The sport of Formula 1 is an exciting, fast and glamorous business and its global popularity seems to be ever increasing. Being a Formula 1 driver is the dream of many boys (and girls) but it is so very difficult to get to the top of the sport these days that the majority of those dreams fade away and reality takes over.
Ayao Komatsu with Romain Grosjean
Formula 1 however is a big business and you don’t need to be a driver to get involved. The motorsport industry is huge and the Formula 1 teams employ many different people in many different roles. These jobs might not be as glamourous as driving the racing car but they do allow ordinary people to earn a living and become involved right at the heart of the sport. This is what this website is about.
My idea
Job in F1 is a site dedicated to providing advice and guidance to those who want to make a career in Formula 1 and motorsport. I am now a senior engineer within Formula 1 and have worked in motor racing for most of my career. When I was trying to break into the sport myself, I found very little in the way of encouragement and advice about what I needed to do at school and how to gain vital experience. Several decades later and despite the invention of the internet not much seems to have changed ! There is still very little information out there and even what there is tends to be inaccurate. I wanted to put that right and create a real resource that people could come to and find encouragement and ideas in order to follow their dreams of working in Formula 1.
I want Job in F1 to be the resource that I was desperate to find as a 10 year old kid and to help others to have the same fulfilling career that Formula 1 has given me
How to use this site
Feel free to browse through my blog posts or perhaps start with my Frequently Asked Questions. You can check out my Useful Resources section or ask questions in any of the comment boxes around the site. This site is still in its early days so I’ll happily add new information if there is something in particular you want to know. Feedback, both good and bad is always welcome. Good luck.
Disclaimer and some other important points about jobinf1.com
This site is not about the technical aspects of Formula 1. There are now a great many other sites out there such as Craig Scarborough’s blog which give excellent and informative discussion on the latest technical secrets of F1. You can find many of the sites I recommend in my Resources page. I am privileged to have access to many of my team’s technical secrets but I will not share any of that on this site or to individuals. The advice that I may give is completely separate to the technical aspects of my job and the existence of this site depends on the trust that my team places in me not to share valuable information.
This site is not endorsed or linked to my team in anyway, and as a result I do not intend to share with you which team it is that I work for. It would be unfair on them to suggest that I can be a point of contact for them or influence their recruitment policy via this site. Any advice here is completely my own and nothing to do with that team. I assume that you can understand why this is so.
I hope that by reading my posts it will be clear that I have considerable experience in Formula 1 and that my ability to give valuable advice to people is not affected by the fact I cannot reveal my own identity or that of my team. The insight I give about working in Formula 1 is entirely generic and not a description of any one team or a particular individual’s role, except that which is already available in the public domain.
Thank you for understanding and I hope you find my site helpful and inspiring ! There is really no reason why anyone with a passion for motor racing cannot make a career in Formula 1. The best place to start maybe my .
Best of luck !
Hi, Is there a good technique to revising? I really struggle to put the energy into revising at the moment but feel I need to if I want to fufil my future ambitions.
Hi Will
Firstly, thanks for reading my blog and taking the time out to ask a question. Revising… Tough one. I remember struggling quite a lot myself as study can seem a very long way away from the reality of a job and working Formula 1. It couldn’t be less glamorous. I used to imagine study as a bit of a competition and basically convinced myself if I didn’t get the best grade I could then I was risking somebody else with better grades coming along and taking the job in racing that I so badly wanted. I hated the thought of that so it was that kind of visualisation that kept me motivated and gave me the anger and motivation to get through the exams.
Make any sense ? You got to stick in there because good grades will always help your application to teams. Its not the be all and end all to get the absolute top grades but it never does any harm.
Stick in there as its only a short period of your life in truth and you could have a long and enjoyable career ahead of you if you do well.
what job we might get iN F1??
What job would you like to do? What are you good at?
well actually im still pursuing my studies in MANAGEMENT profession & its matter of fact im good at managing things so i am looking forward for a job in F1 which is related to management!!
Hi there,
Thank you so much for keeping this great blog. I am studying in US, where people usually ask me if F1 is a TV show or a video game after I mention it.
I was lucky to get into an ivy league school but unfortunately I genuinely suck at science (aka anything related to physics and chemistry, only thing i don’t suck at is probably math). I study Economics, German Studies and International Relations while I assume I will end up rotting in some banks or financial institutions. Recently I found myself still extremely tempted by the idea working for F1, which was my dream since 11. I am turning my life track to somewhere completely unknown, risky, yet so motivating. However I feel the future seems to be so bleach since I have zero engineering background, and I am thousands miles away from Europe.
Do you think someone of my background can one day get into F1? Any suggestions?
And thank you again for this wonderful blog.
Good luck for the new season ahead!
Hi
Thanks for reading my blog and thanks even more for the positive comments about it. Glad you find it thought provoking.
Compared to people in Europe, clearly you start with a disadvantage. To move to F1 you would either need to secure a job from a distance or move here for further study or another interim form of work. Either would require a big commitment.
