Job in F1

Have you ever wondered what it must be like to stand on the starting grid at the Monaco Grand Prix ?

Have you ever wanted to be part of the pitcrew for Sebastien Vettel or Lewis Hamilton? Job in F1 can not only tell you how you could do these things, but also shows you how you can earn a living designing, building and racing the fastest racing cars in the world.

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.

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 glamorous 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.

Hamilton

Job in F1 - 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.

Job in F1 is the website that I was desperate to find as a 10 year old kid and gives you the advice you need to have the same exciting career that Formula 1 has given me.

How to use this site

Job in F1 is a blog where I have written about various aspects of working in F1 and given tips and insights into how to break into the sport. You can browse individual posts or search for a topic like "pitcrew" or "work placement" to see relevant information.
There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section, or you can check out my Useful Resources section.

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I regularly update the site with new tips and ideas and you can be the first to receive that latest advice by becoming a follower of Job in F1 completely free. Just add your email address to the box at the top of the sidebar to start your journey to a successful career in F1.

The best place to start is my list of 10 MUST READ articles for getting a job in F1.

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674 thoughts on “Job in F1”

  1. 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.

    1. 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.

      1. 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!!

      2. Hi. I’m actually still in school but am considering pursuing a career in computer science. Are there any jobs that involve computer programming and the like in F1?

        1. Hi Imran

          Yes. Many teams write their own software packages and the ECU’s are programmed individually with all sorts of routines and coding. The introduction of the 2014 engines has massively complicated control software and equally complicated strategy and optimisation for racing so software is very important.

      3. Hi, I’m interested in a formula 1 career. I would like to design the vehicles and influence how they work. But I’m not sure what university course I should take? I have been told mechanical engineering would be good as it covers a lot of engineering but I need more specifics. Can you help me out?

        1. Hi

          Mechanical Engineering is perfect. Its what I did and what the majority of F1 engineers study. It does not need to be anything special or more than that. Your university choice will not make you stand out on its own.

  3. 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!

    1. 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.

  4. 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.

  6. 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?

    1. 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 !

      1. 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

    2. 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

  7. 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.

    1. 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!

    1. 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.

    1. 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

  11. 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..

    1. 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 !

  12. 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!

    1. 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 ?

      1. 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.

  13. 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:)

    1. 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 !

  14. 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.

    1. 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.

  15. 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!

    1. 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 !

      1. 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!

  16. 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.

  17. 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

    1. 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.

      1. 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

        1. 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.

      2. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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.

    1. 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.

  20. 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.

    1. 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.

  21. 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!

    1. 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!!

  22. 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.

  23. 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?

    1. 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

  24. 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

    1. 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

  25. 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?

  26. 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

    1. 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.

      1. 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

  27. 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.

    1. 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.

  28. 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?

    1. 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.

  29. 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?

    1. 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?

  30. 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!!

    1. 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.

  31. 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

  32. 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

    1. 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.

      1. 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

  33. 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.

  34. 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?

    1. 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…

  35. 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…

    1. 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.

  36. Hi
    I really want a job in f1 I don’t mined doing anything have so much love and pashen to f1 sport

  37. 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 .?

    1. 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

  38. 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

    1. 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 !

  39. 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!!!!!!!

    1. 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.

  40. 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

    1. 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

      1. 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

  41. 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

    1. 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 !

  42. I can not be more grateful to you, you have made me the happiest person in the world, Thanks for all #Cheers

  44. i have just finished level 2 in motor vehicle starting my level 3 in sept. I want to make a career in motor sport you think i can get a job in f1 . Am not getting any help that i need to make a living career in cars. Could you please help thanks.

  45. Hey There!

    It’s been great reading the forum; tons of great information.
    Obviously I’m interested in working in F1, and I’m trying to set myself a path to get there. What I plan to do is attend a school in the US and get a BS in Mechanical Engineering. I also plan to join their Formula SAE club, which has done very well both nationally and internationally. Do you think I will will stand a good chance of meeting the right people and/or be viewed as someone with good experience? Or, should I plan on entering into cart racing or Formula Ford on top of school for the experience/attention?

    Thanks for all the great information!
    Marcus

    PS
    If you’re unfamiliar with Formula SAE, here is a great link:

    http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/

    1. Hi Marcus

      Your school plans all sound good and FSAE is good experience.

      I would do as much as you an however and get involved in karting or FFord if you can. FSAE is great but the problem is now that it is so popular worldwide that it actually doesn’t differentiate people anymore. We get hundreds of applications from students with Mechanical Engineering degrees and experience of FSAE through their Uni’s. Which one do we choose ? It’ll be the ones who have gone out and done more than that and shown enthusiasm and got the extra experience.

  46. Currently in Bahrain and in my last year of secondary education. Doing A-levels in Further Pure Maths, Economics, Commerce and Accounting. Going into college now(most probably to Australia). Definitely can’t do something engineering related. What do you think I should do in uni in order to get a top management job in lower racing formula classes(formula 3000) and slowly build up to f1. Do you think it’s possible? Also, what’s the top most management post in an f1 team?

    1. Hi Ayush

      You sound like you have a good mix of qualifications.

      F3000 doesnt exist anymore, it was replaced by GP2. I dont think there are many management jobs in lower formula teams as even at GP2 level there are only perhaps 10 people involved in the team. Each team will probably have a team manager who just organises the team at the racetrack.

      F1 is very different as there could be up to 60 people at the circuit and more than 500 at the circuit. Its a different level altogether. The circuit team manager or design project manager roles are probably the most senior jobs avaialble.

  47. It’s a dream for me to be a F1 member.,but what jobs can suits Soft Skills instructor?

  49. Hey there!
    I know this blog is all about engineering fields related to F1, but I wanna join it as a medic. I have just just given my 12th(last year of schooling in India).
    I’d like to know whether there are any jobs available in my field of interest and also the guidelines to pursue this career as I suck at Physics and Math and it’s too late to be an F1 racer.

  50. Where to find job in Motorsport (best in F1) in Germany.I’m embedded software developer with experience in automotive industry.

  52. I am 14 years old and want to become a Formula 1 engineer. Are there any apprenticeships that might open a door to becoming this. I have opted for chemistry and physics and maths as you know is compulsory. Should i also look into a design course or can you recomend any paths for me to follow

    1. If you want to be an F1 engineer you will probably need a degree in mechanical engineering or something similar. For that you will need Maths and Physics at A-Level plus another similar or related subject. I wouldnt worry about which course to follow just yet but concentrate on Maths and technical subjects at school. If you can get into karting at weekends or go along to a few race meetings you will start to get a feel for things. You could buy an old kart engine for peanuts on eBay and take it apart and see if you can rebuild it or something.

  53. Great blog. Exactly what I’ve been looking for.

    I’m currently serving as a Commissioned Officer in the British Army and I would like your advice on how best to structure my remaining 6 years so that I can make myself an attractive proposition to an F1 team when I stop serving. I’m not sure what is the best way to go about this so I’ll list my quals and experience and hopefully that’ll help identify clear courses of action.

    I left school with my GCSE’s and did a 3 year Modern Apprenticeship in Avionics with GEAES Ltd.
    I joined the Army as a soldier within the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers and served for nearly 6 years as an Electronics Technician before Undertaking Initial Officer Training.
    Since Commissioning I have held various Command Appointments, leading small Platoons (30 Recovery Mechanics) through to training Engineering Officer Cadet (18-22year old students. I have also held appointments as a Company Second in Command (160+ Mechanics, Electrical Technicians, Drivers, Armourers, Metalsmiths, Storemen and Chefs). I achieved IEng status whilst in this position.
    I am currently studying Aeronautical Engineering (MSc level) before I take up an appointment as an Aircraft Engineering Officer with an Army Aviation Regiment (yes – the Army have helicopters as well as the Navy and RAF!). In this role I will hold sole responsibility for maintaining a flight line of Air assets (Apache Helicopter being most likely) both on operations and from UK airfields. I will work as the technical head of approximately 100 Aircraft and Avionic Technicans, conducting technical research and utilising the skilled workforce’s input to provide solutions to Engineering problems; in order to certify aircraft ‘fit to fly’.
    After this appointment I will take over Command of a Lit Aid Detachment of approximately 100 Soldiers (Mechanics, Technicians, Armourers, Technical Storemen and Metalsmiths). As a team we will maintain a vehicle fleet for a specific unit (Heavy or Light Armoured Vehicles or Wheeled equivalents). I will be accountable for all Engineering Equipment Support as well as establishing processes and procedures from which the skilled workforce will operate.
    I aim to be a Chartered Engineer as soon as practicable after relinquishing command of the Light Aid Detachment. It will be at this point in 6 years time that I intend to leave the forces and hopefully get a job in F1.
    I am also the Secretary of REME Alpine Skiing. As part of this role I have direct input into every facet of Alpine Skiing (approximately 1000 Servicemen and woman experience some form of Alpine Skiing each year). I also maintain an Alpine Racing Squad (2 6man teams) each season who compete at the highest level. I mention this experience as I believe it to be similar to the F1 team environment (highly competitive athletes combining with cutting edge technology for prolonged periods of time). I am not suggesting that an F1 team is as simple as this – I merely mention it to show that I am used to leading teams under pressure.

    In your opinion what job role do you think I (as a 38 year old with the experience listed above) I would be best suited. I dream of being the Engineering head (eventually) of one of the team garages.

    Any advice you may be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

    Ian

    1. Hi Ian

      Wow ! Your track record is very impressive I must say. You certainly seem to be ambitious and driven which are some of the most important qualities.

      At your age I would think that you could go straight into a management type role but you would need some motorsport experience in order to manage one of the team garages. I am imagining by that you mean actually managing proceedings at the race track rather than from a design point of view at the factory ? They are 2 distinct role that dont overlap too much. The technical director (such as Adrian Newey) spends most of his time at the factory looking in detail over the car design and windtunnel data, discussing the best compromises with his senior engineers. Most TD’s have spent many years designing or being race engineers in order to oversee this incredibly responsible job and be able to make those decisions. At 38 it would be quite late to start I would think but not impossible. 10 year is probably a minimum in order to rise to be TD.

      Race Team manager is someone on the ground at races managing people, resource and organsing the operation of the team. You’d need a good knowledge of what happens at race meetings, make informed calls under pressure. I’m guessing that this is probably where your skills would be best used. The race teams are typically 50-60 individuals.

      I would contact some of the teams and try to get some contact details of someone to speak to regarding roles. I would doubt that they get many applicants with your type of background so it might well just interest them enough to call you in for an initial meeting. Sometime it is just a case of hitting it off with the right individual.

      Failing that I would try wider motorsport companies – I’m thinking rally squads, MotoGP, Touring Cars and the like as they are much much smaller teams, more simple working environments but if you could add this type of experience to that which you have from the military I would think you have an excellent chance of stepping up to F1 later on. Its this working knowledge of racing that F1 teams look for and need. Maybe you could ask to shadow someone else in this environment to get an idea of what they do and get some advice directly from them.

      1. Thanks for the swift response and the actual advice. I’ll try and get involved in racing at the grass roots level and work my way up. I believe a working knowledge of each appointment, that is pivotal to the success of any racing team, can only help my application.
        Once again – thanks for your help and please keep doing what you’re doing. This site is a rare goldmine of information in an otherwise sheltered world.

  54. I would like to rent a used F1 car in India (Mumbai) for a few days. Do you know any Asian source I could use? The shipping from the UK makes the time frame cost prohibitive. I want to organize a Motor shops inauguration with an F1 in the backdrop.

    1. Hi Tony

      I don’t know of any way to rent an F1 car in Mumbai. It’s not really my area I’m afraid.

      Force India is actually based in Silverstone in England but there maybe be some promotional or marketing cars in India.

  55. Hello!!

    This is such an amazing site! Thank you for keeping the blog and responding to all the comments posted here. I just graduated from a U.S. university and have a huge interest in getting a job in the Formula 1 world. My major in college was public relations, and I also studied business administration. I was wondering how I would be able to get a marketing/communications job in F1. Since there is currently no F1 team in the U.S., I don’t really where to start. I found that those circuits (like the one in Austin, Texas) may need graphic designers but they only want those who graduated with design majors. It would be great if you may give me a piece of advice on how to get a marketing/communications-related job in F1.

    Thanks a lot,
    Eugenie

    1. Hi Eugenie

      I would look at IndyCar or NASCAR primarily but even NHRA and such like if you want to get over to F1. There are a lot of motorsport companies in the US, and so there should be plenty of opportunities there. If you got some good experience at home then that would translate well over to Formula 1 in Europe. All motorsport experience is relevant for F1 and much better than other unrelated industries.

  56. Hello. I’m a Formula one fanatic, and a big interested in motorsport’s technical part. Since I was a child my aim has been to become a F1 mechanic. Next year I’m in the need to choose the first step of my future studies, I mean, If I want to study the right subjects to become an engineer or a teacher, etc. When I finish that year, I’ll have to start a 2 year course to get to University or to leave studies without going there. My problem begins when I get completely lost at the time of choosing, because I don’t know what is needed to become a F1 mechanic. Also, motorsport isn’t followed in Spain, where I live, and I feel like I haven’t got any support, even from my parents. My aim is to leave Spain and move to England. I speak English almost perfectly, as I am becoming bilingual next year, and my average school grade is 9/10. I’d appreciate your help, as my future is pressing me a lot. Thanks and keep your blog

  58. Hi, I am a South African Highschool student, I have looked all over the internet at ways of getting a job in F1. Are there any South Africans in F1, how do you think I could make into F1 as an Industrial Engineer?

  59. Hi, I am a South African highschool student, researching for a way to get a job in Formula 1. I want to be an Industrial Engineer, what kind of jobs are a available for Industrial engineers in F1. Also, are there any South Africans in the sport, can you suggest ways for me to get there

  60. Hi,
    Iam from India and have completed my graduation in management. I live and breathe Fomula 1, I have no previous work experience.
    I want to work in operations or marketing in a Formula 1 team or for the formula 1 company or some formula 1 track.
    I have not come across a website like this and I’m really looking forward to some help from you.

    Regards

    1. Hi Shriram

      Thanks for teh reply.

      Its great that you have such an interest. I cant give specific help to each person on this site so I would need you to have a specific question to ask. In operations or marketing you would need some background in other motorsport or events management to get to F1.

      Good luck

  61. Hello……………..
    I am Ajay Singh ph. no 9953137538
    sir i am very interested in F1 cars & i wish to drive F1 cars from Indian F1 team.
    sir plz help me & give me a answer. What can i do when i am drive F1 car from team of India in international grand pix in Buddha international circuit, Noida?

      1. Hello………….. sir
        Thanks
        but sir How much money i spent in F1? & where the starting point?
        sir starting race is karting or F3.

  62. Hello
    I am a Formula 1 fanatic and my aim has been to become a mechanic in that sport since I was a child. Now, I’m in the need to choose my studies, between sciences and language / literature. Next, there’s a two years course to prepare for University or to leave studies with a medium degree. The problem is clear: I don’t know at all what to choose because I don’t know what studies are needed to become a F1 mechanic. Also, if I get the wrong course, I can’t study everything again, to restart from the beginning. Another big problem is that in Spain, where I live, Motorsport isn’t followed at all, so there aren’t any teams of lower competitions in which I could apply, appart of the little work opportunities that impede me to apply in a garage. My aim is to leave Spain and move to England. My average mark at school is 9/10, and I’m becoming bilingual next year (Eng-Spa, with Spanish as native language). I’m 15, If needed.
    Thanks, congratulations for your blog and good luck this season.

    1. Hi David

      I replied finally… I told you I would !

      Firstly, I take it you want to be an F1 mechanic, and not a designer or an engineer or aerodynamicist ? The qualifications and route to take are slightly different but I’ll assume its mechanics.

      You would need technical subjects, maths would be important, physics possibly, any kind of design or technology based subject would be good and perhaps even metalwork or something similarly practical. I dont know exactly what choices you have in spain. Its unlikely that any language or literature subjects would help you at all, especially as your English is clearly already good.

      I know that motor cycling is much more popular in Spain than motor racing but I think it is still quite popular there compared to many countries. You have a world champion driver and until recently even had your own F1 team. I think that there are several teams like http://www.epicracing.es/ & http://www.camposracing.com/es/ and motorsport companies based in Spain so it depends on exactly where you live.

      Take a look at the organising clubs in spain, the circuit websites and see who is competing and when then follow up their contact information.

      You might also get some useful information from the FIA representing club of Spain as follows :

      http://www.fia.com/about-fia/member-clubs?f%5B0%5D=field_memberclub_region%3A15&f%5B1%5D=field_memberclub_xml_country%3ASpain

      I would start to look at coming to the UK to study for your degree. I know its a big step but it gives you a big advantage over studying in Spain sadly. Alternatively look at karting or bike racing companies and teams in Spain – they experience is still very relevant for F1 and will get you on the ladder for sure.

      Good luck with it all.

  63. Hello,
    First i want to thank you for your time and explanations, great work creating this blog and making motorsports fans want to pursue their dreams. A big thank you.
    I have always been passioned by cars and performance. Of course my dream was to be a rally or f1 driver but i guess im too old for that and i dont have the necessary backup. Im in my first year of college, studying business and kept far away from the field where i would like to excell at. i have no real practical experience as a mechanic but i have spent endless hours reading about anything related to a car and i am amazed when i look the work and the wonders that engineers create. (Keep in mind that cars are my hobby/passion so i try to know everything i can on the subject, though i know i havent learned a thing yet but i would do everything to). I would be the most happy person if i could contribute to the magical world of f1, but i dont know how to approach it neither what to do in order to be someday part of it. Should i study mechanical engineering? i have always struggled with maths (lack of work mainly), but i would do anything possible in the world if i knew someday i’d have the possibility to live my dream.

    Thanks again and sorry for this long post. Good luck in your job with your team.
    P.S: And i hope Pirelli finally lets us see real racing and not the 24 hours of le mans with formula one cars.

    1. Hi Pablo

      Studying mechanical engineering is certainly the best route if you wanted to be a designer or engineer in F1. Maths is an important subject, probably the most important, so you would need to work hard at that. It may be better to be a mechanic or technician where maths is not as important if you really were not able to do well in that subject

  64. Hey, I am 16 and I have been to the local race track a few times and can race like a boss. I live one Vancouver Island so it is kind of confined from the rest of North America for these types of things so the real question is. Is it too late to be an F1 driver?

  66. Hello,
    Wonderful and informative site you’ve got here. I haven’t found anything as good as this so I thought I might ask a question as well. I have experience as a volunteer marshal but had to stop as I moved from Canada to England. Now I am interested in taking that further and very interested in becoming a race official. Anything from pit lane to timing and scoring. I noticed the actual F1 site shows very little about careers or opportunities. Is there a more direct path to becoming an official, rather then just a volunteer marshal? Thanks in advance for any help.

    Taylor L

    1. Hi Taylor

      Thanks for the comments and feedback – I appreciate it.

      I would contact the circuits themselves about marshalling – F1 dont get involved directly in that as they are all provided by the organising circuit. There is a small amount of career advice on F1’s website but they actually don’t employ many people. The team’s are the biggest employers and they are private and separate companies to F1.

      You would need a lot of experience to be an F1 official. Even the timing systems are supplied by a third party. There is a company called Riedel which supplies a lot of the GPS and radio equipment to F1. Again I would look at lower formula race organisers and see if you can build up that way, it hard to go straight to the top if you don’t have experience.

  68. Hi,
    Thanx for comment
    sir any other option for F1 driver bcz its very very costly for me.

  69. Dear Sir/Madam,

    Thank you very much for taking your time to write this wonderful blog and I would like to ask a few questions.

