK unis.
I have a huge passion for motorsport and hope to be able to work in Italy with Ferrari (I’m native italian so language and citizenship stuff isn’t a fuss). My idea is to apply to the Polytechnic of Turin which is very prestigious and has close ties with the motor sector - also perhaps University of Modena, also very close with Ferrari.
Also trying to figure out if mech eng or motorsport eng would be better for the path i want to pursue.
Is it better for me to go to a UK uni to start in F1 in England? Or should i jump straight into Italy? Or should i get my bachelor’s in one country, and my master’s in the other?

Any help would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Ps. In terms of what i want to exactly do in F1, I really like the idea of aerodynamics or the powertrain field. My predicted grades are D*D*D* so the matter of grades shouldn’t be an issue.
Reply 1
Hi,
I’m in the same boat as you when it comes to wanting to work in motorsport. I’ve decided to go the more automotive route mainly because I like the degree a bit better. I’m applying to:
Leeds
Loughborough (the best for automotive ties into motorsport)
Birmingham
Surrey (mech eng insurance)
Brookes (motorsport)
I know that Coventry is good for motorsport but also places like Hertfordshire; also try and look into unis that do mechanical engineering but with modules specialising in motorsport/automotive, I found that Surrey has some modules on powertrain and chassis design. I think it’s great you want to work and study in Italy and recommend that you do apply there to give yourself more options, seeing as it’s not through ucas. Studying in the UK might give you a bit more flexibility though as there are multiple different programmes and opportunities for us to get well connected into the industry. At the end of the day it is your decision to make on whether you want to move to Italy and do consider a lot of different factors like lifestyle etc. If you’re confident then go for it. If you’re unsure then I think doing a bachelors here and a masters over there would be good cause it would also give yourself time to build a few connections over there that’s could really help boost your career.
Good luck on everything, I hope it works out!
Original post by par4bolica
this is going to be really long winded oops
I’m currently in year 13 and applying to uni very soon. I am keeping my options quite open. As of now, I’m thinking of motorsport engineering at Coventry or motorsport/mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes. Still have more research to do for UK unis.
I have a huge passion for motorsport and hope to be able to work in Italy with Ferrari (I’m native italian so language and citizenship stuff isn’t a fuss). My idea is to apply to the Polytechnic of Turin which is very prestigious and has close ties with the motor sector - also perhaps University of Modena, also very close with Ferrari.
Also trying to figure out if mech eng or motorsport eng would be better for the path i want to pursue.
Is it better for me to go to a UK uni to start in F1 in England? Or should i jump straight into Italy? Or should i get my bachelor’s in one country, and my master’s in the other?
Any help would be greatly appreciated :smile:
Ps. In terms of what i want to exactly do in F1, I really like the idea of aerodynamics or the powertrain field. My predicted grades are D*D*D* so the matter of grades shouldn’t be an issue.

Hi there,
One University you said you wanted to consider was Coventry University and I believe it has an excellent motorsport engineering course that gives you access to world class facilities and a large team of academic with industry experience. I am currently studying motorsport engineering here and absolutely love it. We also have a highly competitive Formula Student Team called Phoenix Racing who came 7th Overall last year and are aiming for top 3 this year. The team helps provide invaluable experience to help with getting into top tier motorsport and would help you apply for postgraduate studies in Italy if you want to. However if you prefer to stay in the UK, Coventry offers an integrated masters course in Motorsport Engineering
https://www.coventry.ac.uk/course-structure/ug/eec/motorsport-engineering-mengbeng-hons/ That is a link to the course page in case you want anymore information or use the universities Unibuddy page to contact some other students.
I hope your application goes well.
Dan - Student Ambassador
Hi,

I also had to make the decision if I should make the jump to study in the UK! In my experience I made a list of my top needs in a university.

Oxford Brookes has a brand new facility built for the engineering department now located on the Headington Campus which you can visit during the upcoming Open Day. Sign up here: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/open-days
The university is located within the Motorsport Valley connects with teams and companies to engage with students in special guest talks and or visits during Career Fairs. Additionally, any student can join in the Oxford Brookes Formula Student team and grow their understanding of working on a team right away. If you have specific questions on course material or student life the university has UniBuddy to help provide ease to student inquiries.
(edited 1 week ago)
Original post by par4bolica
this is going to be really long winded oops
I’m currently in year 13 and applying to uni very soon. I am keeping my options quite open. As of now, I’m thinking of motorsport engineering at Coventry or motorsport/mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes. Still have more research to do for UK unis.
I have a huge passion for motorsport and hope to be able to work in Italy with Ferrari (I’m native italian so language and citizenship stuff isn’t a fuss). My idea is to apply to the Polytechnic of Turin which is very prestigious and has close ties with the motor sector - also perhaps University of Modena, also very close with Ferrari.
Also trying to figure out if mech eng or motorsport eng would be better for the path i want to pursue.
Is it better for me to go to a UK uni to start in F1 in England? Or should i jump straight into Italy? Or should i get my bachelor’s in one country, and my master’s in the other?
Any help would be greatly appreciated :smile:
Ps. In terms of what i want to exactly do in F1, I really like the idea of aerodynamics or the powertrain field. My predicted grades are D*D*D* so the matter of grades shouldn’t be an issue.

Hi there,
It is great to hear you are considering coming to Coventry and doing Motorsport Engineering, I am on that course now and am absolutely love it. The lectures cover a wide range of crucial engineering topics and areas of study while remaining relevant and the laboratory sessions and workshops are all up to date and well equipped to allow for hands on experience. A large number of Formula One teams are actually based within 2 hours of Coventry universitas campus so if you want good industry ties then we have them. We also have a event winning Formula Student team that nearly came second last year that you could join from your 1st year onwards to gain valuable insight into being a Formula One engineer.
Many thanks and hope this helps
Dan - Motorsport Engineering Student Ambassador

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