There are quite a few Americans working in F1 now. I know of a few who were interviewed by Skype and were then flown over for a final interview. It’s not impossible but if you don’t have an academic engineering background it’d be tough to compete. What would you like to do specifically in racing? It’s quite important to have a clear goal and try to find a set of skills you can offer teams.
Do you know of any race shops locally you could get involved with as a volunteer? A practical background is probably what you need in the absence if an engineering degree. You need to demonstrate that you understand racing, that you can be relied upon and that you’ve shown commitment and willing to get involved. Even the best academic people often lack those principles and so won’t get considered by F1.
Hope that helps. I’ll try and touch on this a bit more in future posts.
Good luck.
Hi, thanks for the reply. That has helped. The problem nowadays though for students to revise is we have so many distractions i.e. Computer, TV, phones etc. Whereas a few decades ago, those things were not invented, So when you get home from school you will just do your homework straight away and then go and do something outside. Wish it was the same for me.
saw your blog on Twitter.Will regularly check this site.Useful information.
Hi, my aim is a mechanic in F1, although which sector I am not yet sure, but this year I am going off to university, and I’m rather torn between which course to go on. My best options are a Beng, or a Bsc, either at Swansea Met, or Staffordshire uni’s. However if I wanted to do the Beng, I may have to stay in school for another year, as my maths grade is not up to scratch.
Would you know what course would be better looked at by a Motorsport team?
Hi George
Thanks for reading my blog and thanks for your question. I’ll try and answer as best as possible.
First of all, do you want to be a mechanic or an engineer ? Do you want to actually work with the nuts and bolts of assembling the car or do you want to design it or work on the aerodynamics ?
It’s important as to be a mechanic, you don’t need a degree so the BEng/BSc is not 100% necessary. Most mechanics either do apprenticeships or work their way up through the ranks of the lower formulas. It really depends on the type of degree course you are doing and where.
There are no hard and fast rules as to which university or college courses are most likely to get you to interview. It really depends on the team and the individual person who is recruiting there as they will likely go with people who come from educational backgrounds that they are familiar with and understand. If a team has a good candidate from a particular college then they are more likely to take another person from there in future and so on. I have to admit that I personally don’t know much about either course you have mentioned and so I would find it difficult to judge between them.
If you want to be a mechanic, I would take either course BUT make sure that you get involved in the practical elements of racing as much as you can. You may be better off pursuing a job in a lower formula for a year or so before trying to apply to an F1 team. Try and make the most of any contacts you make through the course and get to some races and talk to people.
I’m hoping to contact some of the admissions people from various uni’s and motorsport courses to get some further information and maybe write some reviews or opinions on here.
Best of luck – key is not to give up if you don’t immediately succeed. The knock backs are all part of the interview process !
Hi, the idea of a mechanic does appeal a bit more to me, but the design aspect really does interest me, so I’m unsure yet which path is for me really.
And it’s good to hear from someone in the industry at the moment that either one is good enough for the job, I’ve been really undecided lately on this year coming!
I had read earlier in your blog about the prospect of moving up from junior formulaes, and I see the connection with that.
And thank you for your response, and I’m finding your blog really useful at this stage! Cheers
No problem. Thanks George.
Hi George,
I’m the online community manager at Staffordshire University – and I noticed your blog post.
Have you considered doing the Foundation Degree Motorsport Technology and then doing the top up to the BSc in Motorsport – we’ve had lots of people going into F1 via this route.
Course info here: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/31H3000S.jsp
If you wanted any more info on the options available to you, I can put you in touch with the Award Leader who’d be more than happy to have a chat with you.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Amy
What kinds of jobs are available to non engineering grads/ I did a degree in a non engineering subject? I currently work as a network engineer for an ISP .. so I’m looking into IT/software roles.
Hi
Thanks for the question. There are quite a few non-tech jobs in F1. IT is probably a good start as we have a need for people to run the CAD and CFD systems which are quite complex. There is a great deal of computer kit at the circuit too, to run the telemetry and data analysis and to run communications to the factory. Many IT people go to the races.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for taking the time to reply and for your comments. Will definately keep an eye out
There is plenty of in-house software too, we have lots of tools & packages to help the engineers that are written in house. Software is a good possibility.
Hi I was wondering what kind of management jobs can you get in F1?
Hi Michelle
There are management jobs in F1, especially in the larger teams. Many of the technical group manager positions require an element of motor racing experience as they tend to be small groups and require some hands on input.
Larger management jobs might relate to the logistics, production, factory and operations side which are non technical and more suited to experienced outside managers rather than internal staff who graduate. What is it that you do now?
Hope that helps.
Thanks that is a help
I’m doing an event management & PR course at the moment..
Hi, your blog is very helpfull .Could you tell something more about menagement jobs. What should I do to get this job?
Hi
Thanks for your comment.
The site is intended largely for engineers and mechanics but I can look into management positions for you a bit. I’m an engineer myself so that bit is easy for me, I’m afraid I don’t know too much about management but hopefully you’ll find the site interesting anyway.