    I am currently 17 years old, in Lower Sixth and am wondering whether a General Engineering course would be less beneficial than a specialist course? Moreover, I will be making an application for US unis as well, but do F1 companies such as McLaren and Red Bull Racing prefer UK students as the US education is more general?

    Also, I have done work experience in several engineering firms, but I feel that the engineers there were more maintenance/logistics engineers. I am wondering whether this is the same for F1 (where I would like to work)? I am more interested in designing the car and modifying its aerodynamics! Is this a design engineer’s role?

    On top of that, I am wondering what the timescale is from Junior engineer to say a Chief Engineer? Or perhaps, a timeline of the stages and salaries that a F1 engineer goes through during their lifetime?

    Thank you very much for reading this long message!

    Michael

    1. Hi again

      By general engineering do you mean mechanical engineering ? This is normally the best route yes but there are some good specialist motorsport courses out there.

      US uni degrees are less specialised compared to UK courses so you might not end up being as knowledgeable if you went the US route. Still perfectly possible but I doubt it offers much advantage unless you went to a very high quality US university that was a recognisable name.

      I don’t advise spending too long working at general or large engineering firms as most of the work is paperwork and meetings etc. There isnt that much engineering…. F1 is totally different and its all about design and performance.

      Sam Michael was Technical director in his early 30’s so that was about 10years from being a Junior I would guess. That is the fastest that I know of but realistically you’d expect to work for 15 years to get to that level – its a very very high and you need a huge amount of knowledge and experience to be a Chief Engineer.

      Salaries is a tough one – have you read my post on that subject ?

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/04/04/what-is-an-f1-engineer-salary/

      1. Thank you for this reply Sir/Madam,
        By General Engineering, I was referring more to the general engineering course, where you develop engineering knowledge in a wide range of sectors such as mechanical, aeronautical, systems, acoustics, sustainability. Then you would specialise in the 3rd year, so you would still receive a degree in your chosen specialism!
        I was having that dilemna too, but one UK uni stands out to me compared to other world institutions so i would definitely accept their offer if they were to give me one, but the main problem is that their course structure is general in the 1st 2 years rather than specialist.
        By design and performance, would you mean that I could potentially design parts of the car and even make it myself? The designing and making aspect of the job particularly interests me!
        I did read your post, but I wasn’t sure where to put my comment as I asked several questions! I was talking to a person at a Career’s Event and he mentioned that F1 engineers rarely go past the age of 40/50 due to family commitments and the fact that F1 requires people who are very very flexible. Is that right? Is that why Sam Michael is so young and earns £400000+. Do you think it takes around 15/20 years to get to a top position? Can someone in a Junior Designer role become a Technical Director one day or would it be more of an apprentice who has a wider view of the workplace?
        Also, I would love to know what the day-to-day worklife of a Chief Engineer/Technical Director/Junior Designer is? It would be really interesting,

        Thank you and I will definitely read your new post!
        Thank you and sorry for so many questions – I have never spoken to a real life F1 Engineer and I can’t believe i am speaking to one right now. Thank you for taking your time to read this message,
        Thank you ever so much,
        Michael

  70. I m pursuing computer science in engineering in India and want to get into formula one technical field, can you please tell if I can get into formula one or not?

    1. I don’t know your specific situation obviously but there is no reason why you can’t work in F1

      You will need to work towards it, building experience and qualifications. You can’t just go straight to the top

  71. Hi,

    I’ve always had a huge love for cars ever since I was little, and I’ve always seen myself as a bit of a speed demon. I know goals of becoming a Formula 1 racing driver is a bit extreme, but however, I would love to be a part of that racing atmosphere. A job I see being suitable for me is an engineering, or a mechanics position. I’m currently in my final years of schooling over in the US, and a question that comes to mind is: what should I study at university? Keeping my goals and aspirations in mind, I’d love to know what studies I should take, and how it can get me to Forumla 1 racing. I’d like to take the necessary steps for being able to set myself up for an oppurtunity as great as this. I’m just at a lost of where to start at.

    Thanks,

    Greg

    1. Hi Greg

      I know it seems difficult but its normally quite straightforward as far as education is concerned. I would study Mechanical Engineering at University if you want to be an engineer.

      To be a mechanic its not necessary to go to University. Its quite a different job to that of an engineer. What you need is technical experience, practical skills like metal work, manufacturing and assembly.

      A lot of colleges in the UK do non-degree level qualifications in motor mechanics or technicians.

      Its UK based but take a look at this :

      http://www.cityandguilds.com/Career-Ideas/How-To-Become-A/A/Automotive-Mechanic

      In the US there are tonnes of small racing or rebuild firms around, making hot rods or street cars which are modified. Its this kind of hands on approach you need to be a mechanic. see if you can contact some amateur racers near you and ask if you can lend a hand. Its a start but you need to work your way up slowly.

  72. I am 16 years old and want to become a Formula 1 engineer. Are there any apprenticeships that might open a door to becoming this. I have opted for chemistry and physics and maths as you know is compulsory. i want to become mechanical engg. but i want job in formula1 as a crew member. so what should i do and yes whats the income and yes whats the income

  74. Would a degree in mathematics be adequate for a job in F1 engineering? Or would a post-graduate course in something similar to mechanical engineering be required too?

    1. Hi Sam

      Maths is a good base subject, so much of engineering is Maths based.

      It’d be good for heavily analytical jobs such as modelling and simulation but you’d need some engineering based further study to be a designer or engineer.

  75. Hello,

    I am passionate about becoming a Data Engineer, and am planning on studying Mechanical Engineering, BEng at University this year. However, I am struggling to get work experience in a relevant field. I have done some Marshalling at Brands Hatch in the past, but i’m looking for some more opportunities. Have you got any tips on getting experience in motorsport? Also, have you got any advice on things to do to make me stand out to an F1 team in the future?

    This blog has been a fantastic help and insight, so thank you.

    Looking forward to hearing from you,

    Kind Regards,

    David

    1. Hi David

      If you are about to go to Uni, you need to start thinking about your year out or summer placements. You can try F1 for these opportunities are clearly limited.

      My one piece of advice is to do something, anything, which is motorsport related. There are probably better paid opportunities in general automotive engineering but getting some motorsport experience on your CV is mega important. It doesnt have to be F1, or sportscar or anything related with going to the track. Do as much research as you can and contact everyone you can find or think of in the motorsport arena and offer your services. I presume you have read my post on this :

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      You can look at autosport’s directory to find more firms involved in racing – try them all !!! If they cant help you, ask them if anyone who they do business with is likely to have an opportunity.

      http://business-directory.autosport.com/

      Hope that helps you a little.

  76. Hey I want to get into formula 1 racing but I don’t know where to start? Any ideas or suggestions ?? Thank you for your time

    1. Hi

      This blog is full of information, I can’t give general advice to individuals as I get hundreds of visitors each day.

      Please read through each post I have here.

  77. Hey! I’m looking to go to school and get a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering while participating in the schools Formula SAE team. Do you think that would viewed as good enough as far as motorsport experience to get a job as an engineer on an F1 team?

    1. Hi Marcus

      It’s the right direction that you’ve mentioned but you should never say “that’s enough”. We get a lot of applicants with that background do its always better to do more to stand out. It’s very competitive.

  78. It’s arduous to search out knowledgeable people on
    this matter, however you sound like you already know what you’re speaking about!
    Thanks

  79. Hello , I am Anton.
    Can I asking, teams F1 have any job programs for students on summer?

  80. Hello,I am Anton .
    Can I asking, teams F1 have any jobs programs for students on summer?

  82. Hi
    i’am completed XII with a low percentage mark, and i like FORMULA 1 very much. Then what i do to get a job in f1 like designer,mechanic,crew member

    1. You will always need either good qualifications from school & university or lots of motorsport & relevant experience. Preferably both. Please look through some of my previous posts for some ideas.

  83. Hey, I recently obtained an 2:1 Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering (4 year degree). I am now considering a career in F1 but am a little uncertain about whether to obtain a masters or to get experience in engineering firm. Applying is also confusing . Any advice?

    1. Hi Owen

      Thanks for the question.

      You could get a job in F1 right now, but it really depends on circumstances. As always there are no ‘rules’ to this so I can only give you my opinion. My opinion would be to look at getting a job in the wider motorsport industry and see if that bears any fruit.

      I presume you’ve read this post but its quite relevant :

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      If that doesnt work then I would go back for further study. Several Masters degree courses have good links to the teams, such as those from Cranfield and Oxford Brookes. You may be able to forge some path into the industry through those courses.

      The thing I would advise against would be getting stuck in a general engineering firm or a large OEM supplier. Lots of jobs at Jaguar Landrover etc at the moment but this is a career killer as far as motorsport is concerned as we view it as very slow, cumbersome and not relevant for racing.

      Hope that helps !

  84. Hi
    I have just finished my masters in tourism destination management (which I got a masters with merit) and am looking of finding a way to get into F1 or lower down racing categories in a travelling (ticketing for sponsors and the team), marketing or business capacity. Or a job at one of these companies that does motorsport/F1 tours/packages together. I just wondered what advice would you give in me trying to pursue this career path?
    Many Thanks

  86. Hi, would aerospace or aeronautical engineering be a good field to go into if you want to become a F1 engineer

  87. Hello
    I had a question more closely related towards getting a job in the managment area of Formula One. I am currently a Economics major in a not to well known University in South Texas I am thinking of transfering to a more well known institution to continue my degree and hopefully once I graduate pursue a Masters in Finance or International Business. I have been reading your blog and I see this is advice is more for engineers but what advice do you have for someone like me who’s ultimate goal is to land a job on a F1 team that has nothing to do with engineering and is what I am studiying going in someway help me to possibly land a job in motorsports. I have really thought about a career in motorsport and I know that nothing will satisfy until I have it. My ultimate goal would be one day becoming team principal for a team like Ferrari or Mclaren

  89. hey wsup, am 20 from Nairobi Kenya (Africa ) and an aspiring driver, am mosly interested in rally, f1, f.Renault.. buh lyk u said lots of boys dream to be in F1 buh the dream kinda fades away when reality checks in. I still wana be close to F1 and since I didn’t do as well in high skool and havent done any engineering, I wouldn’t mind doin a small job like a flag guy, handling tyres or any other job. I just want to be close to it and move to motorsport foreign country, get close to my passion and probably find money to do rallying. Please advice on how to get those kinda small jobs. just wana get there.

    1. Hi Eric

      The tyre guys arent just tyre guys, they are likely to be mechanics anyway or at least the truckies who move the kit from race to race. You would need to show that you know how racing works in order to get a job in F1 at this level. Flag guys (marshalls) are unpaid volunteers at each circuit so it has nothing to do with the teams.

      You’d have to come to the UK and just start at the bottom and work up – there is no shortcut if you dont have good school experience or engineering background.

  90. Hi, im 17 years old and about to leave college with a pass in level 2 maintenece and repair and looking at an apprenticeship as an f1 technician, how would i do this??

    1. Hi Joe

      Most of the teams have apprenticeship schemes but they vary year to year depending on budgets and how many people they need. Best idea is simply to contact the team or look via their websites for the latest info about how and when to apply.

      To increase your chances you need to have some experience or evidence that you are committed to motorsport. Get involved in whatever you can.

  91. Hi,
    My aim is to be a part of F1 and I will be starting my Masters in Automotive Engineering from Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research, USA. My area of interest is power trains and I would like to specialize in the same. Could you educate me on which areas should I concentrate on power trains that shall be useful for me to start a career in F1. Also, will a Masters from USA be of help, when I start looking for jobs in F1?

    1. Hi Prasanth

      You dont need to have a great specialism to work in engines in F1. If you have a strong background in physics, thermodynamics and general theory then it would be a perfect start. Your type of course sounds good to me, the instituation carries some weight over here in the UK so I think its a good choice.

      If you can do some practical engine testing and data analysis of engine performance during the course then it would be an advantage. Some experience in mechanical or materials would also be good as most of an F1 engine’s performance comes from its ability to rev high and be lightweight. The thermodynamic performance is nothing special really although that may be changing now with the new regulations.

  92. Hi, I’m currently studying my A Levels (physics, maths, further maths and chemistry) and looking at doing an engineering degree at university, most likely either aeronautics or mechanical. I’m looking at either trying to become a designer or aerodynamicist, and I was wondering which one would be the most beneficial and what other experience would be beneficial, as I was looking at doing some work experience for a racing team. Thank you for any advice you could provide.

  93. Hi,
    My direction i would like to take is a little bit different to what i have seen on here already. (Brilliant advise btw!!!)
    I am currently studying sport science at university and my aim would be to work with drivers in their fitness and psychological skills as i think this is an important part of getting the best out of their performance. I know that some teams do have this sort of thing but was wondering if you had any advise on achieving this.
    My only idea so far is to contact very small grassroot level motorsport and see if it would be something they would be interested in.and volunteer to help them and go form there..

    Any advise would be welcome 🙂

    Thanks

  94. Hi there, i have recently graduated from University with a degree in Fashion Marketing but really want to pursue my career within F1. I was wondering how I would go about finding a Marketing/PR/Events job within this sector as all I can find is engineering openings. Hope you can help.

    1. Hi Tayla

      There are fewer marketing opportunities in F1 than engineering ones for sure but if you do want to get involved I would recommend looking at any sporting event marketing to get experience. That could be any local running events or larger sporting events.

      I would look at smaller companies to build up experience rather than large corporations where your job role is narrow and limited. In F1 you must carry a lot of responsibility straight away and so you are more likely to get that in small firms where you build up experience.

  95. Hi id like to become an f1 mechanic or engineer I’m not sure how to go about it and to be honest I’m not too confident ill get the qualifications I need, would I need to go to university? I have an apprenticeship at an engineering firm manufacturing parts for airlines and military vehicles. I’m just after some advice one what I’d need and how to approach and get involved with f1 thanks in advance. Harrison

  96. Hi I would really love to become a f1 racer I have raced stockcar but nothing better than the sound of a f1 car cheers
    Daniel casson

  97. Respected Sir,

    i’m Arvind from India.
    i have decided to take up automobile engineering.
    do u think it will give me an edge while applying for a job as F1 engineer?
    I’m very keep on being a part of Formula One be it administration part or the garage.
    please guide me on how to improve my aptitude and skills required to be an engineer so that no team would hesitate in letting me a part of this sport

    thanks a lot,
    AK 🙂

  98. Hi,
    Sir I wanted to know what are the chances of Indians being able to work in motorsport(F1 and GP2). I mean looking at the competition around the world its usually the guys based in the country where the factory is, get preferences. I just completed my bachelors in Mechanical Engg. and have lots of experience in competitive sports as I have been a part of my winning college team at BAJA SAEINDIA(twice) and SUPRA (FSAE based – Indian format). Is it possible to guide me as to how to go about pursuing a career in motorsport. Looking at your website I’ve dropped the plans to do MBA and want to stick to engineering, your website has been a great source of motivation for me. Thank You so much for giving us time while living in the fast lane.

    1. Hi Harish

      Thanks for you great comments about my site, and for the good question.

      Being outside of Europe makes things difficult, there is no escape from that. There are Indians and other nationalities in F1, not just Europeans but if you only have equal qualifications then normally the European will get the job as their background is better understood, and therefore less risky for the employer. That’s a tough reality which you are clearly aware of.

      How do you get over it? The main way that has proven successful seems to be to do study in the UK, even if only for a year. Cranfield do some short Masters courses which do very well for placing students in racing.

      My post on stepping stones to F1 is probably quite relevant for you, in that you could apply across the wider Motorsport industry and see what response you get. If you can get a foot on the ladder there you would be much better placed to then further your career in F1. Getting some roots down in Europe is probably the key move for you, however you do that, then use that as a starting point for your career. It’s unlikely that an F1 will take an application from India directly buy on this day and age of Skype & the Internet you could get an initial interview from home.

      The other option might be to look at the States, either IndyCar or ALMS or even NASCAR. There are many Europeans over there now and similarly the Europeans value Motorsport experience from the US.

      In the meantime do whatever you can at home to learn about racing. I don’t know where you live and where racing is starting to gain popularity in India (I’m guessing Delhi & Mumbai) but if there are any grass roots firms near you then make some contact and offer your services. One advantage you’ll have at home is that competition shouldn’t be too high and most teams or racing people are probably desperate for help. You never know.

      Sorry I couldn’t offer you a sure fire way to F1 but you are at somewhat of a disadvantage as you know. I’m interested to know what you think of the future of racing in India – do you think it’s growing and how & where is it popular?

      1. Thanks for those words, Sir. I’m from Pune (Automotive Hub of India – All Major car Manufacturers have a plant set up here), located at about 300 kms away from Mumbai. As far as racing in India is concerened, there are people who really want to be a part of motor-sport, but due to lack of options they tend to shift focus elsewhere while graduating. We have a VW Polo Cup happening here which is similar to the VW Scirroco R cup that happens in Germany every year then there are businessmen who own teams and stakes in big racing companies. For example, Sahara Force India, I’m sure every one knows but then again its based in UK and I presume hardly 1 in hundreds even get a chance to be there from India. Then there are owners (MRF) of touring cars competition that happens in AUS, NZ and elsewhere, but they also look for International talents as most of the times the events happen in other continents. Also when it comes to Two-Wheeler competitions its very much the same, many Indians funding them as the viewership rate is high. Its like there is a ray of hope but you need something special to see that light. I regret not going for the VW placements as it was clasing with my graduation exams. But one thing is rest assured that the talent in India is immense, especially looking at the young budding engineers who take part in College level competitions such as BAJA and FSAE.

  99. First, thank you for having this amazing blog!

    I have been working in the shipping biz for a few years but am on the lookout for a motorsports job. I have a degree in Business and I find that most jobs in this field prefer applicants with engineering or designing experience/education. I am sure though that there are staff members like me who do not deal with that side of the biz and would very much appreciate if you can advise me some of the positions I could work in, preferably some that does not require me to sit at the same desk day in and
    day out.
    Thank you for your time!

  100. Hi! My name is Gonçalo and I am 16 years old.

    I love F1 since I was 3 years old, I don’t miss a single race or qualify. My biggest dream is to get a F1 job. I wanted to be a driver, but I understand that it is very difficult to achieve and I don’t have enough money to invest in that career. However, I like Physics and I wanted to connect this area to F1, but I don’t know how. Is there any possibility for me to become a Physic Engineer in a formula 1 team? If the answer is “yes”, what would it be my tasks as a F1 Psysic engineer?

    As a Portuguese citizen, I live in Portugal and I would like to know if I need to travel to another country to have a degree in a foreign university. Here in Portugal, we have a good university where we can achieve engineering degrees, but I don’t know if I have a chance to get a job in F1. The adults always said that I needed to go to a university in London to have a small chance to be found and chosen by the F1 world. Are they right?

    Thanks for your time and consideration 🙂

    1. Hi

      Thanks for the comment(s)

      There isn’t a role for a Physics Engineer in F1 but all Engineers will study physics as part of their degree so if you like Physics as a subject then you will enjoy studying engineering. Engineering is just the everyday application of physics – I use physics every day in my job.

      As far as where to study, it’s hard to say for sure. There are no rules. I can’t say that you MUST study in the UK to get an F1 job. I also can’t say that you wouldn’t get a job in F1 if you studied in Portugal. Everyone is different.

      To get into F1 you must try to maximise your best chances however. F1 is dominated by British people, there is no escaping that. These UK people will recognise a UK university better than a Portuguese one. They know which UK universities are good and which ones are not good. They are unlikely to know which Portuguese ones are good so they will find judging you difficult. Perhaps someone will take the risk but unless you have other great experiences and qualifications that other people do not have, it is very likely that team will interview people from a UK university. It’s not certain but getting a degree in the UK will ‘probably’ put you in a better position.