Thanks again
Hi, I’ve just read all your blog and I simply love it, it’s really usufull and thank you for doing it. I’m going have to choose my university course soon , I dream about woring in F1 but I’m more talented in humanities subjects. Is there any good job I can still get in F1 ? Thank you for you help..
Hi Sara
Thanks for the great comments about my blog – great to know that people like it.
With a humanities type degree I guess you won’t want to be involved in the technical / engineering jobs but I would think that marketing, press relations and I suppose even HR would be possibilities. The sponsor and media side of each team is quite and probably getting larger with many teams starting to explore more ways of communicating with fans through social media and factory tours and such like. My personal opinion is that the teams will open up to the public much more in future and finding innovative ways of doing this and providing value for the team and its sponsors will be a critical part of raising finance. It could be a really exciting area to get involved with.
Hope that helps and good luck with your studies !
Hi!I found that your website/blog to be very informative and useful to me.I’m from Malaysia and i’m really interested in becoming an F1 Engineer.I’m just about to choose a course at a University.I’m torn apart between Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. From the the findings that i’ve done from the internet,both course has some similarities.So i would like to ask you,which one should i choose?Thanks in advance!
Hi
Thanks for the question and for taking an interest in my blog all the way from Malaysia. Were you able to get to the race this past weekend ?
As far as degree choice is concerned, it depends what you want to do in F1. If you want to be an aerodynamicist then I would say Aeronautical Engineering is a must. If you prefer to work with metallic components and design structures of the car or calculate the vehicle dynamics then I would say go for Mechanical Engineering. If you are not sure then I would recommend that there more options for a Mechanical engineer in F1 but it might make a late switch to aerodynamics quite difficult without taking another course of sometime in aeronautics. The courses are similar in the early stages but then specialise in the final year(s).
Does that help ?
No,i wasn’t able to get to the race.I watched the race on tv.Yes,that does help.Thanks!Now i’m sure what i want to be in the F1 industry.Keep posting new stuff.I’ll be sure read it and follow you.
Hello
First let me start by saying, I love your blog and what your doing with it.
Ok I first found out about F1 in 2010, and I loved it and knew it was something that I wanted to be apart of. I know your blog is to do more with the engineering side of F1 but my question is geared towards the driving aspect of F1. I know you had a short stint as a driver when you were younger.
Now I have just turned 20 and have no racing experience, (I know it seems bad) but in your opinion is it too late to start a career as a driver? I know the majority of drivers get into formula 1 at a very younge age however, when I was younger I did not know about F1. I know that I can give 100% of my time and dedication into learning and becoming better and better, to become the best I can be. All I would like to know is it still possible and if it still is possible, what would I have to do and or whom would I have to contact?
I know given the chance I could do it. I want to eventually become the hardest working driver in F1!
Thanks and keep up the good work:)
Hi Vish
Thanks for the comment
Difficult one really. The blog is primarily about working in F1 as an engineer or mechanic but I have had quite a few queries about starting in racing.
Making it to F1 as a driver is VERY difficult. To start when you are 20 makes it even more so as the drivers now seem to be generally getting to F1 in their early 20′s. I would say you are not necessarily too late but it would have been much easier to start 5-10 years ago.
If you want to try I would start some form of racing to see how good you are. For most people this is karting, or a simple single seater like a Formula Ford. There are lots of racing schools in Europe which give you tuition and let you try out against other drivers. You would be able to see then if you are good at it before you spend a lot of money trying. Don’t underestimate how difficult it is as the television makes it look very easy !
Good luck !
Are Formula One Teams fussy at what Universities/Colleges you go to. Would they hire a guy that went to a University/College they know over a the guy that went to the University/College that they don’t know much about
My question I live in Ireland and in 2 years time I plan on going to my local College the LYIT or Letterkenny Institute of Technology to study Mechanical Engineering. Would they judge you by what College you go to or does it not matter as long as you have experience working in a racing team.
Also I’m taking Physics for Science for my Leaving Certificate next year and I’m wondering would that help me when I study ME. And finally I struggle at Maths,currently in Ordinary level
which is for people that struggle in Maths, and I wondering is the Maths in ME difficult. Even if it is I will give 110% because F1 is the job I want to pursue.
Hi. Good question. A lot will depend on the individual who receives your application. Certainly if they see a university or college they know or recognise then they will give that application more thought – this is just human nature. Its not completely exclusive though, if you can show that you did well at that university, and the course has all of the right subjects then you should still stand as good as chance as anyone. The way to make yourself stand out is to add as much as you can in terms of practical race experience and things that you have gone out of your way to experience and learn about. This will make people look twice at your CV. It should not matter where you studied as long as you show that you are capable.
Physics is definately good for Mechanical Engineering, as is Maths. In fact Maths is pretty fundamental for engineering in general unfortunately so if you wanted to be an engineer you would need to work at this pretty hard. For technician level or to be a mechanic it wouldn’t be that important so maybe that would be a better option for you ? Practical experience in that case would be even more important so do whatever you can get involved in.
Hi, I just have a couple of questions that hopefully you’ll be able to answer. I am due to start an Aerospace Engineering degree at Swansea University in September and I want to be a Formula 1 aerodynamicist. Is a masters degree worth much extra in getting a job. Obviously it is more favourable than just a Bachelor’s degree but is it necessary or make much difference? Also I have heard of Williams and Red Bull offering placement years which is definitely what I want to do but do all teams offer them? If not which ones do and are they paid placements? If so how much? And finally I’ve heard a lot about showing prior involvement in motorsport to get these placements, is it a good idea to join a karting society at my university along with joining the formula student scheme? They both seem to me like interesting things to do which I will do anyway but do teams look for something like this? Thanks in advance, much appreciated!
Hi Elias
Thanks for the question. I dont have a masters degree and most of my colleagues dont either BUT, I beleive it is becoming more and more common these days in the major universities. The course I took now has a majority of Masters students. I don’t think its a massive difference, a first class Bachelors is probably still better than a 2:1 Masters. I guess you are wondering whether it is worth the extra cost and time spent ? I would say not if things are tight.
Williams & Red Bull do offer placements, as do many of the other teams (if not all). Students are cheap labour for the teams, they start in the ‘quiet’ time of the year and it offers a team a chance to ‘try before you buy’. The main reason you dont see graduate jobs advertised is that successful placement students will be offered the permanent positions. Be warned that many teams have associations with particular universities for placements but I doubt whether any are compelled to take a quota. I suggest you telephone the HR office at each team and ask when you can apply. Do that now even if it is a year or 2 before your placement and at least understand who you can apply to then you can do some research and such like. Get in early and get something in your CV that will make you stand out from the inevitable pile of similar applications.
Karting association would be good as would formula student. Formula Student is excellent but, in my opinion and many might disagree, it is a victim now of its own success. So many universities have a team that its hard to differentiate between students again. If everyone does it, it doesnt make you stand out if that makes sense ? Also, I went to Silverstone a couple of years ago for the FStudent competition and was a little disappointed by the lack of understanding of many students in the teams. I am not sure how much they actually learnt compared to being involved in real racing environment.
Put it this way, I saw applicant who had worked for a F3 team for 2 years in his holidays, and had also spent some time at a BTCC team. His grades were good and he had clearly been interested in motorsport since an early age. He stood out far more than any Formula Student candidates did as he had organised that himself rather than just gone along with the flow. Teams are really looking for this kind of initiative.
Hope that all makes sense and good luck with what you do.
Oh, and as far as pay is concerned I think most placements are pretty decent at around £15,000 a year. Some maybe less but they are easily good enough to live on !
Thanks a lot that was really helpful for me. I was just wondering, obviously i will be doing my own research into this but as a starting point are there any lower formula teams that will take on university students for summer jobs? It would be great experience and stand me in good stead to get a placement at an f1 team. As i would be more focused on the aerodynamic side are there lower formula teams interested in offering summer placements for this side of engineering? If not would they be interested in taking me on in another engineering role even though it would not be my subject or would they possibly take me on in a more general role? Are these summer placements difficult to get, is these much competition for them? And are these summer placements paid or voluntary? Again thanks a lot for your help!
It’s my summer holidays in 2 months time and I will be off school for a while. My dad knows that it’s my ambition to be a Formula One Mechanic. He knows a guy who works in a garage and he was thinking about trying to get me some work experience with him and getting a better understanding of cars. Also he knows a guy who runs his own rally team which he usely competes in, in the yearly rallies we have here in Ireland. I was also going to try and chance my arm and try and get some work experience there also. I am also hoping to help my uncle on his project car.
Would these things help my CV in a few years time when trying to get a job in a F1 team, along with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Hi F1 Blogger,
firstly I wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. It is good to read news from an “insider” rather than all the media news or the interviews of Drivers (which is interesting but probably are revised by the PR department and not towards the interest of getting involved through a job).
Since your blog seems to be focussed on the engineering part on F1, which I understand as you are working in this area, I was wondering if you could consider to write an post about the aspects of marketing / event management in the formula 1 in the future. As the Sport is one of the most recognised and, as far as I know the only sport which has this relevance worldwide as well as the perfect basis for sponsorship I am really interested in this aspects. Additionally I am keen on getting involved in the F1 and especially in the area of marketing / event management (I studied PR & Communication, Sport Management and Event Management).
I am really looking forward to your reply and hope you could help me to gain a better understanding how to get involved in the F1 with my current specialisation.
Best
David
Hi David
Thanks for reading and for your great comments. Lots of people have asked me about marketing & PR but as you guessed my expertise is in engineering.
I don’t want to give advice on something which I don’t fully understand but in time I do hope to research, speak to colleagues and put out some valid advice for you.
Hope that suits you. It might be a while as this is all part time for me but I’ll do what I can.
Hi George,
I read your blogs and found them really useful. I’m currently in my third year of automobile engineering, and I live in India. I’ve been following f1 ever since I was a kid and pretty much eat, sleep and dream f1! I’m really interested in a job as a mechanic or an engineer in an f1 team, but my main problem is that my grades aren’t great. So I’m not sure what my chances are of making it in f1. And over here there’s not much chance to work for racing teams as there isn’t in the local scene. I’m really determined to make it into f1 but my grades put me off, and there isn’t much guidance available. Your advice would be very welcome!