      Does that make sense? In a fair world, it ought not to be like that but if it were me, I would try to get to a UK university.

      I hope that helps. Best of luck.

  103. Hi my name is Andreas and iv always wanted to be a formula one driver from a young age but due to where i was living there where no go-karts to start of..now im 24 im from cyprus and i finished studying IT software and hardware engineering and i would like to get a job in formula one for the IT department i finished and studied at Cisco is it still possible for me to get a job in F1 for the IT department ?

    1. Hi Andreas

      Yes it is always possible as there is nothing special about IT in F1, it is very similar to other companies.

      If you can show the teams that you are willing to work hard and know something about racing then you have a chance.

  105. First off, this is a great site! What a wealth of information! I stumbled upon this website looking for ways to get involved with F1.

    I’m 25 years old and a graduate of a top US University. I’ve recently become extremely interested in F1 and specifically working at the “corporate” level. Having watched the sport on television and seeing races in Monaco and Austin, I realize the amazing potential of this sport in the USA. What are the ways in which I could get involved in the corporate side of the sport. Not specifically working for a team but in a role to further the sport in the USA? An “ambassador” of sorts who could work to develop relationships with companies and sponsors in the USA. Not sure if you have any advice on how to go about getting in the door here, but thought I’d ask!

    Thanks!

    Ricky

    1. Hi Ricky

      Thanks for the question, and the great compliments about my site. I appreciate it.

      You are right, I think we are on the brink of a real expansion of F1 in America, especially if the race in NJ comes off next year. Austin seemed like a big hit and with IndyCar/IRL not being a great success of late I think there is a big hole in the market that F1 can fill.

      Tough one on the ambassador role. I think there is potential here too but I’ll say straightaway that its not my area really. The track owners & promoters are obvious starting points and some of the firms that work around them in terms of corporate events and hosting at the race itself. I would imagine that more American sponsors or companies will want to be involved if the increase in popularity does transpire but this will be fuelled by the teams going after those companies directly. I am sure this is already happening.

      General sports marketing companies in the US may also have contracts around the race(s) so maybe some research there. I’m really not an expert so even though I’d love to help you, I cant say much more than that.

      Good luck with it all, I think you are on to something there, it would be great for everyone if F1 became truly popular in the US.

  106. sir i am a graduate in india and even done aircraft maintenance engineering and is familiar with aircrafts like cessna, beechcraft.Its my dream from my childhood to be in F1.please advice me how to get into this sports. thanx

  108. HI, I’m 14 years old and I really want to be a F1 Race engineer or mechanical engineer, I was wondering how I should learn about these types of engines etc. I’m trying to persuade my parents to let me rebuild a mini moto or go kart, do you think this would be a good idea ?

    Regards, James

    1. Hi James

      Thanks for the question

      I think any learning like you suggest is great way to understand machines like engines etc. I learnt by rebuilding kart engines of my own and at a local club and it really helped me. I think it looks good on your CV too.

      Try hard to persuade your parents as it shouldn’t cost too much if you buy something old and well used or broken.

      Good luck

  109. Hi I am looking at getting in to F/Ford or F/Renault doing some volunteer work and am aspiring to become an F1 mechanic. I was just woundering do you work all year round even when the season is finished? I’m assuming you do and that you experimnt with improving the car or the next year?

  110. Hi
    I am doing electronics and telecommunication engineering in India. what are the different fields in which I can work in formula one based on my qualification? And how can I apply or get into it??

  111. hi
    im 15 years old and i live in ireland , just wonder what school subjects i would need to be able to get a job as a f1 engineer ? or is they any way to get in contact with an engineer from a f1 team ?

      2. Hi, I am a total lover of Formula one, I am going to college in September to study languages and media, in formula one is there a lot of jobs in translating and or media if so how would I go about getting a job in this field with a f1 team? thanks

  112. hey i am tanay, i m from india i have interest in f1 IN both ways engineering and as a driver .I have started in f4s in india .If i wanna shift in europe can u tell me where i can study this type of engineering and i can practice my training 2 get into motor racing there ?

  113. sir,
    i am a science graduate from India as well as i am passed aircraft maintenance engineering with 3 papers in piston engine by Director general of civil aviation(governing body of Indian civil aviation like FAA in US) i have experience of working on aircraft’s manufactured by Cessna and beech-craft . Its my dream from to work in motor sports specially F1.please advice me how can i enroll my self to motor sports.

  114. Great blog and some very useful advise!

    I am currently serving in the British Army in The Royal Corps of Signals as a Communication Systems Operator and have a vast knowledge and understanding in Satcomm, HF, VHF, UHF, WAN, LAN. I can and have set up and maintained communication systems in all environments and situations over the world. I am after some advice in the F1 world if there are jobs available in commincations, be that with an F1 team themselves or working for the FIA.

    Thank you for the hard work you have put into this blog.

    Regards,

    Taff

  116. Hi, I am 14 years old and I have a dream for racing in f1. I am in 9th grade and please give me some advice of how to be a racer. I have chosen pre-engineering for my future. Well apart from this please give some advice of how to get into f1.

    1. Hi

      You will need to race in karting or something similar. I’m sorry but this site isnt about becoming a racing driver so I am probably not the best person to ask.

  117. so what would you do in my position also I know lots of information about the drivers cars ect

  118. Hello,
    I will complete my bachelors in Chemical Engg. Next year and wanted to ask what are the job opportunities for chemical engineers in F1? Are there any specific courses I could do after my degree?

  119. Hi! My name is Gonçalo and I am 16 years old.

    I love F1 since I was 3 years old, I don’t miss a single race or qualify. My biggest dream is to get a F1 job. I wanted to be a driver, but I understand that it is very difficult to achieve and I don’t have enough money to invest in that career. However, I like Physics and I wanted to connect this area to F1, but I don’t know how. Is there any possibility for me to become a Physic Engineer in a formula 1 team? If the answer is “yes”, what would it be my tasks as a F1 Physic engineer?

    As a Portuguese citizen, I live in Portugal and I would like to know if I need to travel to another country to have a degree in a foreign university. Here in Portugal, we have a good university where we can achieve engineering degrees, but I don’t know if I have a chance to get a job in F1. The adults always said that I needed to go to a university in London to have a small chance to be found and chosen by the F1 world. Are they right?

    Thanks for your time and consideration 🙂

  120. Hello,

    I am an brazilian Mechanical Engineer accepted in Oxford Brookes (Motorsports Engineering MSc and Automotive Engineering MSc) and University of Leeds (Automotive Engineering MSc). I was wondering which course should I take to increase my chances to join F1 or another motorsport/automotive company. Honestly, I liked the modules from the courses from Brookes better, but I think Leeds is more reconigzed, right?

    Also, even between the courses from Brookes is hard to decide. I liked all modules from Motorsport Eng. MSc, but they don’t have a topic related to Powertrain, which I think is import to learn (they have in Automotive Eng. MSc though).

    Anyway, I was holping you could help me with my decision.

    Best regards!

  121. Hi, i am a Singaporean majoring mechanical engineering in Nanyang Technological Univerisity and since young i am a huge fan of f1. How am i going to enter the F1 environment? i need some one like you to help me.

    Thanks!!

  122. Hi guys my dream is to race for mqlaren F1 team and be ℓιкє lewis hamilton yongest racer in the world I am 14 years old and love mercedes and mqlaren I learnt how to drive when I was 11 my name is Mohammed patel I live in SA if your’ll accpt me in mqlaren or any other formula 1 club I am ready to leave SA I am a good driver and a racer thanks mohammed.talha51@yahoo.com just try me SEE me driving I promise you. I will impress you just give it a TRY

  123. Hi i am currently going through my apprenticeship in engineering working for one of the uks leading injection mold tool makers i am highly interested in becoming an engineer in F1 how can i go about achieving my goal?

  124. Good Morning,
    I have been karting for 7 years competitively and left school in year 10 and currently studying media design. I’m wanting to get into the graphic side of formula one if possible. Could you tell me the best courses to study as I’m based in Australian even though I’m from the UK originally.

    Thanks a lot
    Luke

  125. Good Day to You.

    First of all I want to thank you so much for that Blog. Finally somebody shared such useful information! All my life I was more interested in F1 than the rest of things in the Universe.

    Forgive me if I ask question in the wrong topic (the ‘Degree page’ is closed for comments).
    I’m a 30-year-old. I’ve been thinking a lot and after reading your blog I realized two things:

    a) Apart from I’ve done more that most of people of my type have done at this age I’m still not satisfied what I do in terms of my job (I’m an “IT guy”, well let’s say high level “IT guy” LoL )

    b) I still want to work only in one industry: Motorsport. F1 in particular.

    I think I could be An Aerodynamics Specialist. I have quite good educational background (Russian education) for that: I was good in Physics and Math both in High school and University, in fact both my parents are Math PhD 🙂 Also I’m not sure if it helps but I have quite good dimensional imagination (I always liked Geometry).

    I live in the US and I can’t instantly quit my job without having financial issues. So I can’t go study full-time. What I can do is try to stay on my current job which brings me good money and try to study remotely for an Aerospace Engineer. It is I think the closet degree for being an Aerodynamist is it? Since they don’t have degree “A Formula 1 car maker” 🙂

    You probably would tell that online education won’t make me a wind tunnel specialist. But at least I will have all theory knowledge and an experience with software (CAD if I’m right). And after I got my degree in 2-3 years I will be able to try get some job, if not in a racing area then at least in aerospace engineering which is quite developed in the US.

    Does that kind of plan make any sense? Would it actually matter if I try to “break a barrier” in F1 with US degree (instead of UK education) from let’s say Florida University or Ohio University?

    Thank you you, I appreciate if you have read all this 🙂
    And Thanks a lot for that Blog.

    Regards,
    Marat

  126. I m a student.
    I live in india.
    I want to be an F1 Driver.
    How can i be an F1 driver.
    Please suggest me

    1. Hi

      I cant answer this I am afraid, its too vague a question. Please look at my FAQ’s about being an F1 driver.

  127. Good evening!

    I’ve been following your blog/website for a while now and it gave me quite a bit of usefull information, so thank you so much for that. Nevertheless I still have a question. I’m a 22 year old student from the Netherlands, studying International Hospitality Management at Stenden University with a great interest for Sales & Marketing and Human Resource management (and of course Formula One, haha).

    Well since I’m still studying I am not able to apply for a job in Formula One right now, though in about a year and a half I have a 10 month period in which I will do my internship. So, my question is basically, do Formula One teams accept interns. And if so, could you maybe give a couple of examples of which teams do accept interns. And also, applying for an internship would I have to do this through the conventional routes, just as with a normal job application or does this operate via another route?

    I know these are quite a lot of questions but I couldn’t find the answer anywhere else. And I would really love to combine my two biggest hobbies in the future eventhough you might not know the answers to all of my questions.

    Thank you in advance, and I wish you all the best with your career in Formula One and of course the 2013 season!

    Kind regards,

    Thom

  128. Hi im a cameraman for a shopping channel and am well trained in live tv, I would love to film live at F1 events. Can you point me in the right direction and maybe who to send my C.V too? Many thanks, Adam

  129. Hi workinmotrsport,

    Firs of all I’d like to thank you for posting such useful and interesting information for people who, like me, want to join the formula 1 world.
    I’m a 18 year-old student from Spain, and next year I’ll start the dergree in aerospace engineering.

    I have the chance to study my postgraduate course abroad (in the UK), so I’dl ike to know if you would recommend to do the Msc in motorsport or another master more related to aerospace technology in order to join a team (although it’s not of F1)

    You would make my day if you solved me this question that’s rounding my head since I decided to join the degree.
    PD: I’m going to try and do everything said in your blog to gain experience, from working as a volunteer in the city circuit to get in contact with some local racing teams 🙂
    Again, thank you so much for this posts

  130. After the German GP safety is obviously going to be an issue. I am an in the Occupational Health and Safety industry and was wondering what careers may exist either in F1 or within F1 teams?

    Cheers

    1. Hi Martin

      We have just 1 health & safety officer on site, normally looking at aspects of machinery safety & very normal “non F1” type issues at the factory.

      We do do some H&D Assesment of handling fuels, batteries etc at the track but other than that we just accept that motor racing is dangerous and use our initiative. I’m sure there are openings at teams but there might not be many. A background in sporting event H&S might help but its difficult to say.

  131. hi i have recently been considering on getting a job in f1 but the only problem is that i can lose my temper quite easily and dont have that much patience so being a mechanic or anything like that is definitly a no but iam quite good at working out maths and i love working out logical things like for example what should happen but doesnt always work out the way that it should because of the setbacks that can happen so in other words if a car isnt working as expected because an upgrade hasnt work or just hasnt given you the amout of performace that it should have then you try to work it out by trying diffrent things and coming up with ideas ect

  132. Thank you for making this site and sharing this information. You really make it sound somewhat easy to follow my dream as a race engineer. Do you have an idea of what type of salaries they make? Thanks again.

    Jason

  133. I really want to find a way in to becoming an F1 Truckie!! But not through an agency, more than 10yrs experience in haulage including European in all types of haulage, how can I achieve my dream???
    Regards Roly

  134. Hi…this is a great website and I’m getting a lot of info! I’m a big fan of F1 and I’ve been watching almost all the races for past 10 years and a regular writer in a F1 Magazine.
    And I want to know something. I’m currently doing my Mechanical Engineering in India and I’m planning to do Aerospace Eng. in Germany. I want to get a job in a team as an Engineer. I know I must work in other feeder series before making into F1 and I know it takes time. But I just want to know if Aerospace Eng will be useful.
    (Remember I’m in my II year of Mech. Eng.)

    1. Hi

      Yes Aero is a good degree but it doenst really matter whether it is Aero or Mechanical. Aero is particularly useful if you wish to specialise as an aeronautical engineer.

  136. Hi.I am from india and i’m currently a 4th year automobile engg student with aspirations to get into f1.I’m anxious to enter into autosport world.Would you please guide me by throwing some light on future to-do list incumbent for me.

  137. What are good Universities to attain knowledge about physics and attention from F1 teams???

    1. Hi

      I hope to finish a large post I anm writing about university choice and F1 soon. Please follow my blog and hopefully you can read my opinions on the subject then

  139. Hello my name is Charlie, I’m 24 and did my formal 2 year bumper to bumper training for Ford and got my associates degree and have spent some time as a tech now. So I was wondering if there were any good schools (for example like UTI has their NASCAR course) or classes to take that are geared towards open wheeled cars? I haven’t fully explored your site yet, but I am in the process tho any feedback would be helpful.

    1. Hi Charlie

      I’m not sure about in the US but here in the UK there are lots of specific motorsports courses, most notable are at Cranfield & Oxford Brookes.

      It all depends on exactly what it is that you want to do.

      Lastly sorry for the delay in replying, I’ve been massively busy !

      Best of luck

  140. hi ,
    i am from east london andthere are no karting circuits anywhere. I am in year 9 but mechanical engineering is my ambition. What would you do to get involved.

  142. Hi im a female mechanic im 25 and have
    Been in the trade for 9 years I love it and all the banter. I am fully qualified to nvq 3 I also have my ata service and diagnostic tech certs. I have lots and lots of certificates from all of the courses I have been on. I have worked on everything from bikes to fiesta to Ferrari’s and lambourghinis. Arctic trucks to all makes of vans and trailer’s.
    To become an f1 mechanic would be a dream and I would love to be able to make that happen. I would appreciate any advice you could give me to be able to achieve this. Thanks Danielle

    1. Hi Danielle

      Thanks for the comment.

      First of all I think being a girl is an advantage in getting your foot in the door. It perhaps shouldn’t be but it’s a unique selling point as you’ll stand out amongst other CV’s.

      It sounds like you are pretty experienced and could easily pickup the mechanics of building a racing car. The thing you probably need to do is be able to demonstrate the right attitude for racing. Racing isn’t 9 to 5. It’s hard work and teams need people they can rely on.

      Have a read of this of you haven’t already :

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/02/21/what-is-the-formula-1-mindset/

      What I would do is do some research and see if there are any small teams or individual club racers in your area. I would just call everyone you can find and offer your services at weekends or in evenings to help them run / prepare their car. If they don’t want your help ask if you can go along to a race meeting to take a look and ask them a bit more about it. You can take a look at other cars and talk to other people, start to network a bit and make friends. This could be in anything, saloon car racing, karting, rallying, rallycross, whatever.

      If you can demonstrate some initiative and drive to get involved it’ll look great to potential employers. The experience you could gain would look great on your CV and make you stand out further.

      Make sense?

      I hope that helps a bit. Give it a go as you seem more able & qualified than many people I hear from.

      Good luck.

  143. Hi my name’s Jordy, I’m 16 years old and I am looking at a career in Public Relations with one of the many Formula 1 teams. Do you know what the required school subjects are for this role?

    Thanks!

  144. Hi, i am pursuing a Bachelors degree in Mechanical engineering (with Automotive subjects) . It will be completed by next year. I would be doing a course to learn Catia, Pro Engineer,Ansys and Unigraphics soon.Though I know how to use them but not very good at that .

    Currently my college is participating in a Formula Student compitition and I am working in the Design and Aerodynamics team for it .

    I am really good at sketching cars and like the Adrian Newey approach towards designing . How should i plan my career here on if I am to land up as a designer in Formula 1..??

  146. here is my ?, do you think F1 will ever be hosted by an African country and if so which country would be the best candidate to host this amazing sport, as a way of promoting the engineering feats to potential African engineers…

    1. There have been African GP’s already. Kyalami in South Africa hosted a GP for several years, most recently in 1993. There have been races in Libya & Morroco too but these were much longer ago.

      F1 will go wherever there is a large paying audience and good enough circuit facilities. A return to South Africa is the most likely.

      1. i live in london an urban area so waht would you do to try to get to f1. ps i am only in year 9

        1. Hi Thareq

          There must be lots of kart circuits / clubs in London. Can your parents take you there? I grew up in an urban area miles from any race circuits but I started karting age 12.

          Do some research into small racing teams or individual drivers and see if you can go along and take a look. They might take you more seriously of you have some karting experience.

    2. F1 has been to several African countries already, South Africa, Morrocco & Libya. ZA was as recent as 1993 and is the most likely place it would return I think. I’ve heard rumours from time to time about a return but it doesn’t seem likely to happen in the next few years anyway.

  147. Hi,
    I’m Amrit and im 13. I hope to be an f1 designer one day, hopefully as good as Adrian Newey! I’ve researched things that you need to study-maths,physics etc… for GCSE and A level then aeronautical engineering at university. My question is how do you get into an f1 designing job, how do you get a job for teams or even GP2 teams to start off with?

    Thanks

  148. Hi,
    I’m Amrit and im 13. I hope to be an f1 designer one day, hopefully as good as Adrian Newey! I’ve researched things that you need to study-maths,physics etc… for GCSE and A level then aeronautical engineering at university. My question is how do you get into an f1 designing job, how do you get a job for teams or even GP2 teams to start off with?

    Thanks

  149. hey i was just wondering how i would be apple to join F-1 since i was 16 everyone that has gotten in with me in my car said you are a wonderful driver only if you are able to join formal 1 you would be the best i was wondering what it takes and how i would begging with doing that thanks

    1. Hi Ali

      You’d need to start racing at a low level, karting or Formula Ford and start to build up experience & reputation. You wouldn’t start playing football straight at Manchester Utd without having built up experience at youth clubs and lower divisions.

      Racing is also very different from road driving and most racers are very talented. It’s a tough world.

  150. Hi I am 14 and From Australia. I want to know if it is too late for me to start karting to get to Formula 1. I have set numerous lap times at different hire kart places in my state. My dream is to become a F1 Driver.

    1. Hi Emma

      I can’t really give you anything specific as I don’t know your circumstances,

      Have a good read around the posts on my site and get back to me if you have specific questions

      Best of luck and thanks for the comment

  152. Its nice to read about your F1 job site, I appreciate there is plenty of posting about engineer jobs. Do you mind share info on other jobs aspect? I particularly wish to get more knowledge on the IT side in F1 jobs, any links can you recommend? Thanks =)

  153. Hi i am 21 years old…i completed my BE Automobile Engineering…i want to enter into the formula one engineering team…How can i get into formula 1 team….

  154. I am 14 years old and I would like to get into the design engineer aspect of formula 1. I would forst like to know if there is any way I can get work experience and what subjects I shoild focus on. Then I would like to know how to get into the job.

  156. Hello,
    I’m looking to move in to Formula 1, mainly in to the logistics side of things e.g. working in stores, ensuring everything is in place for races, and would ultimately like to end up travelling with a team, managing the set up side of things.
    I am currently working in the zoo industry, but what i do involves travelling the country, on my own, with a team of animals, going round to various shows, and doing displays for the public. A huge part of this involves the same method of thinking required for formula 1, e.g. having all the correct gear and equipment, that it is maintained, general organisation and forethought.
    A massive part of my job involves getting to the right places at the right time, having everything you need, making sure it is set up as best as possible.
    I am 20, with a lot of real world experience of travelling, how to conduct myself, how to adapt to situations and use my initiative. I am also very driven, enthusiastic and hard working. I have good GCSE and A-level results as well.
    My question is, with my background being from something very different, even though the principles and methods of working could transfer across easily, will i get a look in?
    Will i even get considered?
    Is there anything i could do to encourage them to look at me?
    I believe if i was given a chance i could do the job incredibly well, just need someone to give me that chance!

    any advice will be HUGELY appreciated!

    Many Thanks

  157. Hi, my ambition is to become an F1 or moto gp mechanic. I am currently debating weather or not to go to university to study Motorsport mechanics. The course would be for 5 years if I was to peruse the honours degree after the foundation. Do you think this would be worth the time or would it be better trying to get involved in a part time job with F/ford or something? If so any thoughts on how to put my name out there? Any advice is appreciated.

    Thanks Nic

  158. Hello, I have knowledge and experience in coordinating big events. Hard worker, quick learner and very loyal fan. Hope to get touch with you guys. Cheers!

  159. Sir at present i am studying mechanical engineering and after 2-3 years i am willing to do post graduation in automobile engineering.Since i was very passionate about cars i want to be f1 racer in my childhood and won 2 local karting championships too,but in later years i went on with my studies.So at present in being very passionate towards cars i am studying mechanical engineering.As i said after doing my post graduation from automobile engineering from France or some other country can i expect a job from f1 to become race engineer or the pit crew member.And how to apply for the job.Please give me the info in detail.

    1. Hi

      You can’t apply to be an F1 driver, you need years of competitive racing experience behind you as this is the pinnacle of racing. There are thousands of drivers who want to be in F1 but there are only 22 cars.

      Best of luck

  161. Hello, workinmotorsport.

    First of all, congratulations for this blog. It’s really interesting and contains plenty of useful information. After this, I would like to ask you some questions.

    I’m from Spain and ,like many people in this blog, get a job in F1 or motorsport industry is my goal. I studied Industrial Engineering specialized in Mechanical Engineering(5 years degree plus project)in Spain. Besides, I was accepted for the Msc Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes University for the next course. After this small introduction, I have the following question:

    1-I really like the Mechanical Engineering field , but also I find attractive aerodynamic. During my degree I had some subjects related with fluid and a bit of aerodynamic but ,obviously , my knowledge is lower than an aeronautical engineering could have. So, I was wondering if it’s possible for a mechanical engineer to work in the aerodynamic field. I will study aerodynamic in the Oxford’s course but I don’t know if it’s enough.

    2-In which areas can work a mechanical engineer? Either F1 or motorsport.

    3-how many engineers work in a F1 team?(team race, factory….)

    Thank you for your time and for this great blog.

    Regards,

    1. Hi

      Thanks for the compliments about the site – its good to know that people actually read it and find it useful

      Msc course at Brookes is good – that will help you enormously as lots of people get to F1 from there.

      To answer your questions.

      Yes its possible to get into aero from a course like brookes but it will be a little more difficult than if you had done a pure aero course. Compared to just getting into F1 however, it would be relativley easy to move across into a aero role once you have your first job. The earlier the beter though

      Mech Eng is probably the most flexible degree for F1 engineers, as well as aero you could do any kind of car deisgn work, research & development, vehicel dynamics and race engineering. It could be race or factory, it just depends on the openings and opportunities that you get in the early years of your career.

      It depends on the team how many engineers there are but broadley speaking it would be anywhere from 50 to 150 perhaps even 200 if you include all engineer disciplines.

      Hope that helps and thanks again

  162. Hi, i m dhiraj & i m 18 years old . My hobby is driving cars in races hence i like to be creat a career in f1 racing driver

  164. I’m a study at false bay campus in doing motor mechanics in level 2 i know what is a engine how does it work it

  165. Hi.
    Im 15 years old, from Malaysia.My dream is to be a Formula one driver! I can drive auto but not clucth car like F1! Please help me to become one!
    thank you!

  166. Hey, love F1 and know heaps about all the tech side of the sport and love it. I really wont to work as an engineer for any team and am doing everything I can at a young age, 14, to get as much experience in engineering as possible like my available subjects at school.

    BUT I live in Australia were motor sports aren’t popular like in other countries and introduced myself to the sport. I am however British as well and would like to know weather living in Europe would be the best place to start my career after university

    Cheers heaps

    1. Hi Josh

      Lots of F1 engineers come from Australia. Sam Michael is probably the most famous of those. It shouldnt be a problem.

      If you want to work in F1 though you do need to come to Europe as ALL of the teams are based here.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/02/13/where-you-need-to-be-to-work-in-f1/

      My advice if you are serious about this would be to come and study your degree in the UK and take advantage of the many courses who have work placement schemes with F1 and motorsport companies here.

      Good luck.

  167. Hi, I am a 17 year old female and I am /very/ into racing, formula one and rally in particular. Do you think I would have trouble in the future when I am looking for a job in this field since I am female? I know it is almost impossible for me, as a female, to actually race. So, Ive settled for engineering.

    1. Hi Hyatt

      There are more and more women working in F1, especially in design and engineering :

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/03/01/more-and-more-women-are-working-in-f1/

      There are even several women working as mechanics now, I know of at least one at the Lotus team.

      Being a girl is good and bad, yes you might come up against some bad attitudes or even downright sexism but also you will stand out and this will at least mean that they will read your CV and pick yours out of the pile. It wont be a problem for you, I would guess it’ll actually be an advantage on balance.

      Good luck with it.

  168. Hello,
    Firstly, thank you for the website and all the useful info!

    Basically, I’m looking at moving in to Motorsport. I want to be in the logistics side of things, eg truckie, garage set-up, and travel with a team. I am only 21, got good GCSE ad A-level grades, and have been in full time employment ever since.

    My only problem is, my current job is in a very different industry. I currently work in zoo (of sorts) travelling the country with a display team of animals performing in arenas for large crowds at various events. I am solely responsible for my animals, van, and all equipment, and have to organise everything myself. Now this experience gives me great grounding for what I want to do, as the principles are the same, being very organised, efficient, able to adapt and think on your feet etc. And I believe my real world abilities, like communication and being able to build relationships are better than most, and could rival people much older than me.

    I have applied for several jobs, but am getting nowhere. I keep persevering, hoping I get noticed, and am looking at other routes, smaller race teams, various suppliers, but to no avail. I believe I could excel in formula 1 and work my way up to a senior level, but I need to get noticed first!

    My questions are; is there anything I can do to help get noticed?
    Are formula 1 teams (or any form of team or supplier) going to look at someone who’s is coming from a different background?

    Many Thanks
    Joe

    1. Hi Joe

      Its not impossible to get a job in F1 coming from a different background sevral people have that I know of BUT… F1 teams dont have the time or resource to take a gamble on people who have no relevant experience or qualifications. I think going directly into F1 is too much to ask for someone with your background.

      I would forget F1 for the time being. Consider going back to college to study a trade or technical subject or look at volunteering on your weekends (assuming you work Mon-Fri now ?) for an amateur racer or something similar. Contact the RACMSA or whatever local circuit you live near and ask around for someone who might want some help. It’ll be slow going for a bit but once you have something relevant on your CV then bigger teams or F1 might take notice.

      Take a read of this as its pretty relevant.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Hope that helps and stick at it if you really want this.

  169. Sir,madam,
    i am manish kr singh,i have done the hotel mangemant from kolkata,if is there any vaccancy,so please cll me,my no is 8002207773.

  170. Hi there, my name is Shane and i was a British soldier working in Logistics. I would love to become apart of a F1 team working with or driving the trucks that take all the equipment to and from races. is there any advice you could give me with regards to this. i have all my HGV LGV licences and my ADR certificate also. Thanks a lot. Shane (Red Bull fan)

  171. Hello I’m 14 years old, towards the future I hope to achieve a role of a chief designer or a technical director for a F1 team. I am going to visit the chief designer of The Lotus F1 team in Enstone, I am a massive fan of F1 since I was 6; I have also read books about aerodynamics and aerospace engineering etc… My question is can I become a junior technical director for a team, or do i need a job before that to succeed to a technical director or chief designer. Also what are the qualifications for it and the average wage please. As a conclusion I just need a full indication of what job I start as a junior. Thank you very much!

  172. Hi im dan Ive drove lorries and heavy haulage for all my life and my dream iis to be a driver on the f1 team.im 33 and just want to be apart of a team .im great fun and love to learn.im a hard worker and love f1.please email me if you have a vacancy thanks

    1. Hi Danny

      I dont represent any one team and I am not looking to recruit people. I am only here to advise so you need to keep an eye out for vacancies yourself, I am sorry.

      Best of luck all the same.

  173. HI, I am Nilesh 19 years old. i have a deep interest in F1 as a career, i am doing automobile engineering and thinking of doing motorsports engineering as my master. will it help me to live my dreams. and if not what are the ways to get into this. my qualities – i am a very quick learner and only wants to work with superfast cars around me. As for now if i get a tiny bit of work also, i dont want to sit at home.

    1. Hi Nilesh

      Firstly sorry for the delay, I have many many comments to answer(today more than 100) and a very busy job to deal with but hopefully it’s ok.

      Your choice of course(s) sounds good and very typical of those people who work in F1. As I have said elsewhere however you need to try to add to that as much as possible by some practical experience or some way to make your CV stand out.

      Can you help someone build/rebuild an old car, can you rebuild old bikes, do something practical that shows you have imitative? Ideally you would do this in a racing / Motorsport environment but I understand this is not easy depending on where you live. If there is any form of raving where you are just go along and find out about it, get involved. It doesn’t need to be high level at all, in fact most people look far to far up. Some of the best experience can be gained just helping out someone in very basic competition and this looks good on your CV

      It’s difficult to comment without more knowledge of your situation but I plan to describe my early days and what I did to build up my experience prior to working in F1

      Hope that helps and thanks again for taking the time to read my site.

      1. Hello Sir!

        firstly, Thank you so much for you concern and support to my query.
        secondly, i am so sorry to post a comment for my late reply, i was too worried, after all its about my career talk.
        and about the fact that i need to do practical work for my CV, i have did a bit about that earlier.
        I have rebuilt a yamaha RX-135 5 speed and a mini dirt bike. I have also taken parts in some racing events for suzuki. Now I am planning to make a quad bike.
        I would love to read about your early rising experiences and would be delighted if you help me out through this.

        Yours faithful

  174. Hello!
    Thank you very much! It is amazing how you use your free time to help the dreamers and future engineers and workers of Formula 1. I favorited your blog and check your twitter periodically.
    I will introduce myself: I am a 19 year old Mechanical Engineering student, currently in the third career year (out of five) and, as you can guess, the main goal of my life is to work in Formula 1. But there is a tiny problem: I am a Colombian studying in a Colombian university. Colombia doesn’t have a big motorsport tradition: besides Juan Pablo Montoya, Roberto José Guerrero and Yonny Hernández in Moto GP, we haven’t had any driver in the very top of motorsport. It is my understanding that the same thing happens with engineers.
    Although some part of me believes in the achievement of my dream, the other is more realistic: Would engineering recruiters prefer me over European engineers?
    I’m really working hard for a positive answer on that question: I’m doing several extracurricular activities in my university, such as working with the Automatic & Design research group and the New Materials research group, for example, and I’m also getting really good grades. I’ve read your “Work Placemements” post, and I really want to ask you: If I had the skills, it is possible for me to break the international barriers and get a placement? Would an exchange semester in the UK or Germany help? Or should I first get a graduate degree in Europe such as a MSc or a PhD? Can I get a student placement while studying a graduate degree?

    Again, thank you very much for your posts, and thanks for reading my comment.

    Sam

    1. Hi Sam

      Sorry for the delay in replyng, I have over 100 questions waiting for answers and not much spare time !

      Firstly being non EU is definately a disadvantage. There is no doubt. However, we dont get many applications from Columbia so if you could demonstrate a good background, experience and enthusiasm then your application would definately stand out. We can interview easily over Skype and such like now so it is not really a big problem.

      Would we prefer you over Europeans ? No, I doubt it but also we just want the best people in the job so we would not prefer Europeans over you either.

      For placements, I think overseas is again more difficult as it can be a lot of paperwork and visas dont extend to temporary work. An exchange semester is definaelt a good idea, if you can study wholly in Europe it would be even better. You would in effect be European then and on a equal footing with others. If you come from Columbia but have made that effort to come over here to Europe you would look even better to F1 teams.

      Best of luck with it all

  175. Hi my name is mickhail josh I am 17years old I live in south africa I go to a trade school I’m studying Motor mechanics please could any of url tell me how can I get a job to become a F1 driver I will love to work for bmw or Mercedes as a F1 driver

    1. Hi Mickhail

      No one can tell you how to be an F1 driver. Thousands of other want to be in that same position and its highly competitive. You need to start at a lower level and see if you are competitive in the lower ranks before you could ever consider F1. The guys who race in F1 are incredibly talented and most have years of experience of competition driving behind them.

      For the record, BMW are no longer in F1 but Mercedes have their own team.

  176. Hi,

    This is exactly what i was searching for.many thanks for the site and the person who is answering all these questions.
    Well, i am 23 years old and currently working for a motor sport team in india after completing mechanical engineering. With over one and half years of experience in the fields of data logging,vendor development,project management,pit coordination etc, i want to be part of race management rather than technical aspects of motor racing.

    I request for your suggestions on management schools or courses offered(class room courses rather than online )

    1. Hi Cris

      I know that Cranfield University and Oxford Brookes do those types of courses (or their courses have elements of those within them). It sounds like you are doing well so far so that is great. As you probably know though, experience is the best source of qualifications in motor racing so I think I would concentrate on furthering your career at your current team and gradually working your way up.

      Can I just ask who it is that you work for and how you got to that stage. I get a lot of enquiries from India but unfortunately I am not very familiar with the racing scene there.

      Thanks and best of luck

  178. Hi,

    I have followed F1 for 10+ years with a passion. On a professional level I have worked as a graphic designer and marketeer for 15+ years.

    I would ideally love to make the transition and combine both of these interests into one. ie working for one of the teams in their marketing departments giving me a sense of fulfilment and enjoyment from my career. Do you have any tips or pointers for me from this point of view please?

    Kind regards,
    Matt

    1. Hi Matt

      I would advise you to make some contact with a lower formula drivers about helping with some of their promotional material and/or web design.

      Many of these guys are desperate to present a professional image to potential backers or teams but struggle for money and so would welcome the help.

      You might have to do some/most of this in your own time and not be paid but you might get invitations to race meetings, entry into the paddock where you can begin to network a bit more and learn the way the business works. There is no substitute for just getting involved and talking to others.

      With some background of this type on you portfolio then you would be much better placed to approach professional agencies or F1 teams for paid employment.

      Hope that makes some sense? You can find driver contact details via the series organisers or probably just via the web.

      1. Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it. I will definitely look into your suggestions. Thanks again, Matt

  179. Hi,
    I`m trying to get a work experience placement at a local motorsport team. Any ideas how I can persuade them to take me ?

    Thanks James

  180. HI, I am in my mid 20s now, and I’ve been in finance and banking world for 8 years now. My goal is to try to get into F1, to work for one of the teams in finance dept…
    Any recommendation what should I focus on and where to look up those things?? I am a big fan of F1 since I was a little kid. Any recommendation?

    1. Hi Brian

      Finance departments are generally quite small in F1 teams, I would say 5-10 people at most. There wont be much info on the internet I wouldnt think as there is nothing particularly ‘F1’ specialised about that work I would say. Most of the finance is either straight accounting or more marketing related and sponsorship / revenue generation but that sounds a bit different to what you currently do.

      I would keep an eye on the team’s websites (it might be a long wait) or your finance specialist publications for any related openings.

  181. Hi,
    Im a Mechanical Engineering student currently doing my 2nd year in India.
    Is it possible for an Indian / Sri Lankan citizen to get into formula 1 as an engineer?
    I chose Mechanical engineering because of Formula 1 and i am willing to do anything to get there. pls reply

  182. Hi my name is simphiwe I’m south africa nd I would like to know that what subjects should I do in oder for me to become an F1 driver

  183. Hi I desperatly am in search of a coach who understands me as Driver and novices my talent for maybe Formula-1.
    I am very good in kartracing in my owl I have beaten Robert Doornbos ex-Formula-1 Driver from the Netherlands.
    I also have meet Graeme Glew coach also know a lot of people in Formula-1 he also supported several drivers.
    But no I need sponsors people who believe in me and wants to invest in me.
    I do racerowing at the moment and Aviation aeronautics and can become an fly engineer but I am scared it’s to late for my Carreer as Driver I already am 27 years old and want to know if There is still a future for me. Also I have mij race license for racepaard and racemotors. Please help me if I can’t be the Driver then engineer for F-1

    Thanks in advance!!

    Sebastian

    1. Hi Seb

      I think you need to decide quite soon whether you want to be a driver or an engineer. Its a trend now that the drivers start in F1 younger and younger, normally around 20yrs old. That is normally after many years or karting and car racing behind them. I think at 27 years old if you dont have an established career already then the odds would be against you.

      Everyone needs sponsors but you need a promising set of results behind you already or you need to know someone in the business. Its difficult.

  184. hi sorry,i know this isnt the place for this bt ever since i was eight i wanted to be an f1 racer but that dream hasnt come true till now im 15 years old n i would do just about anything to be a racer i know im a good driver though i dnt know im the best bt all i need is one chance at this and im sure ill make history plz atleast gve me a contact or an email of who culd help me and i have been gocarting alot i even drive real cars huge ones.thanks for ur time if u by any chance you will consider to send it to me my email is slemanabdallah@gmail.com no spaces!

    1. Hi Sam

      Being an F1 driver is extremely tough. You need to work very hard at it and build up a reputation. You can’t go straight to F1.

      As I have said to others, I plan to write more on being learning to race drive soon so I’ll keep your details and let you know when that advice is available

      Good luck and thanks for the comment

  185. Hi im a 16 year old trying to become a good f1engineer its been my dream to become one and also race in the f1 since i was 3 years old .

  186. Hi i’m 12 and i was thinking to be a f1 driver.plz suggest me some steps,how should i start for it and sorry if there’s any spelling mistake
    plz reply or send it on my id

  188. Hello,
    I would like to work in automotive/motorsport industry at the end of my degree. I’m currently studying Information technology and I studied Computer Science in the past. However, I have few mechnical knowledge. I would like to know which IT jobs can be found in automotive or motorsport industry? Based on some research I did, it seems these are especially rare…, so what should I do to improve chances to get a job in this sector? (which types of working experiences could be useful, knowledge, soft skills, languages skills)

    Thank you

    P.S. I’m in Canada, but I’m willing to relocate to United States or Europe if there are great opportunities.