Thanks
I would say that the best chance you have is to try to study in uk possibly. If that is too expensive, write to Indian racing teams, there are some now, or maybe. Organisers of F1 race and ask if you can be a Marshall or something. It’s difficult but you need to start somewhere and build up. Leap to F1 is too much to start with.
Hi,
thanks for your message. I’m totally fine with your answer and looking forward to read the outcome of your research.
I wonder why all the marketing people don’t do sth. like this blog? I mean new media, blogging etc. is there daily business… Oh well – we’ll see.
Thanks again
David
Hello workinmotorsport,
Thank you for all the useful information, which I enjoy reading.
I have thought about my career for some time, and being an F1 engineer seems like one of the few careers I would enjoy well into my 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.
However, 2 things: I am Canadian. So, would getting placements be ok if they were interested?
Also, I have a BSc in chemistry, with my summers spent working in a theoretical chemistry lab (Lots of math and computer simulations). I am starting my MSc next month in the same theoretical chemistry office.
So, do you know if my credentials be transferable to any engineering department in F1? I know Rory Byrne`s degree was in chemistry so I am a little hopeful.
Cheers,
Geoff
I want to be an f1 racer and my age is 14 years . please tell me how i join this and tell me also the rate of f1 iin indian currency.
To run your own team would cost about 80000 crore. To drive car for a year would cost around 8000 crore and you would need a minimum of 5 years racing experience and an FIA super licence.
Hi workinmotorsport.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some of these questions posted on here, it makes an interesting read.
I’m currently studying BEng Motorsport engineering & design, coming to the end of my 2nd year. At this stage i’m thinking about what i’d like to do for my 3rd year dissertation. My main interest lies in aerodynamics. I applied to a few F1 teams before christmas for a placement year but haven’t haven’t had any replies. My worry is that without a placement year, a BEng degree alone isn’t enough these days to get a decent job. I’m therefore considering doing a Masters degree in Race Car Aerodynamics in Southampton which will hopefully improve my chances.
Look for a placement outside of F1. The competition for places is far less. Look at suppliers to, AP Racing, Cosworth, Ilmor etc are all able to take placements. Look just that bit further and you’ll get somewhere.
Hi, I really enjoy reading your blog and am so glad I have found it!
After working in my current industry for the past 10 years and falling in love with F1 over the past couple of years, I have decided to go back to college and study engineering with a view to eventually becoming an F1 engineer. The only issue is I’m approaching my 30th birthday quite soon and I was wondering is my age likely to count against me? My husband seems to think I won’t be able to accomplish this dream but I was hoping you could give me your opinion!
Hi Lindsay,
Being a bit older shouldn’t make too much difference but obviously you’ll only be as experienced as someone 10years younger than you. What do you do now?
Best of luck and good for you!!
I’m planning to join automobile engineering after my 12th.Is it a good choice in order to get into f1….? Its my dream to work in an f1 team.
Hi
Yes it sounds like a good choice to me.
Hi,
I’ve read through your website and think it’s great! It would be absolutely amazing to possibly get involved in Formula 1 one day. I am studying to be a mechanical engineer. Motor vehicles are my passion! It is truely one of my greatest dreams to work as an engineer for formula 1 one day. Do you have any tips for a future engineer on where he would start in order to try and pursue this dream?
Hi Jonathan
Glad you find it interesting and useful
Best tip is really to get out and watch some racing live, try and meet some people / team owners, not F1, and learn as much as you can about racing. You wouldn’t expect to get a job as a top medical consultant if you had never been to a hospital…
F1 teams want ‘Motorsport people’ and so you need to absorb as much as you can
Good luck
Hello! Thanks for making this blog, I’m finding it very useful. I’m currently studying Mechanical Engineering here in Spain. I’m now about to finish my third year (out if four years total) That means summer next year i’ll be done.
I love motorsports and everything related to gas and burning rubber, and i want my professional future to go that way. Do you happen to know Oxford Brookes University? I’d like to apply there for a post-graduate in motorsport engineering, and i’d like some adice.
I am part of the Formula Student team in my uni, and I am so exited to go to silverstone next july. I am learning a lot and i’m having a lot of fun studying things that i loke 😄
So, any advice on any post-graduate course that could help me get to the F1 World?
Thanks again and best regards,
Santi
Hi Santi
Thanks for your great comment.
Oxford Brookes is a good university but it is especially good as they have great links to F1 teams for work placements. One of the best. Lots of Brooke’s graduates work in F1. One of my guys is from Brookes and he is brilliant.
Good luck
What about doing anything that doesn’t require an extensive degree in management or engineering? Like a role on the pit crew where you need to be good at one or two things like a jack man or fuel man?