    1. Hi Mike

      It depends on exactly what you want to do with your IT skills I suppose. If you wanted to do general IT support work or infastructure development then I dont think that F1 is any different to any other industry, but perhaps the work would not be that F1 orientated either.#

      If you wanted to use your skills to contribute to the car’s technical development then things are a bit different. Software, both within the car’s hardware and bespoke utilities for the factory are a big part of F1 these days. We develop all of our own strategy and race monitoring software as well as analysis tools for vehicle dyanmics and modelling. Full vehicle Driver in the Loop (DIL) simulators are on the shopping lists of every team and are being used more and more in vehicle development and race support. This is where most of our software guys are utilised.

      At this time I saw that a small company called Wirth Research are looking for software engineers. Wirth were initially responsible for the design of the Marussia F1 car when they first entered F1 but that relationship has ended. They are not involved in ALMS sportscars and various other projects but I thought this might give you something of an idea.

      Software Engineers

      Wirth Research is a group of innovative engineering companies specialising in research, development, design and manufacture for the motor racing industry and other sectors including commercial vehicles and architecture.

      Due to business expansion we are looking for talented individuals to join us in the following role:

      We are looking to fill two opportunities in our Software Engineering Group. Applications are welcome from software developers (and engineers with a good programming background). Applicants should be educated to graduate level or equivalent, and qualifications should include subjects in a computer science, scientific, mathematical or engineering subject.

      The ability to prove and demonstrate the development of new ideas and tools from idea through to production is an essential requirement for this role. Applicants must be proficient in C++ (ie. use on a daily basis) and have exposure to a variety of programming concepts. Experience in numerical simulation of mathematical models would be advantageous. Must be comfortable working on Windows. Experience with Linux would be a bonus.

      How to apply for the above role:

      For more information about the above roles and how to apply please visit our website http://www.wirthresearch.com/careers

  189. Hi m adil from india and i want start my career as a F1 driver but i dont knw how to registerd in it can anybody tell me what should i do for applyment

    1. Hi Adil

      You cant register to be an F1 driver just yet. You need an FIA Superlicence to drive in F1 which is only granted to those people who have long and proven backgrounds as competition drivers.

      Non F1 licences in your country are handled by the Motorsports Association of India (MAI) so you should contact them for advice initially.

      http://www.mai.co.in/

  190. Hi,
    i was wondering if it was possible if you could help me out. Im a 17 yr old and coming up to finishing my second last year of high school. i have a huge passion for Formula One and have been watching it since i was a very young age. One day i would love to make my dreams come true and hopefully work in Formula One, the thing is i’m not very smart at maths or science. Is there any technical jobs that you know of in Formula One that you don’t need to be really smart in the fields in maths or science? or is there any jobs in the factory or office that you dont need to be required to be smart in those two fields? if it was possible that you could name some jobs in formula one that you dont need to be really smart in the fields of maths or science that would be really great and hopeful.
    Thankyou

  191. Hello,
    I am a 16 year old girl, who has wanted to be in F1 for a very long time and it has been one of my passions for many years now. I do not want to do the technical side of F1 such as engineering, however I would love to get into the geography part of it, as my current AS courses are Media, History, Geography and English. I was just wondering whether there are any jobs within the F1 teams that include uses of weather, as I imagine that is a big contributor towards what tyres to use, and if so what courses I would need to do in Uni/College to help me get into this area of it.

    Thank you for your help

    1. Hi Hayley

      Thanks for the comment. You are right, weather does play a big part in the choices we make over a race weekend so it’s very important to an F1 team.

      Generally though we use either the FOM provided weather reports & data or information from the local meteorological office in that country, as they have the greatest experience in interpreting the data. Most teams would not have their own weatherman on the team as we are limited in the number of personnel we can take to races.

      Your best bet is either FOM or freelancing for one of the teams I would think

      Hope that helps ?!

      1. Hi again,

        Thank you that did help very much on helping me understand how they work the weather system, however just to clarify what does FOM stand for, and also what is freelancing?

        This is really helpful for me so a big thank you

        1. FOM is Formula One Management, its the people who own Formula 1 as a sport and all of the commercial rights and TV images.

          Freelancing is like working for yourself but you do small pieces of work for different companies or individuals. As a freelance weather forecaster you might do a few hours a week for an F1 team but do other work for the rest of the week.

      2. How do you get into freelancing, as it’s not a specific subject area and it’s sounds kind of general, so what skills would I need or what course do I need to complete in university?

  192. Hello! My name is Gabriel Castro, and I am currently a student majoring in Mechanical Engineering at a university in the U.S. and i am looking for some advice. I am currently looking throughout the job market on a site called racestaff.com, and I can not help but notice a lot of the Formula 1 team positions available have top level motor sport working experience as a prereq. I was wondering how I can break into the industry, my final goal being to work as a race engineer in F1. thank you for any advice you have to offer!

    1. Hi Gabriel

      I think this is a common mistake. F1 is the top motor racing series in the world and so it always asks for the best and the most experienced people. Whilst you should look for any openings or opportunities in F1, you should think about your career as a ladder where you start lower down and work your way up. I worked in motorsport for several years (in the US for part of it) before I broke into F1.

      I’ve spoken about this here :
      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      I hope that helps

  194. I am wonder how to work within the f1 world, I would do anything to be working with any f1 team, I’m just wondering how I go about getting my foot in The door thank you

  195. Sir,
    I m abreez khan. I m persuing mba for llods institute of mgmt.I want the job of volunters in the formulae f1. Sir plz give me the solution of my question. The race is held on octuber 2013. Soo i,ll see nd experiance the job plz give me the job.
    Thank u
    Abreez khan
    Mba 1st year
    Mob. No. 8826563178

  196. Hi, I’m mechanical engineer with just 1 and half years of experience. I’m Currently residing in India. I am planning of doing automotive engineering from either US or Germany, what type of universities should i look at so that i have chance of getting into F1 as an engineer?

    1. Hi Abhinav

      For F1 I would look at universities in the UK rather than US or Germany, they have much closer links to the teams and the vast majority of people working in F1 now have their degrees from the UK.

      Look at :

      Imperial College
      Bath Uni
      Loughborough Uni
      Cranfield Uni
      Oxford Brookes
      Newcastle Uni
      Southampton Uni
      Bristol Uni
      Cambridge
      University College London
      Manchester Uni

      amongst others.

      None of the above will be bad universities to go to if you want to work in F1

  197. Hi
    I was wondering which uni I should go to. I want to design front wings for f1 cars but I have no idea what I should be looking for. I live in Britain so I was hoping for a uni in Britain. Plz help

    1. Hi Ross

      The type of course you need to study is aeronautical engineering and lots of different universities will have courses that are suitable.

      Don’t be too specific when you say you want to design front wings. First step should be to gain experience in any kind of race car aerodynamics and then see where your career takes you.

      Best of luck.

  199. hey…..i want to pursue my career in F1 racing……..i love F1 racing…..i love cars…..:)….how can it come….???……plzzzz give some advice plzzz plzzzz……:)

  200. Thank you for this site and all the troubles you go through to give all the information! Can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. The nearest I’d come to the to the notorious question of how to get into F1, was from a Red Bull mechanic – “work hard!”…! He wasn’t wrong I suppose!

    Thanks again!

  201. Hi Mr Workinmotorsport,

    I live in Ireland and In about a year and a half from now, once I finish school, I’m planning to study Mechanical Engineering. The main goal is a Formula One Mechanic of course. The course is three to four years and it will range from Mechanics to Engineering and many other things. Now my question is could I, so called “walk”, into a Formula One team with this degree. The course is supposed to be very well done and when your finished your supposedly nearly “over-qualified”. Is getting the experience really that essential?

    Thank’s and keep up the great work you are doing. Good Luck to the end of the season with the team you work for!

    1. Hi Jordan

      It sounds like you have a clear idea what you want to do which is great.

      One thing about F1 is that it’s never easy. I don’t think you can ever just walk into a job in F1 or other race series. How many people go on this course each year? How many mechanics are there in F1? Does it add up that all of these people can be near guaranteed a job in F1 at the end?

      I’m not sure which course it is that you will be doing (or where) but I would be VERY wary of claims such as that as you’ll potentially be very disappointed.

      Hopefully that will work for you but you can never be over qualified so get all the experience you can. I have nearly 20yrs experience in motorsport and don’t feel over qualified. Don’t underestimate how hard this world is.

      Hope that makes sense

  202. Hi blog editor, I am thinking of moving to England to study, so as to get nearer to f1 teams and european racing team costumes. I live in Argentina and money is a problem. I wanted to know if working as a data acquisition engineer (I have my own data logger and sensors) in different series (so as to have a job as many weekends as possible) would provide enough money to pay tuition fees. I’ve seen a few websites and I quite like Loughborough and Oxford Brookes (they’re about £14000 a year if I’m not wrong). I could get support from my parents to pay rent and/or daily costs. Thank you very much, this means a lot to people looking onto an f1 career.

    1. Hi

      I am afraid I am not sure how much money you can earn with a data logger here. I would think that most professional or semi-professional teams will have their own kit now and so will be self sufficient. For those amateur racers who do not have their own equipment, they will not have much money to pay you I would not think.

      The problem is data aq. kit is quite cheap now so even many karters have bought their own loggers.

      Loughbrough and Oxford Brookes are both good universities and plenty of people who work in F1 have earned their degrees there.

      Good luck with everything.

  203. Hi me again, I am still a bit unsure on what course I should take, should I take, mechanical engineering (aeronautics), mechanical engineering (automotive design) or Motorsport engineering

    1. Hi Ross

      If you want to design wings (ie do aerodynamics) I would take aeronautical engineering. Mechanical engineering would also be ok but it is less specific to what you want to do. I would steer clear of the Motorsport Engineering courses if you want to be an aerodynamicists. They are more suitable for track engineers, vehicle dynamicists and designers in my opinion.

  204. hi I am trying to get into f1 but I don’t quite know what courses I should go on or how to get In to the competitive world of f1 . so could you tell me how you got started in f1 and what course you recommend me taking.

    1. Take a look at these posts George and see if they help :

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/02/25/what-degree-do-i-need-to-get-into-f1/
      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      I don’t recommend specific courses as I think that is unfair. There is not 1 specific university, course or route that everyone follows to get into F1. I am currently writing a post about how you can find the career histories of almost anyone in F1 (including me) which should be published soon. If you add your email to my follow list then you should get that as soon as its available.

  205. Hi I’m 15 years old doing my GCSE’s and I’m currently looking at various collages an what not, but I’m not sure which course to do to be a race technician and I’m lost in what course to take weather It be a Motorsport course or a actuall engineering course can you give me some advise?

    1. Hi Kieran

      If you want to be a race technician (I am guessing by this you mean a mechanic, ie physically putting the car together rather than designing it) I would tend more towards the motorsports courses rather than engineering courses. You would need more practical than theorectical skills to do this job.

      Hope that helps

  207. Hello sir
    I m interested in F1. and i drive a F1 car in F1 international racing & i live in Delhi (India).
    sir give me a suggetion for how i making a f1 driver.
    (Sir give me another question :- Are you Indian?)

    1. Hi Ahay

      Firstly no I’m not Indian I am British.

      If you want to know a little bit about starting a racing career go to my FAQ frequency asked questions page and you should find your answer.

      Good luck

  208. Hi there,

    I’m an Undergraduate Sports Science student looking for some experience within F1. Personally, I love racing… being around that everyday as part of a potential full time job excites me hugely and makes me passionate in chasing a job in F1. I have a few questions about where I would fit in within an F1 team: Is sports science big in F1? I’ve been looking everywhere for the answer and found very limited literature on sports science in F1, could you please help?

    Kind regards,

    Reece

    1. Hi Reece

      I have to be honest and say that I dont come across many people who have sports science qualifications working in F1. I am not very knowledgeable about sports science as a subject I must say but given the very technical nature of most aspects of car design in F1 then a mechcanical or aeronautical engineering degree is normally required.

      What is it that you wanted to do in particular ?

  209. Hi, Jaydeep here….

    i had asked this query before but i dont see any reply….anyway i will ask again

    I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Automotive engineering…. Our college is participating in the Formula SAE event… I am working in the Chassis design and also the Aerodynamics department of the FSAE team….i can use softwares like Catia V5 , Pro- E , Solid Works, and Ansys….I am really good at sketching cars….

    I would like to become a designer in F1…so how should i plan my career here on..?

    1. Hi Jaydeep

      Working on FSAE is very good for your CV by the way. How much experience do you have with using Catia, Pro-E, Solid Works and Ansys ? They are very complex and difficult pieces of software.

      You are doing the right thing so far, the course you are following sounds right.

      I suppose you have read my post on Work Placements ?
      http://jobinf1.com/2013/10/04/f1-work-placements-too-good-to-be-missed-part-1/

      I would also recommend reading the guidance in :
      http://jobinf1.com/2013/03/20/breaking-down-the-barriers-to-formula-1/
      & http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Have you made any approaches to motorsport teams (F1 & non-F1) yet ?? You should do this as early as possible

      1. Thanks a lot!!…. yes i had read your posts before…but the stepping stone one which opens up a wider perspective helped…gave me hope..

        You were absolutely correct about the softwares…all of them are too vast and deep for one to be knowing every aspect of it…. I am nowhere close to being a master in any of them…but its a learning curve..

        The motorsport scenario here in India is almost non existent … i do plan to move to Europe for masters… i would like your suggestions regarding which Masters course should i take up in my approach to becoming a Designer…

  210. Hello, Alicia here!
    First of all, sorry about my English as it isn’t perfect – not my native language.
    I’m a sixteen Spanish year-old-girl who has loved Formula One almost since I was a baby. My dream -I haven’t confessed anyone yet, because I think it’s pretty embarassing- is to work on a Formula One team.
    The thing is that people never say what different jobs there are in a team so I’m a bit confused. I’d like to study Administration and Business Management as well as Law, but I don’t know if you can get a job in Formula One by these studies. I don’t know if that might be important or not, but I’d also expect to get my First Certificate in English and B1 certificate in French before University – then I’ll speak four languages (with Spanish and Catalan).
    That has been my drama for years, and now that I found your website, I couldn’t wait to ask. Do you think my studies will be good to get a place in the big Formula One world? And if they are, what type of jobs I’ll be able to apply?
    I wish you read my comment and make me think my dream isn’t as impossible as it seems :’)
    Thank you so much,
    Alicia.

    1. Hi Alicia

      Thanks for the comment ! You seem very passionate about F1 but there is nothing embarrassing about wanting to in F1. Why would you not want to?! It’s a fantastic thing to do.

      With business & law qualifications you would be looking at team management or management of commercial contracts. There are not a huge number of these jobs in F1 compared to the technical side of things.

      I would think the best route for you would be to look at opportunities in other sports or other businesses where commercial contracts are made for sponsorship. This might be sporting events or music events & festivals or other large public gatherings. Experience here might be attractive to F1 teams as they rely on commercial agreements such as these for most of their income.

      Another route I have suggested to people is to contact lower formula drivers and perhaps see if you can help them in their negotiation or with their campaign strategies. They are unlikely to have much money, so will not pay you much if anything but they will be glad of the help and you will see the world of Motorsport first hand through them. This kind of experience on your résumé would look very very good to potential employers in F1.

      It’s a difficult thing to get into right away but it’s certainly possible for you. Your language skills will be useful as teams deal with a full range of international clients. English is the dominant language of F1 and yours is already pretty good I can see!!

      Best of luck and keep checking my blog

  211. Hi,
    I am a really interested person in how to get job in F1 and what each person in a F1 team does, but who actually doesn’t knwo anything. I am a student of mechanical engineering and i don’t even know now what i want to do.
    I like working with my hands and i think being part of the mechanics would be the best job for me. Here is my question. What does a mechanic, which is his role in the team, and how can i become one, the studies required, experience, etc.?
    Thanks

    1. Hi Paul

      Mechanics will assemble the cars at the factory and prepare them for each race. They then go to the race track and are responsible for maintaining the car there and carrying out the necessary setup changes and adjustments through the weekend.

      The mechanics then normally also form the pit crew who carry out the tyre changes during races.

      It involves a lot of late nights and hard work but is right at the heart of the action.

      1. Thanks for your answer, but i still have a lot of doubts, so i will make you two more questions. What has studied a mechanic? What are the most important caracteristics in a mechanic?

  212. Hiya.

    My dream job would be in F1, can you please tell me if I could fit into a slot in telecoms. I have served for 14 years in the army as a systems engineering technician, this involves the maintenance and repair of a broad range of communications systems. I have experience in surveillance equipment, computer networks and fibre

    Many thanks

    1. Hi Emma

      F1 teams have lots of data telecommunications these days, transmitting data from the cars right back to the factory in real time.

      It sounds like your skills could be used in this area, and ex forces people are looked on quite favourably as the attitude requirements are very similar.

      Worth a go certainly. Best of luck

  213. I’m an experience programmer with true passion to motor sport,
    I would like to ask what the options to work in formula 1 as a programmer (not embedded), and how could I get more details?

  215. I graduating currently as bachelor. What should I do to be a f1 race driver in India? Is it possible to become race driver here in India? says:

    Would you give me specific steps to take part in this big more efficiently with better chances of selection…….

  219. Sorry for the obvius question before, here is my situation, i’m currently studiing mechanical engineering in Argentina, I’m almost in second year so, there’s still a long way to go. I asume that in order to get into motosport world you can’t just land with only a degree, you either need to have some expirience or get to study in places that can connect you.
    What do you think its better, seek for a master in automotive engineering (which till now I consider Politecnico di Torino or I saw that you recommend Loughborough) or go in search for jobs related to that without a master in order to gain expirience?
    Also, it is possible to get some internship before graduating or right after that?, where I don’t expet to learn any money practically but get experience and a possible future job. I know its possible with certains colleges, but I’m asking if teams do bring people not necessarily from any “connected” university.
    Also I’m a EU citizen I don’t know if that gives me more chances as an “international” in the persuit of a job in europe…
    I would apreciate your answer and sorry for bothering you

    1. Hi

      No problem. Let me try and answer.

      More experience or a masters degree. Tough one but let me say this. If it were ‘just’ another masters degree in engineering, without being related to Motorsport or a particular technology used in Motorsport I would say don’t bother. It would help you to stand out. More practical experience is always a help but if you have the option to go to Europe and study a Motorsport masters it will give you some connections, get you physically closer to the racing scene so you can spend some weekends at race meetings, meet people etc. for internships, EU residency helps because sometimes teams will not want the paperwork to take an overseas student for a job if it is not permanent. Studying & being a resident in EU is a big help.

      Depending on how long your masters course would be you could get a placement during it but after it would be up to you to negotiate with the teams directly. It’s a selling mission but certainly not impossible.
      Good luck and feel free to ask some more if you like. I’ll try and help

      1. Thank you very much for your time and answer, for sure I’ll try to check the blog and keep in touch for advise, but as I mentioned I still have a long way to finish the career. What universities you think are good for a Masters Degree in automotive or motosport engineering that could be usefull for F1 job?

  220. Sorry for the obvius question before, here is my situation, i’m currently studiing mechanical engineering in Argentina, I’m almost in second year so, there’s still a long way to go. I asume that in order to get into motosport world you can’t just land with only a degree, you either need to have some expirience or get to study in places that can connect you.
    What do you think its better, seek for a master in automotive engineering (which till now I consider Politecnico di Torino or I saw that you recommend Loughborough) or go in search for jobs related to that without a master in order to gain expirience?
    Also, it is possible to get some internship before graduating or right after that?, where I don’t expet to learn any money practically but get experience and a possible future job. I know its possible with certains colleges, but I’m asking if teams do bring people not necessarily from any “connected” university.
    Also I’m a EU citizen I don’t know if that gives me more chances as an “international” in the persuit of a job in europe…
    I would apreciate your answer and sorry for bothering you

  222. Hi! I am really thankfull!
    I am currently looking for a position in VIP host in a F1 Team. How and where can I apply for it? Normally they offer only works for IT, mechanics, engineers… ¿Can you help me?

    1. Hi Eduardo,

      Teams don’t do their own hospitality or VIP hosting. It is subcontracted out to third party hospitality specialists who work in all different forms of sport and entertainment.

      Good luck

      1. Thanks for the answer.

        Could you say me some company where the teams go to request people to develop that task? I am not interested in Paddock Club, I want to hots VIP guest that teams receive, with my mother tongue (Spanish), or even English and German.

        I had an amazing experience in McLaren, being part of the team during one weekend and now I want to pursuit that target.

  223. Hi there… I am a 21 years old male from South African, and I have noticed that South Africa hasn’t had great achievements in the sport since 1980. Now I’d really like to change that by becoming a fomula 1 driver & continuing what Jody Scheckster has left behind. My problem is that I do not know how or which procedures to follow until I can become a formula 1 driver. Please give me the information, just so I can know how & where to go from here.

  224. Many thanks for the reply.

    As you might know there is only one championship in India which runs formula cars. The entire championship will be a maximum of 3-4 weekends.so there is not much of racing unlike UK.
    Ofcourse experince holds a lot of importance, but i want to get into the management side of motorsports.

    The colleges you have mentioned need atleast 3-4 years of experience to get into management courses.
    If you can suggest me a little more in choosing a right path for my career.

    I apologize for not revealing my company’s name here.

    Thanks again.

  225. Hi I’m a 15 year old who has just started to do a program called f1 in schools and it’s teaching me more about the aerodynamics of the car and how to make the air go around it with out causing drag lift or side drag. In this stem program i am the tester of the cars aerodynamics and drag and in this I am also the manufacturer of the car. The cars that we build are not life size but only 210cm long and have the width span of 65cm but we race this down a 20m track powered by a co2 canister. I would like to be a engineer when I am older and I would also like to build the cars but I don’t know we’re to start and even if I have a shot at the f1 dream. Also in this program we must learn about management of the team and the marketing and other key components to run a team.

    1. Hi James

      Thanks for your question. First of all, F1 in schools is great, I know all about it and think its a really good way of introducing young people to the sport and engineering. You’ll enjoy it and learn a lot so go for it.

      If you want to work in F1 as a job when you are older you need to work hard in Maths and Science as these are the subjects that will give you the skills to understand how an F1 really works and how you can make it faster. If you enjoy making & building things then these are also important skills to work on.

      Outside of school, see if you can go to a few races, maybe even the F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, just to get a feel for what it is like for real rather than on television. You could also find your local kart track and go along there, it’s a lot cheaper than the Grand Prix and will let you see what goes on much closer up. Above all, just immerse yourself in racing, learn about it, read about it and keep following your dream. It’s good that you started so young.

      Good luck!!

  226. Hey I am finishing up my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and I have an avid interest in the aerodynamics aspect in formula one racing. I have no links or experience in the field but would really love to know how I could go about forging a career in the f1 industry and getting my foot in the door, any help or advice you can give to me would be really appreciated. Thank you in advance.

    1. Hi Kenya

      Big question and one I cant answer easily. my whole blog is dedicated to that topic so I can only ask that you read all the posts and follow the blog to keep up with new topics that I write about. Sorry but the answer cannot be quick enough to write in a comment box!

  227. Hi,

    I am currently studying an aviation degree (hold on) and with a graduate diploma in human factors.
    I was wondering if any of the teams have a person or people that look after any human factors issues within the team? Or whether there was any scope for careers in this area within F1?

    Cheers,
    Ross

    1. Hi Ross, Himan factors not currently a big part of F1. Most teams have basic corporate health & safety but nothing more in depth than a similar sized non racing organisation may have.

      Hope that’s ok

  228. Hi!
    Thanks for this excellent resource. I am an engineer from the US. I have just finished my Masters in Mechanical Engineering and I am currently living in Germany as a Fulbright Fellow doing research for one year. I have completed extensive coursework in solid mechanics and intend to complete my Ph.D (beginning next year), but to this point my main experience and research has been in orthopaedics. I am extremely interested in F1 engineering, but had not given it thought as a career until I left the US, since most positions are located in the UK or European mainland. Coming from a background in biomechanics (but with advanced degrees in Mechanical Engineering) do you believe my chances at a F1 engineering career would be hindered? Do you have any advice on how I can improve my experience for skills marketable to F1 constructors? Should I look into working for a lower level of competition or try finding a position within a car manufacturer first? Sorry for all the questions!

    1. Hi

      No I dont think your background would hinder you. I would look for work in the wider motorsport industry rather than the car manufacture industry as they work at very different pace and on a very different scale. There are lots of motorsport companies in Germany, clearly Porsche and Audi in the WEC but also Toyota’s WEC effort is based out of Cologne.

      Suppliers to these types of industry might also be of interest to you.

  229. hi, i’m 15 years old and doing my GCSEs, i am targeted A’s for my maths and sciences and if i do get the A’s, i was wondering which subjects i could do for my A levels to get a job in f1 i was thinking maths and sciences but im not sure which sciences (physics??) and what other A levels( eg engineering.) and then which courses to do in university.

    1. Hi

      A Levels are normally Maths & Physics plus another relevant or related subject like engineering, design or chemistry.

      Typically undergraduates study Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering at university. I would guess that 90% of engineers in F1 have studied one of these 2 subjects or something very similar.

      Hope that helps!!

  230. I my name is kiran, need small info hiw to gey into formula 1 not as a driver anymore because I’m 23 now at least ad a team member.. please give m an advise which is the better way to go for, as of now completed my engineering in electronics and communication in future planning for mba in spain is my career any chance of getting into formula 1

  231. Hello,

    I’m a recently Mechanical Engineer and I´m from Spain, but, now I’m in London improving my english language and preparing the IELTS exam to can apply to do a Master in Motorsport Engineering in some university.

    Certainly I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering but, I consider me not too good in maths for example, that I want mean with this, is that I’m not special genius at nothing, only I can say that I ´ve good skills in Pro-E, and this kind of softwares.
    When I was 17 years I thought that be engineer could be so complicate for me but I did it in four years (year by year). But now I´ve got “afraid” again because sometimes I think that its very difficult to do a Master in motorsport in UK, but I love cars, and specially I love Formula One, so, I’m here first to try of get over the languages issues and then to try that some university accepts me… and finally overcome the Master.

    I’ve researched about Motorsport Masters and my conclussion was that the good for it is Cranfield and Oxford Brookes. I want to asked you if do you know which are the best places for study this kind of Masters to work in F1… What can you recomend me? Advices…

    For the moment I´ve ordered the two books that you have recomended in this blog: The Piranha club & The Mechanic’s tale.

    Thank you for pay me atenttion,

    Your sincerely,

    (sorry for my writing)

    Adrian.

    1. Hi Adrian

      You are right, those two univeristies are the ones I recommend for post grad study in motorsport. They are both veyr good. I think you are doing the right things so stick at it.

      Good luck

  232. Hello, I was wondering if most people working in an F1 team get to travel around and go to each grand prix, or if they have to stay at the factory. My dream is to travel around the world with the team and I wonder if that is a realistic dream?
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Colin

      You can get to travel, it just depends on which job you do. ‘Most’ people do not travel but around 50 staff will go to each race. Normally these are mechanics, race engineers and strategists. Design & manufacturing staff normally stay at the factory.

        1. Normally strategists are either existing track engineers, people with strategy experience from lower formulae or software developers who develop the tools and analyse the race data that we produce

  233. Hi,

    Thank you so much for creating this blog! As a student living in Southeast Asia where motorsport is not prevalent, there is not much support on this end for students interested in a career in this field so I’m blessed to have people such as yourself for support! Thank you so much!

    I have a question: How does a team decide which candidates to bring in for the role of software engineers in an F1 team?

    What concerns me is that while will be competent in my computer science domain once I finish my degree, no matter how much I read up on aerodynamics or mechanical engineering, I can never master those domains compared to someone who has a degree for those courses.

    These are the 2 main areas that helps a car win races.

    I have a strong interest and knowledge of F1 because I read extensively and follow Sky and BBC coverage of races but ultimately, as you mentioned, it is about what I can do for the team to win races, not simply “knowing” but being able to execute.

    I look forward to your response!

    Much thanks in advance,
    Mung

    1. Hi again Mung,

      Thanks for the nice comments. I appreciate it.

      You dont really have any need to understand aerodynamics and mechanical engineering. I am a mechanical engineer now in quite a senior role but I know next to nothing about aerodynamics. It hasnt harmed me in my role because I dont need to know anything about it. I just consult with people who do.

      Likewise, if your role was in software development you would work with whichever mechanical engineer or aerodynamicist had the software requirement. I dont think you need to worry about that.

      About how they decide. Its difficult to know on that one. Most F1 in-house software is relativley simple, it short turnaround and it need to be flexible and often udpated. I think they would choose someone who has a previous history of developing software like this rather than very large, slow turnaround and long development time. This quick response is what they would be looking for, but a keen interest in motorsport is still important because I think this is what motivates people when the hours are long and the work is difficult. They need the person who wants to contribute to the win through their efforts rather than someone who doesnt care whether the team win or lose. How you demonstrate that is hard to say but often coming from far away and still pursuing the dream of this job is a good indication of your dedication.

      hope that helps

  234. Hi,

    Thank you for setting up this blog! As a student in Southeast Asia, the chance to find out about F1 is limited so your resources will go a long way to help me!

    I have a question : What criteria do F1 teams look at when choosing software engineers to work for them?

    Also, does the same criteria apply when they decide on which students they take in for internships?

    I am currently studying computer science and once I finish my degree, that will be the knowledge domain that I am competent in. However, aerodynamics and mechanical engineering are the major areas where car development goes into.

    I read extensively about these subjects and BBC + Sky F1 coverage provides a lot of insight into the inner workings of formula 1…. however, my fear is that since I don’t have not the strict academic background of these 2 subjects, does it put me on the back foot in a big way?

    As you once mentioned, it is what you can contribute to the team to help them win races that makes you an attractive candidate, not just head knowledge that is interesting to know.

    I look forward to your answer and much thanks in advance!

    Regards,
    Mung

    PS I have tried asking a few F1 engineers (Tom McCullough, Philip Prew visited my university some time ago) about what roles a software engineer plays in an F1 team but they were not very sure although they mentioned there were important roles that someone with a computer science background can play in an F1 team mainly with CFD and windtunnel correlation issues (thus my concern about aeronautics!).

  235. Could you say me some company where the teams go to request people to develop that task? I am not interested in Paddock Club, I want to be Hospitality Assistant to provide high quality hospitality for VIP’s, sponsors, drivers and race team, with my mother tongue (Spanish), or even English and German.

    I had an amazing experience in McLaren, being part of the team during one weekend and now I want to pursuit that target.

    1. Hi Eduardo

      Much of the hospitality is done by third parties who are hired by the teams, rather than the teams themselves. Overall however these events are generally managed by marketing / sponsor liason officers within each team who are responsibly for managing all aspects of a sponsor’s contract making sure they are getting the most out of the association. You would need to be a marketing student to get one of these positions most likely and understand what ways that F1 teams can benefit sponsors and partners overall rather than just providing hospitality at the races.

  236. hey i have drived go- carting lots of time and most of the people say my car driving is so well and i can drive very well if you are intresting so i would love to join you if you say….plz my humble request… and if you oraganised any kind of racing programe so i want to participate in it..so plzzzzget back on my question

    1. Hi Ansh. We only employ professional racing drivers with a proven international track record in racing high performance single seater cars. You have to build up that expertise over many years, you cannot come straight to Formula 1 level.

  237. Hi,
    I’m Pawel from Poland and I’d like to thank you for creating that site.
    I’m a 3rd year student of Mechanical Engineering. I’ve set Formula 1 as dream/goal of my life and I am very determinated to work there. Unfortunately, there are few imitations. There are almost no racing series in Poland, only some minor touring series, rallies and karts. I’m also affraid of how polish tech universities are respected in UK. I’m also not wealthy enough to be able to have internships far away of my living place.
    I have Autodesk Inventor degree but F1 teams are using Cathia aren’t they? I don’t have any automotive experience yet but I’d really like to be mechanical or aerodynamics designer. I’ve had fluid mechanics course which was very hard for most of other students but I’ve dealt with it pretty good. Maybe I could have some extra aerodynamics course (the matter of agreement with my thermodynamics and fluid mechanics teachers).
    Maybe I could try to be a race strategy engineer. I could focus on Vehicle Dynamics (maybe by writing master’s thesis about it). I deal with MS Excel pretty good (much more than basics) and that’s the required skill in that position (yes, I’ve seen some F1 job adverts on autosport).
    In the case I’d try to get my experience in some lower single-seater series. Is it easy to get there? Do they pay anything (or is that only a volounteer)? Is it enough to survive (or only part-time option)?
    Maybe do you have any other suggestions for me. That would be great.

    Thank you.

    1. Hi Pawel,

      I am writing a new post on choosing your university and the important of it in terms of getting a job. Keep an eye out as I think it might answer your first question.

      Some F1 teams use CATIA, others NX and Unigraphics. MS Excel is an important skill, but its the same for many jobs not just F1. Most vehicle dynamicists will use MATLAB & Simulink for modelling rather than Excel.

      I think its best to look at wider motorsport industry rather than lower formula – it just depends on what you want to do. There isnt much call for strategists outside of F1. This is quite different to vehicle dynamics. Consider jobs at places like RML, Prodrive, Cosworth, Imor etc they are great experience for an F1 career later.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Make sure you followed my blog by email if you havent already to get the new post when I finally finish it. We are very very very busy with preparations for new season now so I dont get much time.

  238. Hi! Need your advise. I’m Ukrainian, 29 years old, now living in the USA, have been watching F1 since 95. About 3 years worked for russian web-resources about f-1, like f-1.ru and autosport.com.ru. Also have 4 years of experience working in logistics in Procter&Gamble. Dream of getting job in racing in logistics (buying, shipping, transport, store whatever). I just wonder if I have to go to college (have plans to go enter international logistics in Toronto college to raise my chances). May be can get a possibility even without a degree based on my experience. What to begin with? Should I move to England or just can send CV hoping for better? 🙂 The problem is in my English, but it’s temporary, of course, I’m ready to begin with other categories, cause in this case money is not a reason – I just want to do in my life something that I love most of all…

  239. Hi I’m absolutely mad about motor sport even more so with formula 1, it’s all I think about which is why I think I should be involved in it in some way. my passion is driving so if there’s any programs for 23 old’s to compete in it would be much obliged if you could give me the details, I very much think that I have a chance at being competitive in the sport as I am in go Karting with friends or with other people on the track. I would also put just as much effort into any roll if given the opportunity. I’ll luck forward to hearing from you.

  240. Hi I have 18 years and I was wondering how can I get involved in the F1 and which career should I need to study to involved in the world of cars

  241. Hi
    I’m just inquiring on behalf of my partner who has been a professional rally driver for the past 8years and previous to that was a go cart racer for 4 years- he lives and breaths motor sport and loves anything formula 1 aswell. He is desperately trying to get involve in the industry not necessarily as a driver to start with but eventually wants to work his way to the top. Any information on how to he can get started would be greatly appreciated as Motorsport is his life, and it’s all he sees himself doing. He is a full time car mechanic at the moment but is a rally instructor on weekends and races in off road rallying competitions in his spare time and would love any opportunity to get involved in anything motorsport especially formula 1 as has a strong passion for it.
    Thankyou for your time
    Greta

    1. Hi Greta

      He is probably a lot closer to the motorsport industry than most people commenting on this blog. Just depends on what exactly he wants to do in the industry.

      As I say to many people it is a case of researching the motorsport industry and finding a way in.

      read this first,

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      then look at resources such as this to find various companies to follow and contact :

      http://business-directory.autosport.com/

      Good luck

  242. Hi I was curious what kind of route to become a technician is for an F1 team, I have had technical training and have been around cars and racing since I was young, I’m a good fabricator welder etc and absolutely love the idea of working on a F1 team. Saying that I just have no idea where to start so I was hoping for some help or advice

  243. Hello! My name is Victoria. I’m almost 30 year old and I work in the event industry for already 10 years.
    I also had experience with F1, WRC, DTM etc. events (more commercial, not GPs) in the country I live.
    But I would be happy to get a clue how I can start in F1 events. Is it better to get in touch with teams or circuits or event companys?
    If you have any web links or you can give a piece of advice I will be very appreciated!

    Thank you very much in advance!

    1. Hi Vicky

      Tough one as I am not that familiar with the marketing business but if you are looking to do more events stuff then the teams are not normally setup to do this on their own, they will generally get outside companies in to run them for them. Even the large motor homes and hospitality suites you see in the paddock are run by third parties rather than the team employees.

      I would consider contacting the circuits as they will have lots of contacts in teh business.

  244. I am slightly older than many people here at 36, but I have worked in the ambulance service for 15 years after getting my degree in sports science and exercise and health. None of this is related to the technical side of f1, but I am seeking a career change and challenge. In recent years I have a track record of managing 40+ people, meeting targets, performing management tasks and duties, and have been recognised as an NHS national emerging leader by the governments leadership academy so I can demonstrate experience. I am looking for non-technical/engineering jobs, and have only found one for a junior press officer, which had no salary information, and although I am currently on a fairly reasonable wage but prepared to take a pay cut in order to change my career. Do you know how to find more details of supportive roles? Are these advertised separately? Thank you for any information you may have.

    1. Hi Jenny

      Tough one really, especially if you are not sure what job you want specifically. Would you want to travel to GP’s or would you be satisfied to be factory based?

      Team websites are normally where advertisements are made, or team’s local press where the job is less skilled.

  245. Hi myself surya… am from india n i completed my masters graduation.. i love f1 racing since my childhood.. i love racing.. n i want to become a part of f1 racing.. since am 18 i use to watch f1 racing on telivision.. could u please suggest me how to become an formula one racer..

  246. Hi – thanks so much for all the info on the website, it’s all really useful. I’m looking into doing a summer internship with an F1 company, and I wondered if you knew of any F1 companies that offered them in the UK? I’m studying for a degree in physics, so ideally the intern would be in aerodynamics/ car design. Thanks in advance!

  247. Hi,

    I’m going for an informal chat/interview with a Motorsport team soon and was wondering what to wear? If I dress too smartly it might show I’m not willing to get my hands dirty but I don’t want to make it seem like I don’t see care?

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Hi James

      Good question.

      It depends on what the role will be, if you are mostly going to be office based I would dress smartly. If you are ‘shop floor’ or trackside base it might not be 100% necessary to dress in suit & tie but I would go on the side of caution and dress up unless you already know the people there. It’s probably not a big deal but its expected that you dress up normally so no one would blame you for doing so.

      Good luck !!!!

    2. Hi, I currently work for a company who supplies electrical wiring looms to several of the F1 teams, some lower formulas and management. I have always had a passion for motorsport but have only found out in the last 2 years how much I love working within the industry, I want to progress my career hopefully into an F1 team but as my boss has high contacts at the teams I’m wondering if there is any advice you can give me as I would need to say where I work to prove I have valid experience, but don’t want to offend my boss and incase I don’t get a position at an f1 team, I don’t want to end up jobless.