Hi Drew
You definately don’t need to have a degree to work in F1. Take a look here.
http://jobinf1.com/2013/02/15/do-i-need-a-degree-to-work-in-f1/
At college I studied aerospace engineering and needless to say I excelled in all subjects, I then decided to persue something I am good at by then studying Aeronautical engineering at foundation degree level at university, starting september I will be in my last year of university and will then have a B eng (honours degree) under my belt, my initial plan was to work in the aircraft industry but I have always had a dream of working as part of an F1 team so thats what I am going to aim to do. Can you just tell me what are my chances of getting a job in the F1 industry and what should be my next move? Thanks in advance
An aerospace degree is great, especially if you want to be an aerodynamicist.
You need some background in Motorsport, something to tell teams that you are really dedicated to it. Try to get involved, go to some club races. Can you do Formula Student? Have you ever been a karter?
We need people who understand racing, who know what they are doing, not people who just watch it on TV. That’s what they are looking for.
Hope that makes sense.
An aerodynamisist is the job I would be applying for. Not sure about the formula student but as for experience in motorsport I frequently take my own vehicle on the track, I often take it on the 1/4 mile drag strip (santa pod/york raceway) which as you know requires fine tuning between races to achieve the best outputs. I also compete in various track days (endurance and sprint) at silverstone, castle combe etc. Would employers take this kind of experience into account when applying for a job and what is the best sort of experience to have on your cv? Mechanical (hands-on) experience, trackside experience etc.
Thanks
Hi I had a question more related to the business side of f1. I’ve been a f1 fan since I was 6 am 22 right now and I have a year to go to graduate with a economics degree I then want to purse a graduate degree in either finance, international business or law with a specialty in corporate law. And I was wondering if this degrees are alright in landing a job on the business side of f1 my goal is if I get a job in f1 to one day be team principal and I know a couple of team principals are not engineers like Stephano Domenicali who is an economists.
Hi Mario
Many of the team principals ate business people or are qualified in economics or law. You are right there.
Many of them are entrepreneurs, quite often in Motorsport of different types before they move into racing.
Not many engineers go up to be team principal so it’s definitely a different route. No hard and fast rules there but as always, a background in racing is a massive help. Networking and contacts a big help. Christian Horner for example owned his own team in lower formula before moving to red bull. Same applies to Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Peter Sauber & John Booth.
Hi workinmotorsport,
Just like everybody else on this blog, I also want to puruse a career in Formula One. I wish to be a Mechanic or a Engineer. For the Engineering side though I would like to be a Race Engineer. What does the Race Engineer do other than giving the driver information during Practice, Qualifying and Race day and how would you go about trying to be a Race Engineer?
Not like many of the people on hear I’m not to fussy at what team to start at. Just like you mentioned on one of your blogs your more than likely to get a job in the lower teams because less apply for them teams. Plus it will be great to have on your CV that you worked in a lower team in F1 when applying for a bigger team.
The only part that’s slightly pitting me off the Engineer Role is that how am I supposed to think/create new designs for the car. I’m no Adrian Newey or James Allison lol! How do they do it?
Hi
Thanks for comment. Have you read my post on race engineers here ? :
http://jobinf1.com/2013/01/28/how-to-get-a-job-as-an-f1-race-engineer/
Race engineers do a lot of preparation for the race meeting, working with vie hike dynamics on planning setups and writing reports from the previous race or test.
Race engineers aren’t responsible for making the car go faster as such – that is up to the designers and aero guys – but they are responsible for optimising it and getting the most speed out of it. That can be difficult but experience teaches you what you need to do. When you get data from your car you can easily see the areas you need to improve.
Hi,
Firstly, great website. It is rather difficult getting any clear answers from the internet regarding careers in F1. But your advice is quite good and proves that when there is a will then there is a way.
I’m currently studying Chemical Engineering in South Africa and hope to have a career in F1 one day, but unfortunately regarding Chemical Engineering in F1, there is limited information available. As someone within the F1 paddock, do you come across chemical engineers within the teams?
I thought about taking the “fuel route”, by one day working for either Total or Shell and then enter through to F1, but this seems like a more indirect route. Do you think my prospects as a chemical engineer in F1 are realistic or should I rather commit to another passion?
Hi Tiaan
Thanks for the comment. Appreciate it.
Chemical engineering isn’t the most obvious route to F1 but it is possible. One of the most famous chief designers in F1 of recent years was a chemical engineer from south africa.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_Byrne
Where there is a will there is a way. Fuel route possible but only very small number of opportunities. Engine manufacturer route might be better in that respect. How about metallurgy?
i am from INDIA.later i will pursue engineering in electronics.i wanted to ask you that can i get chance to work with formula 1 team as an engineer?
is there any possibility that i will get chance to work there?
THANKS in advance!!
Hi Abhijeet
You can certainly work in F1 but you need to learn about racing as well as electronics and see if you can get experience in this area too. Its very competitive so you need to make yourself stand out.