      1. Hi

        Thanks for the comment. Confidentiality is very important in F1 as teams hate to lose staff to rival teams but people have to apply if they want to move jobs. Teams are very used to keeping all applications secret and often conduct interviews late at night and in quiet areas of the factory to avoid potential problems. Your boss will not find out I assure you!!

        Best of luck!

  249. Hi , this s adityan from south India, now iam 27. While in my school days itself iam interested in racing, but didn’t get any opportunity to prove it. Till my dream are in my mind. I want to know, it possible to join in f1, if i started trying now ? Kindly share me ur valuable feed back ! Thanks

  251. Dear friend
    Im mechanical engineer i graduated at 2010.i want be F1 engineer can you tell me what can i do how i get this opportunity

    1. Hi

      Thanks for comment. That’s a tough question to answer but that is the aim of this blog. I’ve written over 30posts on the subject already and haven’t yet answered the question sufficiently so there is not much I can add here to you personally. Please read through my blog and get back to me with any specific questions.

      Good luck

  252. I am a aviation mechanic in the United States marine corps and I am wondering if my aviation training can relate to f1 and what else could I learn to get into the sport

  253. hi, i’m rohit,16yrs old n i want to join NK amaron f1 academy.could u suggest me some requirements/measures befor joining it.can u please also tell me where it is situated n if it is helpfull in achiving my dreams to become an f1 racer.

  254. Hi.
    My last comment is still awaiting moderation so I decided to create another one. I have few questions.

    1) Do the british F1 teams still use imperial values or are they on metric.
    2) How polish universities are valuated by F1 teams? (Does it really matter)
    3) Could making my own project help me anyhow? I’ve decided to start a project of F1 powertrain (from clutch to wheels). Is it possible to get any F1 engine’s characterisitics? [torque/power (revs)] + weight and sizes info

    Thank you for this site. It helped me to understand how much more I have to do and learn.

    2. Hi Pawel

      Ok finally I answer some of your questions.

      1) F1 use a mixture of metric and imperial. Metric is preferred but many of the suppliers we use are from the US avaiation industry and this all still uses imperial units. Many bought-in bolts & nuts etc are imperial.
      2) I am writing a post about this at the moment. It matters a little bit but not enough to worry about if your other experiences are good.
      3) I would advise against such projects. All F1 data is massively confidential so its not avaialble but I dont think you can prove anything useful by doing this. We would have 30 people doing this job so I dont see what one person with no information can usefully achieve.

      Dont give up easily but I would consider either study in the UK if possible or apply to wider motorsport industry in Europe as a stepping stone to F1.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Perhaps you could find some Polish people who already work in F1 and make some contact ?

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/10/11/research-your-way-into-formula-1-using-linkedin/

      1. Well, I know only there is polish engineer – Marcin Budkowski in McLaren, but he studied in Ecole Polytechnique in France, which is very good University.
        I’m joining student scientific association this year and I have plans to go to student ex-change and maybe join Formula Student team.

        I think that it would be the best way for me to step up by different motorsport categories. Le Mans Series and rally is very exciting too.

        I’d like to ask you one more question:
        Is it possible to earn enough to live in junior single-seater series (as an engineer) or it’s rather a volounteer job?

        1. Hi Pawel

          Junior categories such as Formula Ford are poorly paid, there is not much scope for engineers there except for a race engineer wishing to learn some very basic things. A formula ford team may only have one or two people in it other than the driver, compared to the hundreds in F1. It’s good experience but its not a living unless you run a team like a business. That is a whole different story…

          I would try not to look at the engineer’s ladder to F1 in the same way as a driver would take. For an engineer, you can look at the wider industry perhaps working in rallying as you suggest, Le Mans etc but also in the many supplier companies who service racing teams and provide parts and expertise. The industry is huge but not necessarily with company names that are commonly known of. You could I think work at one of these companies, earn a living and then get your voluntary race engineer experience at weekends with a FFord team or something similar. It’s not easy work but its a way that many people break into it.

          At GP2 level, rallying & Le Mans race engineers earn good money so you can do it after working hard for little at the very beginning.

          I hope that makes some sense for you.

      2. Yes, it does.

        Thank you a lot. I really appreciate your help. Good luck for you and your team. I hope, we’ll meet on factory or paddock one day.

  257. hello,
    really cool post by the way. i am a first year undergrad. managed to get into an indian FSAE team here. Not that cool a team but not that bad too. i am in the electrics subsystem of our car. how do you think i should go about to get into some part of the electrics team in f1 or just for a start, to score an internship in f1 as an electronics engineer. and btw i take care of the DAQ systems.

    1. Hi

      I would not fixate on getting a job in F1 straightwaway. The motorsport industry is huge and other areas of the industry feed up to F1 so you could get an internship at many many places. Electronics is likely to be more important as the new hybrid type cars come into use and spread throughout the industry. I am thinking about Formula E, WEC hybrid cars and the new turbo rules in F1.

  258. Hi I just stumbled across this website today and is a good resource. I have some very specific questions I was wondering is there an email address or can I PM you :-)?
    Thanks very much
    PS Great blog

    1. I dont generally give out my email address but feel free to ask me here on the blog and I will get back to you. I get a huge amount of spam here already and I dont want to risk more. Sorry !

  259. Hello, mi name is Damian im 21 years old and im from Argentina. Now im studing electric-mechanical engeneer in my country. Mi question is: how much are my possibilities of working in f1 in the future if i dont live in europe? Thanks for the blog its very interesting and a big motivation way for young people to love motorsport. Now im racing in a state divisional of my country as a hobby and my dream is to work in a proffesional team in the future. Thanks again and sorry about my english.

    1. Hi Damian

      I hope to write about this soon

      Its definately a disadvantage being outside of Europe but F1 is very multi-national and so it certainly is not impossible. If you are already racing in your home country that is a good start !

  260. Hi,
    My name is Arhum and i am 12 year old and i live in Pakistan there is no future here in pakistan for motor sports so i was wondering can you tell me what to do because when i grow i can not do anything so i have to build my future towards motor sport and i know i can not become a real f1 driver but engineer is fine with me. Sorry for grammar mistakes
    Thank you

    1. Hi Arhum

      Thanks for the comment.

      It is difficult if you live somewhere where there is no motor racing.

      The best idea if you could afford it would be to come to Europe to study at university. This should be possible and then you can be on more equal terms with European candidates.

      Hope that helps

  261. Good evening!

    First of all: THANK YOU for providing us help!
    I wanted to comment on your post concering LinkedIn, but somehow I couldn’t. Guess the comment section is closed for that one?

    Anyways, I’ve spent lots of time on LinkedIn lately and all I can say is: it is so so useful and motivating.

    I’m quite a Motorsports rookie, but ever since I got the chance to go to Monaco GP last year…I’m so hooked on! This year I went to my 2nd Monaco GP (just the FPs though) and a DTM race here in Germany. After these experiences I catched myself thinking: I want to work in Motorsports – preferably in F1.
    But as you said before, “the majority of those dreams fade away and reality takes over”. I can t o t a l l y relate to that.
    It’s still my dream, definitely. But I’m halfway through my Bachelor’s degree (I’m 21) and it has nothing to do with Motorsports. I study Slavic and Scandinavian studies…and I love it!!
    I’m also taking PR classes now and will be taking project/event management and/or marketing classes after that. Because I know, speaking Polish, Russian and Swedish, plus knowing these countries, is great – but unfortunately not enough.

    Thinking about my future gives me sleepless nights…

    But I’ve found a lady working for a F1 racing team who has actually studied Fashion, Drama and Theatre, History etc. Thus something completely different from F1. According to LinkedIn, she has worked her way through to F1 by gaining skills in promotion, management, marketing and hospitality – and is now the Hospitality Coordinator at that team.
    I’ve also found people who have studied Tourism Management, might take a closer look on that as well.

    This has given me so much hope.

    Long story, but I had to get this off my chest and share it with you!
    …and maybe ask for a little advice?

    THANKS!
    See you in Monaco 😉

    Ps, http://f1girlsofthepress.tumblr.com/ is an unofficial blog about the ladies in F1 and just looking their names and CVs up on the Internet might be inspiring and motivating for other girls!

    1. Hi Karolina

      First thanks do much for the kind comments, it’s great to get such good feedback and to hear that people find my blog useful & motivating. Sounds like you have put quite a bit of energy into it and its a cliche but you get out what you put in so you are doing all the right things.

      Marketing area of F1 isn’t my strong point (I’m an engineer obviously) but I know people have varied backgrounds and often it is just their energy & spirit which can give them an advantage in making contacts, generating ideas & creating value for people. You seem like you could do that.

      I’ve seen that blog that you mentioned about girls in F1 but I can add a link to my resources page & my post on women in F1

      Best of luck with everything and thanks again. Maybe we will bump into each other in Monaco but we will never know!

      1. Thank you for your kind words, Mr.
        It has really made my week and it gave me new hope.
        Have a wonderful weekend!

  262. Hi I’m 14 and I want to progress into formula one as a racer/driver but at this age is there anything I can do to start my dream

  263. Hello! Thanks for your website. I was very encouraged!

    I’m Japanese, I’m fresh man at university.
    My dream is to be an engineer of the cars.
    I’ve not decided in detail about field.
    (my idea → F1, research&development, electric vehicle and so on)

    Then, I have a simple question.

    Is an ability of speaking English necessary?

    If I want to be an engineer, I have to study a lot of expert field.
    Besides, in order to communicate, maybe I have to speak English at least.

    I suppose it’s up to my working field. however I want to work abroad if I can.
    because I believe working in the world more exciting than only in Japan.

    Now I study about electricity in the school. Plus I study English little by little privately.
    (I like to study English!)

    I want to ask you whether English skill is necessary or not.
    And I also want to know your opinion.

    That’s all. thank you for reading.
    Ps. I apologize my ugly sentence. Maybe difficult to understand(^_^;)

    1. Hi

      No it isnt 100% necessary to learn English to work in F1. Honda’s F1 engine development is all done in Japan now and so this is all in your native language. To work in a team in Europe it would be necessary to speak at least a little english but there are lots of japanese people doing this here already in F1

      Good luck

  264. Hi
    my name is Alex and i am 14 years old and I have a real passion for Formula 1. i really want to to become a race engineer for F1 but i don’t know where to start. another problem i have is that i live in Canada, i know most teams are based in Europe so it will be very challenging for me to land a job. please give me advice on how i can make my dream come true.

    1. Hi Alex

      Thanks for the comment and its a common question. So here goes…

      You are at a disadvantage. No escaping that compared to someone who lives in the UK. It’s far from impossible however. Believe it or not I actually worked in the US for a race team for several years before I came back here to the UK to get my first job in F1. The road might be long but don’t be discouraged just because you can’t get to the final destination in one step.

      I would suggest contacting the organisers of Canadian Motorsport, you can find them on the FIA list of member clubs here.

      http://www.fia.com/about-fia/member-clubs

      You can also then start to look at places to go watch, go learn and get a foot in the door. The US is probably your best bet for a first job in professional motorsport, there is a lot of racing just over the border and it served me very well. Armed with some experience F1 will not be such a big step away and you can consider moving to Europe then and getting the job you really want.

      Also, read this it might encourage you

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Best of luck

  265. Hey I’m a 18 old boy from south africa Johannesburg. I have a passion for driving. I would like to get assistance in getting into the industry and I don’t know where to start

  266. Hi… first of all, thanks for the web and all the information that you put into it…. I´m from Argentina and I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have a intermediate level of English and Italian, I have some experience in 3D design with SolidWorks and another software used in motorsport. Also i have some little experience in a little motorsport team in my country. When I go to check the Jobs Offers into team´s websites, I´m disappointed… all the positions that appears, request a lot of knowlegde on specific sofware, tool, etc. or request for people with a huge experience in motorport.
    I know that the teams want and need the best professionals on each area, but, come on, in this manner someone like me have zero chance…..
    Am I right?

    Thanks in advance!!!
    Best regards…

    1. Hi Sebastien,

      No ! You are wrong !

      There is every chance. What you need to do is think about F1 as an ultimate destination not an immediate one. You cannot go straight to the top and no one owes you the opportunity to do so. It is all about working you way there gradually. I did not get a job in F1 straight away, it took me 6 years after I graduated before I worked in F1 for the first time. This is normal.

      Have a read of this post and I hope that it will help you.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      Good luck !

      1. Many thanks for the answer!!!…. what you said is correct, it´s the correct way of thinking. But another think that comes in my mind are the differences about the “quality” of studies o prestige between the first class UK universities and the one where I´m graduated from.
        And the zero amount of courses in CATIA, MATHLAB, NASTRAN that we have here en my country…. this is really a big step stone.

        Probably, the answer for all those things are that I have to move to another country, to get more oportunities…. also I´m studing… who knows…

        Best regards!!!!
        Sebastian

  267. hi I am Sachin, live in India 2011 i felt there was a rise in interest in motor sports but then after 2 years i think it on the decline again(cricket normally dominates this country everyone know this) as we saw in the recently concluded grand prix
    My question is after get my mechanical engineering degree in India, where should i apply to become an F1 engineer

    1. Hi Sachin

      I think you are right that India is not sure whether it is interested in F1 or not. I get a huge following on this site from India, almost as much as from the UK so clearly some people are interested but I think it will take time for car racing in general to take hold in India and we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. I think in 10 years time, motorsport in not F1 will be a lot more popular in India generally.

      You can apply directly to the teams in F1 for a job but this is normally very difficult to do. My best advice is always to look further afield, gain experience in automotive and racing if possible and work your way towards F1 rather than consider it to be F1 or nothing. I had several jobs in motorsport before I was involved in F1.

      This post on my blog should explain it better.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/28/stepping-stones-to-formula-1/

      1. Thank you so much, well i suddenly believe i can make it your help, your reply is one of the biggest steps which will help me fulfill my dream, hope i can keep posting my quaries till i’m totally satisfied with all wanted to know
        if i have to gain experience to indeed get into f1 where should i be looking so that i could be gaining that valuable, priceless experience specially if i am looking to be a data or a race engineer

  268. Hi.. I live in a small village in Ireland and it’s my dream to be an F1 engineer! I’m planning on going to UCD for college to get a good degree and I’m wondering how would I begin to be an F1 engineer?

    1. Hi Thomas

      I’m currently writing a blog post about an average F1 employee and how they made it to where they are today. Hopefully it will help give you some insight. Follow my blog by email if you haven’t already and you’ll get it when I publish it

      Cheers

  269. Thank you so much, well i suddenly believe i can make it your help, your reply is one of the biggest steps which will help me fulfill my dream, hope i can keep posting my quaries till i’m totally satisfied with all wanted to know
    if i have to gain experience to indeed get into f1 where should i be looking so that i could be gaining that valuable, priceless experience specially if i am looking to be a data or a race engineer

  270. Give me more insightfull tips and how to approach people within the F1 industry. I like any other man want to drive. I can do mechanical work and obviously drive. I would love to be an F1 driver but in SA my chances are very slim. Over seas it’s much better. Let me know how to enroll myself into the SA F1 club even if I start at the bottom.

    1. Hi Donnelly

      If you want to be an F1 driver there is no club to join. You need to compete at lower levels and prove that you are talented enough. It’s very tough business and massively competitive. You will be competing with tens of thousands of other for 22 cars.

      Good luck.

  271. Hello,

    First I would like to say thank you to creating this blog, I have read pretty much everything it has to offer. I live in the US, California to be exact. I have been fortunate (thanks to my dad for being in the business) to be able to go races ever since I was a kid here in the US. NHRA, Indy, NASCAR, Motocross pretty much all types of racing. I am in college planning to major in marketing with a minor in international business or vise versa. My goal is to work in F1 with one of the race teams doing some kind of marketing or PR work for them. I know I will have to speak multiple languages which I am already practicing. I know I will have to start out here and work my way up before I am recognized by someone in F1. My question to you is which type of racing do you think will be best for me to get involved in out here to most likely get me a job with F1? Would it be Indy Car because the cars are the most similar to an F1 car or would it be NASCAR because it the most watched and most known type of auto racing? Which one would give me a better shot at maybe crossing paths with an F1 job or someone noticing me?

    Thank you.

    1. Hi Zak

      I’d say Indycar on balance, because like you say, the similarity to F1 type cars.

      All experience is good though so don’t turn any opportunities down trying to find the perfect route.

      Good luck

  272. Hi. I’m live in korea and want to be a f1 engineer. I’m glad to find this page. This site is very rare in my country. I want to ask you two things. Please understand my english level. 1, I think i have to go in germany to study. Because many motor company had f1 business are there. But if it is not important to study in german university. Do i get a bechelor’s degree in my korea university? 2, what language use in f1 team?

    1. Hi

      You could get a job then but its much more likely that you have to work in another area of motorsport first and build up your experience before you work in F1. F1 is the very competitive and so unless you have a particular skill or experience you would not have a great deal to offer the teams.

  274. Hi, i want to ask a question…..I want to work in f1 and work with the engine specifically…. It has always been my dream to work with f1 engines since boyhood…. There is something in engines that really attracts me…. I am currently studying in asia… Can you tell me what i can do to be f1 engine designer?

  275. I’m Michael and I’m 13 and have been interested in Motorsport for a fair amount of my life, I have a reasonable amount of experience with go karts and when I do go-karting most of the time in my age group I win, but that’s not to say I’m pro but I was just wondering is it too late for me or what can I do to help me get a job in Motorsport preferably F1.

    1. Hi Michael,

      Do you want to drive or just work in the sport ? Its not too late for either.

      If you wanted to kart and compete now it would really help you get a job in F1 later as its all very good experience

  276. Hi,
    I wonder if you have any team in Sweden that works for F1? Office jobs in that case. If so how can get in contact with them?
    Best Regards,
    Tamara Draganovic

    1. Hi Tamara

      No, there is no F1 team in Sweden.

      I think rallying and Drag racing are much more popular there

  277. First off, I just want to express how happy I am that I’ve found this site. I can’t recall how many times and how many people I’ve asked for advice on how to get into F1 and this site has been so much help already.

    I’m 17, the youngest of three girls and because my father never had a son, he raised us to love motorsport. Working in this industry has always been a dream for me, but only recently have I realised how much I want it.

    I’m from South Africa and weeks away from finishing high school. The thing is, my subjects don’t have anything to do with motorsport, with the exception of Math.

    Anyway, when I think of what I’d like to do in F1, it invloves the travel, presentation, relations or even journalism part. Which position or job does thay description fit best? And then, which degree would be the most suitable to get into that? I was thinking maybe of Public Relations, but was wondering if that’s the only option?

    And finally, I’m so tired of people telling me I won’t make it or that the chance of me fulfilling this dream is very small, so I just need a bit of encouragement.

    Again, thanks so much for this website. It was a great idea and I’m still in disbelief that I found it.

    1. Hi Chantelle

      Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been very very very busy….

      Anyway, thanks for the kind comments about my site, I really appreciate it and am glad you found it useful.

      If you dont want to be an engineer and work in the technical side of the sport then maths is not really that important anyway. If you are looking at public relations type jobs then you have a few options. Outside of the teams themselves you could be a journalist, covering motorsport stories and results etc. These days many people are writing their own blogs and such like to develop a following and develop their skills whilst they study.

      examples might be http://katehewif1.wordpress.com/ & http://stoodonthepodium.wordpress.com/ which are both written by girls looking to get into F1 journalism.

      Inside teams you could work on press relations, reporting team news and performance to the wider press and attempting to get the team and its sponsors as much coverage as possible. This leads to general marketing and trying to invent new ways of using the teams image and exploits to create a positive image and exposure for potential investors.

      To accomplish the latter I would suggest trying to get involved in any sport related promotion in your home country and getting a feel for what it is like. You could do what Katie Grimmett has done with the stood on a podium blog and try to follow and promote younger drivers in lower formulas and gain experience that way.