Hi workinmotorsport,
I really appreciate the help and information you provide to all of us. I am very interested in racing and see F1 as the extreme in which racing is perfected. Living in Los Angeles, it i was always difficult for me to get a hold of any events and at least create some connections. At times I have difficulty viewing events as they are not offered. I was wondering how one could extend their career through F1 living in Los Angeles. Is a large amount of money required and to whom do you seek out for help? I am currently twenty years old and have always sought racing. I have studied the concepts between racing and the ideas in which lap times are minimized, but the closest thing I got to was an experience at Allen Berg Racing School.
Thank you once again.
-Areg
Hi Areg
Have you looked at racing/Motorsport in US.
NASCAR and InduCar especially are very relevant to F1. Endurance racing good too.
Hi, I have only just come across your blog however it has really inspired me and is very helpful. I have been searching around the internet for hours just to find something like this, thank you for creating your blog.
I am currently an A-Level student studying Maths, Chemistry, and Physics but I am finding it very difficult to achieve the grades. I have wanted to work in F1 all my life but I am not sure what role is wright for me? I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on roles or different paths I could take as I am currently struggling.
I thank you in advance
Ollie
Hi Ollie
If you don’t think you’ll go to university then I would consider technician level jobs instead. They have a large practical element but you’d need some mathematical & physical understanding which it sounds like you have.
This would be in Research and development type roles or wind tunnel technician.
All the same rules apply, try to get out and learn about racing in the meantime, make your CV ooze motor racing and people will take notice. You’ve got to go the extra mile. You don’t need to be a genius to work in F1 but you’ve got to be more determined and prepared than the next guy.
Thank you for your help, that sounds like the perfect role for me and in fact is something I’ve been looking into. It’s so difficult to be taken seriously in this industry but I am determined. I have applied to college as a fall back measure just in case my A Level results are not at the required level.
In the meantime I’d like to thank you for the inspiration and support you are giving to people like me, Motorsport is not just an interest it’s a passion and I am desperate to be part of it.
Continue the good work.
Ollie
Cheers Ollie – thanks for the great comments, like to hear that people actually appreciate what I am doing here.
Best of luck to you
Hi, I am currently in an apprenticeship in light vehicle maintenance and repair but my ambition is to become an F1 mechanic. I am looking at going to wiltshire college and do a motorsport degree but I’m not sure if it will be worth it as I have heard it is more “who you know than what you know”. I want to try and start at lower grade doing anything really just to get my foot in the door but have no idea how to do so. Any advice you could give would be much appreciate thanks.
I’m going to study vehicle mechanics at Stafford college and get a NVQ Level 3 and hopefully get into jaguar land rover, but could I get a job in F1 if I got into jaguar land rover, stayed there for 2-3 years and apply for F1?
Hi Ben
I’d be cautious about spending too long in mainstream industry. It’s very slow compared to Motorsport and teams are hesitant to take people who have those backgrounds.
I worked for a road based automotive company before I moved into Motorsport but it was less than one year and just to pay my rent…
hi,
I am basically a tool engineer in tyco electronics(diploma in tool&die making).I dream about being a crew member of a F1 team.Need advice…
Hi Sayooj
There are many opportunities for machinists in Formula 1 so perhaps this is something you could work towards or get involved in. We do so much specialist metal work but much of it is created by CNC machines in low volumes. We dont make much specific tooling for parts as it is not economic to do that for 10 or less components.
Hi
I really want a job in f1 I don’t mined doing anything have so much love and pashen to f1 sport
Am a approved electrician with testing and inspection experience and pat testing17 edition and would love a job being involved in F1 involved with the construction of the team units or other aspects how would I go about this dream .?
Hi Richard
Most of the team hospitality units are owned and operated privately and not by the teams themselves so to be honest I dont know much about them. I dont know who made / specified ours as it is never at the factory. It just appears at races…
There might be electrical work around the factories in general maintenance or especially as part of the rigs, test benches or autoclaves. Much of this work is put out to contract however so you might not be employed directly by the teams.
Good luck
Hi,
Great blogs! I appreciate the information you have shared in your website.
I have two topics I would like to ask you about. First, are there any aerodynamicist travelling with the F1 teams to the races and tests? If so, what are their responsibilities?
Second, Do you recommend any MSc in Motorsports at all? I am done with my bachelors in mechanical engineering (US school) and currenty looking to expand some academic knowledge to work in F1. I have heard of some schools that offer such courses (Cranfield, Brunel, Oxford B, etc), but cant decide which schools offers the best. For starters, is it worth it to go through an MSc in Motorsports instead of a regular Msc in Automotive/ advanced mechanical engineering in order to work in F1?
Thanks
Hi Robert and thanks for the comment.
Most teams have a least one travelling aerodynamicists if not more. They will go to check that the car’s aerodynamics are working correctly, make tests on new wings or other body work and analyse data coming off the car. It is very important to check that the real car is behaving in the same way that the wind tunnel predicts it will and lots of work goes on comparing the two. You have probably see the green ‘flow-viz’ paint that teams spread onto their cars at most tests and races to visualise the airflow over the body. The travelling aerodynamicist is responsible for these kinds of tests.
As regards motorsport vs standard mechanical engineering – its a tough one. I am a bit of a purist and think that you should follow standard Mechanical Engineering as the fundamnetals of engineering are so difficult yet critical to get correct. You can learn about motorsport outside of your university course.
Having said that, a new breed of motorsport courses have started which seem to produce very good graduates. Importantly they have very good links with F1 teams and other motorsport companies for work placements and even graduate jobs. This aspect is incredibly valuable and certainly seems to be working better than some of the more traditional univeristies and courses.
Be warned however that many institutions offer ‘motorsport’ courses that are pretty useless and will get you nowhere. I hesitate to recommend particular universities as I dont want to exclude institutions that still offer good value but the ones that you have mentioned will all be very good options. If you already have a bachelors degree from the US then I would recommend specialising into a motorsport MSc to take advantage of the industrial links.
Hope that helps !
Hi,
I am a 15 year old Indian student,and always dream of becoming the Techical director of an F1 team one day.Sir,can u please guide me in detail about how i can achieve it?
Also is it possible for Indians, and Asians in general to make it to top posts in f1?
Thanks and regards!!!!!!!
Hi Yash
Thanks for the comment and especially great coming all the way from India.
I’m afraid I cant give too much specific advice on here or give too much detail as I get a lot of very similar requests and I would not be able to do my real job in F1 !
The creation of the Force India team by Vijay Mallaya has really put F1 on the map in India and vice versa but it is still early days. I know a few Indian F1 engineers in Formula 1 already and I am sure that that number will increase in time. If you are 15 now then you are probably at an ideal age to ride the big increase in F1 involvement in India right now.
Take a look through my posts and find out the best ways to get the qualifications and experience you need. At this stage I would recommend you think about whether you can come and study in the UK when you are older as this is still the very centre of F1.
Good luck.
Hi I am currently in an apprenticeship for light vehicle maintenance and repair with VW. My goal is to become a formula 1 mechanic. I am planning on going to Bath university (wiltshire college) to study motorsport engineering in sept 2014. I have heard though that it is more “who you know, than what you know” so am not 100% if i will go as there is no garuntee it will help me become any closer to F1. I was just woundering if you had any suggestions or thoughts on what route I could possibly take, I want to try and become envolved in formula renault or formula ford even if i am just sweeping up or making the tea’s. Any comment is appreciated thanks
Hi Nic
There is inevitably some “who you know” type of arrangements in F1 but I would say that it doesn’t go on half as much as people think. “What you know” is still much more important and the majority of people get their breaks from that rather than knowing people in the industry. For me I think its more a case of this ‘trust’ that I have mentioned in some of my other posts. If you have worked in motorsport or been involved in some way or gone out and worked a summer at a smaller motorsport firm or team then people will recognise what you have achieved and ‘trust’ you more.
The problem is that lots of people say that they want to work in F1 but a lot of them dont actually have a clue what that really means and what the job involves. In reality, many of them probably dont want to work in F1, they just want to go to a Grand Prix for free and that is of no use to us !!! We get a huge number of applicants who have been to school and got decent degrees but when it comes to working in motorsport they arent the right sort of people. Its incredibly hard to pick out the ones who really have the right attitude and understand what will be demanded of them. A lot of people go to college or university these days so that just isnt enough !
If you can get involved in racing (even making the tea) then we will know that you have seen what racing is REALLY like, and if you have been prepared to but in some hard graft to get a badly paid or volunteer’s job in F Ford or something like that then we’ll know that you arent afraid of hard work. If you still want to do it after that then you will stand out to us as someone who has gone the extra mile and is willing to work hard because so many people are not !
Hope all that makes sense to you !?
Good luck
Hi thanks for the response, it does clear up a few things i would love to become involved in F Ford or like I said F Renault but havn’t much luck in looking in to it. Do you suggest it would be better to contact my local race track (thruxton) or contat a team in F Ford to get my foot in the door? Thanks again
Hi there,
I was just wondering if you know how one would become a pilot for one of the F1 teams. Currently I’m enrolled in a 4 year university where I’m majoring in Commercial Aviation. Once completed I’ll have graduated with a four year degree in Professional Aeronautics and have obtained all of my flight ratings. My two passions in life are flying and Formula 1 and it would be a dream come true if I could get a job flying for a Formula 1 team. So I was just wondering if you knew how I could get a job doing that and what the qualifications were to get that job? Any advice will be greatly appreciated… and a job reference would be appreciated as well
Thank you, Evan
Hi Evan
Most teams fly in commercial planes these days – they dont have their own pilots. You are most likely to fly an F1 team around working for EasyJet !
Some team bosses will have their own planes – I believe that Frank Williams does but that is probably because of his special needs as a quadraplegic.
I wouldn’t have though that there would be any specific qualifications to do it other than normal flight training. I know that one team I worked for had a private jet but the pilots were hired from an agency or from the firm who held and maintained the plane. I believe it has been sold now though due to cost cutting…
Hope that helps and good luck – maybe you can give me a free ride one day !
I can not be more grateful to you, you have made me the happiest person in the world, Thanks for all #Cheers