      Its definately something you can do, you just need to push yourself, get outside your comfort zone and contact as many relevant people as possible and ask lots of questions. One thing is for sure if you don t put yourself out there then nothing will happen. If you do try this and try that then something will happen and you will get your break I am sure.

      Hope that helps !! And good luck.

  278. sir ,iam pavan from india iam interested in f1.iam doing my 2nd year of mech engineering currently and also a part of small student fsae team in my college.iam doing pretty well learning catia v5 and even pursuing my research in Al composites.
    in your blog u have mentioned companies like hewland,wirth research,etc in uk that could help u get into f1.
    do you know any such companies in india that i can apply after my graduation.so that i can prepare myself in becoming an expert in particular fields of design like suspenson.transmission,etc based on the requirement of these companies for the next 2 years.

  279. sir ,iam pavan from india iam interested in f1.iam doing my 2nd year of mech engineering currently and also a part of small student fsae team in my college.iam doing pretty well learning catia v5 and even pursuing my research in Al composites.
    in your blog u have mentioned companies like hewland,wirth research,etc in uk that could help u get into f1.
    do you know any such companies in india that i can apply after my graduation.so that i can prepare myself in becoming an expert in particular fields of design like suspenson.transmission,etc based on the requirement of these companies for the next 2 years.

  280. hi,Sir.
    i was thinking if its right to ask you this. honestly i love racing.,its really give me a intense feeling. can you give me some steps, on how to apply or to F1 drivers? do they hire drivers?. well im from philippines, so i dont know if they have trust our skills. but i hope they give chance or something test if i can pass.,

    i would like to say thank you for this kind of site. i hope that you will response on this.,
    more POWER,!!!

  282. Respected sir,
    I am krunalpatel studying in automobile engineering last year. Actually I want to make my career in f1 in any field cause I want to just set up my self first and than after I will put my all ideas and share knowledge also. So that step by step I will make strong place in my f1 career therefore I requesting you to guide me and share with me your knowledge and also say what I do for that?
    . first I will buy that book which is mention in this article. And also tell me how to start for making f1 career?

    1. Hi krunalpatel

      I cannot give 1 to 1 tuition on this site I am afraid. The blog as a whole is intended to give this advice for making a start so I cannot repeat that advice here. I generally only respond to comments for very specific questions. Please read through my many posts now and get back to me if you have something specific.

      Good luck and thanks for finding me

  284. sir iam pavan from india. iam interested in f1 .iam pursuing my 2nd year mech engineering . i have joined a student fsae group in my college and also pursuing my research on Al composites .
    in ur blog u have mentioned a few companies like hewland,etc that could help u get into f1.
    do you know any such companies that operate in india that i can apply after graduation,so that i could try to expertise in particular field of design like suspentio,etc based on the requirement of these companies

    1. Hi

      I think I answered a very similar comment to this elsewhere

      Sorry for the delay as I have just been extremely busy and have over 100 comments awaiting approval and reply. Its very time consuming to do this !

  285. Hi first of all I want to thank you for the website,it’s a great idea. I’m doing the Irish Leaving Cert this year and I’m wondering what course would be best to get an administrative job in motorsport and eventually F1. I’ve found loads like Business,Business Management, Business Marketing, Business and Sport management,business and events management, motorsport management and logistics,motorsport management,Business Economics Law,Business law etc. Could really use some help narrowing it down.Which of these would be most beneficial for motorsport? Obviously something joint like business and sports management would weaken both subjects a little as opposed to studying business management or sports management on their own. So would it be worth doing something joint like this? I’m going to study in the UK , probably London to try and get some experience as well. Any advise would really help. The more the better! Thanks

    1. Hi

      I would study something with a motorsport element to it, as long as it was at a reputable univeristy. It gives you the potential for contacts and learning about the sport itself rather than just a theoretical management point of view. I dont know these types of courses that well.

      Alongside that course I would try and get involved in motorsport at weekends or through some other contact as much as you can. I know that this is easier said than done but if you can manage that, in whatever capacity it will make you stand out head and shoulders above your competition when it comes to job hunting.

      Good luck

  287. Hello, first of all my sincerly thanks for your efford with this blog, i find your work very admirable and very here is specific information that is difficult to find, but i have a question, what are the diferences between the engineers that work at the factory and thoose who are in the racing team? how do you recognize and diference them? every body goes to the races?

    1. Hi

      Thanks for the kind comments, I’m glad you like the site.

      As regards track vs factory engineers. Factory engineers are typically responsible for the development of the car design so that is aerodynamics, components suspension configuration and such like. The track engineers are then responsible for using that car they are provided with in the most efficient and optimised way. The must extract the most out of what they have. They will also provide the feedback from driver and data from car for the factory engineers to go away and make the car better. They will not be doing any design work themselves (they wouldn’t have the time or resource to do it)

      Does that make sense?

      1. The magnitud of the work and gestion is incredible also the work team and the fluency between all the team, good news for an engineering student opening paths. Thanks for your answer is very precise and nothing can be so hard, extreme and good looking as the formula 1 environment, thanks for your answer i imagine that is not easy with the amount of time that the formula 1 requires.

        Sorry for the comment up, it is repeated, i´ve been in word press for a short time

        happy vacations

  289. iam very sorry sir .i thought there was a problem with my computer and posted it thrice. i will be patient and make sure i wont repeat this again.

  290. Hello, My name is Albert Tanti, I will abide by all the process/rules that are instructed. I live in India and thus this country is not so close with the racing Industry,
    so where shall I start, can the admin of this page suggest me?

  291. sir, iam pavan. now ,currently iam starting out reading a lot on structure of car chasis. im studying introduction to modern vehicle dynamics by happian smith ,chasis engineering by herbs adams.most of these books tell about chasis of normal cars .could u pls help me with a book that could take me through basic parts of race car chasis and tell me about calculating impact forces ,energies and how race cars strcturally deal with such things.
    i have a presentation on saturday on this , i think i have a problem learning certain basics without any guidance.

  292. Hi There, my name is Mpumi I just wanted to start off by mentioning not only how informative but well setup your blog is. Not only have your post been very educational, but your replies to others have also been very informative and motivating. It’s really great to have someone like you who is willing to help others out especially considering your time constraints.

    I have a bit of problem and I’m not so sure of how to go about it and I’d really appreciate some advice. I come from South Africa and I finished my matric (12th Grade) last year(2012), which is apparently only equivalent to AS-levels. Although I’ve met the requirements to study mechanical engineering at a degree level, no university has accepted me yet.

    At this point if I don’t get accepted for next year I have 2 options:
    1) Study A-levels:
    In this option I can either study my A-levels, which should give me a better chance to get accepted, but still even then it wouldn’t be a guarantee, or Apply to other countries for university and hope to find financial aid to study internationally.

    2) Study Mechanical Engineering at a Technikon (also known as University of technology):
    Technikons are very much like universities, but only offer a National Diploma and Btech(Bachelor of Technology), instead of a Degree and are easier to get into. According to some of the research I’ve done these aren’t recognized as a qualification in some countries.

    I’d like some advice on the following:
    1) Whether a South African Btech would be recognized in the UK by companies that deal in motorsport or would going for A-levels be the best option?

    2) Are there any Universities from South Africa that have been noted by motorsport companies as a good university?

    3) I’ve been considering doing some track marshaling to try getting some access to the pits and volunteering to help some companies to gain some motorsport experience. I don’t actually have any experience at the moment and I know you can’t speak for everyone, but are there companies out there that are willing to take up someone who has no experience?

    4) Lastly, I remember reading a reply you made to someone else who was studying Mechanical Engineering and you advised that they should do a post-graduation in something slightly more related to motorsport such as Motorsport Engineering. Would this mean that you can study a post-grad in Motorsport Engineering immediately after a degree in Mechanical Engineering?

    I’m sorry if my post seems long, I was just trying to avoid making multiple posts.

    I look forward to hearing from you, thank you advance.

    1. Hi Mpumi

      Thanks for the great comments about the blog, I really appreciate that.

      I’ll try and answer you questions but first I must ask do you want to be an engineer or a mechanic through this study ?

      1) There is a risk that South African BTech would not be valued that highly in the UK, so i would opt for A-Levels if possible. It largely depends on whether you want to be an engineer or a mechanic. A-level better for engineer, BTech possibly adequate for mechanic.
      2) I dont know many SA universities and I doubt many F1 people do either. Not likely to make much difference but I think its better to go for a university in a big city such as Jo’burg, Cape Town or Durban or such like as these will be recognisable in UK. If you go elsewhere you might have to justify it / explain about your university in your application or covering letter
      3) Anything you can do is an advantage. It doesnt have to be a company either, it could be with a lone or private competitor as these types of people are more likely to need a hand/volunteer for these jobs as they wont be well funded. Easier said than done but well worth the research and time spent.
      4) I definately think this is a good idea. Once you have a good background in fundamentals through a general engineering education, then a specialist course can give you extra skills and often contacts within the sport. Its a good approach if you can do it.

      Hope that helps and good luck.

  293. Hi I am almost every day read your blog and really has a lot to learn. I have always been interested to work in F1 but I never knew from where to start.
    That’s why is this blog very good, a lot of advice………many questions and many answers
    I read somewhere on blog that you will publish all the jobs that are offered in F1, so I am interested did you posted somewhere on blog or will be published.

    Regards
    Donny

    1. There are normally 10-20 vacancies each week across the teams so its not a problem unless you want a very specific job in a very specific team. If that is the case you just have to wait

  295. Hi, my name is brad and im 18 years old coming up to nineteen i have a deep passion for formula 1 and motorsport in general i have always wished for a career in formula 1 but a few years ago i lost half my vision caused by a tumour and since then i felt i would never be able to work in any background of the sport so therefore i was wondering if there is ANY sector of the sport which would allow my visual imparement

    much gratitude

    brad

    1. Hi brad

      yes I dont think its a massive problem really. There are people working in F1 with various disabilties and its not a problem. You might not make it as an F1 driver but no most F1 jobs are just normal office jobs really !

  296. Hi,
    I m working in IT for last 8 yrs. I am really interested in getting into the CORE IT dept of F1.
    What are the expectations from me though i m not from the mechanical background.

    1. Hi

      I dont think IT in F1 is any different to IT in any other sector but you would just be expected to work late when required or support systems out of hours in order to keep the development cycle running. I know many teams do software / hardware upgrades overnight or at weekends so that they dont disturb the normal working hours of the engineers and mechanics.

  297. Hi… I am from India, age 26. I want to join as a F1 Driver in Sahara Force India F1 Team as a F1 race driver.

    Firstly, if i start my career at this present age of 26, so generally
    how much time it may take for me to be as a F1 Driver?

    Secondly, In your opinion which is the best karting institute in India
    or in any another country (which can be
    easily affordable to me because i belong to middle class and not
    financially strong) and which may lead to single seater, GP2,
    FRenault etc., so that i can get chance easily in Formula One.?

    What may be the budget i must expect including all the expenses from
    the beginning of Karting to F1.?

    How to get selected from Sahara Force India Team to start as beginner
    and to get sponsered by Sahara Force Iindia F1 Team,
    (as Jehan Daruvala, Tarun Reddy, Arjun Maini from India
    The One From A Billion programme is an initiative by the Sahara Force
    India Formula One Team………………….) ?

    Its humble request from you to kindly let me know, what are the ways
    to approach Sahara Force India and to start as a beginner and if not
    Sahara Force Team could not give me this chance which are the other
    teams who will take me as a beginner to start with my career to prove
    myself.?

    Please Please Kindly answer all my queries.
    I will be thankful with all my gratitude and highly obliged.

    Thanking You.

    1. Hi Aryan

      Firstly, 26 is quite late to start working towards being a driver. I would expect if it went well for you, you would need around 6 seasons worth of racing before you could make it to F1, possibly more. I dont know much about karting institutions outside of Europe I am afraid so I cant really comment on that. If you wanted to kart seriously you would have to move to Europe to compete here at some point.

      Budget requirement to get to F1 is very big. I dont know the numbers exactly but GP2 and such like are typically $500,000 a season I beleive. Lower catergories are less expensive but any type of serious single seater would set you back well over $100,000 per year.

      I dont know how the Force India programme worked but I presume it was a talent / racing assesment in karts / cars in order for the winner to be selected. I dont know if they will do the programme again anytime soon but its a great opportunity for someone.

      You cannot expect to approach an F1 team as a total beginner and get their help. They have the choice of many thousands of experienced and talented drivers so they will not have time to help you I am afraid. You have to be self supported in your early years before you can get teams to help and support you.

      I hope that helps

  298. Hi, what are the diferences between race engineers and thoose who work only at the factory? are there mechanichs that only works at the factory and do not travel?

  299. hello sir iam pavan.thanks to the motivation given by u . i did very well in my first technical presentation on structures.i ill keep you posted on my progress

  300. Hello,
    My name is Pranav. I am currently in 12th grade. I always had dreamed of being an F1 Driver. But i don’t know how to start. I will be joining some good university next year for higher studies and it would be really helpful if you could suggest any good university or courses which i can join and help me get into F1 racing. And it is a really big dream of mine to drive the F1 car for my very own country, India.
    Thank you.

  301. sir ,iam pavan from india. in ur blog u have mentioned about FIA member clubs.how exactly can these clubs help us.do they hire students enthusiasts for work experience.

  302. Best of luck engineering those V6s for next season! 🙂 It was a sad day being the last for the V8s. I am curious to ser how those little 6 cylinders will hold up… 🙂

  303. Hi,can somebody work with f1 if mathematics doesn’t very well and can someone become a f1 driver without joining other race.Sorry if my english doesn’t very well.

  306. Hi, I am a 13 year old boy that lives in Brighton (England). I was wondering what could I do to become a racer. I would say how to become an F1 or F2 but i know there is a long way to get there. Can you give me some tips? Thanks. -Reba McDowall

    1. Hi Reba.

      At your age you need to start in karting.

      Find info on my website, the frequently asked questions section on how to become an F1 driver.

      Good luck.

  307. Hi,I want to have a job in F1 but I am worry because my maths doesn’t very well. So,I want to know can I work with F1 if my maths doesn’t very well.Sorry if my english doesn’t very well.

  308. Hi…
    I am hrithik ,im 14 year old ,live in india and i want to become a formula one racer/driver please give me direction when and how I start.I read your FAQ and blogs also but i can not find my answer correctly,so please give me answer again.And please give me an E-mail address for more questions and success steps for formula one racers.. please reply me fast …
    thanku in advance for helping me..

    1. Hi Hrithik

      It’s difficult to answer as I know so little about your situation. So many people ask me about becoming an F1 driver but it is very hard to explain.

      You must start at lower levels and see how you get on. F1 is such a high professional level that you cannot go there straight away.

      I sometimes tell people it is like asking to be on the Indian cricket team when you have never played cricket. You need to play with your friends, play for the local club, then play for the regional team, turn professional and then play for India if you are good enough.

  309. Hi i really need HELP!
    The f1 medics who drive the cars in the front i would love to do that job please tell me how!!?? many thanks

  311. Hello,

    I wanted to apply for an engineering job with several team, which is probably a good thing because I don’t want a specific team.
    But there are also several jobs that look interesting to me. Is it wise to apply for several jobs
    or will they think that you just try your chance without taking it seriously?

    Greetings

    1. Hi

      It depends if you are qualified for the roles for which you are applying. If you apply for an aerodynamicist position, a mechanic and a race team manager position then I would say it will look bad because there is no way you can be suitable candidate for all of these at the same time.

      If it is 3 similar positions then I would just write a general application & covering letter explaining your qualifications, experience and career aims and then ask if you could discuss it further with someone (that is, get interviewed).

      Too many dissimilar applications will not look good.

  312. Hi, Two things.
    1)I was wondering if you could follow me on twitter so i could send you direct messages? (@_michaellray)
    2) We did a practice course choice (Choosing options) for our higher courses next year, which are the basics required for university (Highers are scottish qualifications). However, I was unsure about whether to pick Graphic Communication or English. I would like to know how much English is valued if you are an engineer, and which one you would lean me towards. I will add that I would be prepared to do many roles in an f1 team, I dont have my eyes set on any one role, although I am thinking about perhaps doing a job that involves CAD. However, I am not too fussed, and I would just like some information from somebody that has experience.
    Thanks,
    Michael 🙂

    1. Hi Michael,

      A good grade in English will help you get a university place but it isn’t very important ultimately to work in F1 on the technical side. I would opt for the graphic design subject

  313. I Want To be a F1 RACER ..Now I am studding in Diploma in automobile engineering. What Can I do For That? i love speed .. I do not fear about that..

  315. Hi I’m a Multimedia Designer, Is there any possibility of a job in the F1 industry, i’m quite an avid fan of cars in general as well.

    1. Hi

      Marketing seems the obvious route. Clearly we make a lot of promotional material soon the web and video etc for promoting our sponsors.

  317. hi, i have a brother who is 9 yrs old and he went to PPIK in Leeds (indoor karting) and it was his first time there he beat everyone there and some of the people were 15 and drive there 2 or 3 times a week and you can tell that he is talented.He loves F1 and he he wants to be a F1 driver could you please tell me how he could be a driver and how you can get into formula ford ect.

  318. Thank you for reply me..,
    I know but in which level and how I start the races or level and where in India please give me direction and in which age.

  319. Hi workinmotorsport!

    My aim is to become a F1 Mechanic someday. I’m curious to know will an F1 Team expect you to know straight away how everything is assembled on an F1 car. Will they expect me to know where every part goes and to know what all the equipment does?

    I would be worried going in on my first day and looking like a complete melon! 😀

    1. Hi

      No you wouldn’t be expected to know. I don’t know how half of it works (bits I don’t work with) and even out technical director doesn’t know half of it!! It’s fine.

      You’d learn quickly so don’t worry

  321. Do I need to enter university if I want to be f1 mechanic and where is the place I can register myself to become f1 mechanic.

  322. Do I need to enter university if I want to be f1 mechanic and where is the place I can register myself to become f1 mechanic

    1. Maths is a core part of any engineering. Standard pre-university maths qualifications should be ‘enough’ but many take further or additional maths qualifications prior to university. It can only help you.

  324. Hi workinmotorsport!!!

    What about physicist?! What would be the path that you most recommend for a Master of Science in Physics?? I am 27, Mexican (just like Checo Pérez and Esteban Gutiérrez!), and have a really solid background in math, physics and numerical simulations which can be demonstrated with an International Award. I am interested in engine design, data analysis and non-linear phenomena simulations. Right now, my plan is to apply for a PhD in mechanical engineering oat Polito or Unimore in Italy for 2015… Then, while being in Europe, I would apply for research internships (in particular, the Ferrari Graduate Program). You think this is a good plan for getting into F1 Engineering? Or what would you suggest?

    Thank you very much in advance!!!!
    Best regards!

    1. Hi Jorge

      Your qualifications seem relevant I dont think thats a problem.

      I would suggest that if you go the PhD route then try to find a technology or research area that is relevant or of interest to racing cars. An industrial sponsor would be ideal but this is difficult to organise.

      Do not limit yourself to a particular team or institution such as Ferrari. Ferrari is incredibly popular and as such the competition is very very high. Look further afield and try to find an entry point into motorsport which is much less famous and much less well know and this will be far easier. Once you are working in motorsport it is much easier to change companies and move around, maybe you can then work for Ferrari eventually.

  325. Hi,I have 3 questions to ask.First,will f1 race continue untill the end of the world although we dont know the end of the world happen when.Second,how if f1 car designer doesnt have any idea anymore to design the shape of f1 car.Last,how many years engineer and mechanic work in f1.

  327. I am interested in a career in F1. Currently I am studying for a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, focusing on efficiency within the manufacturing area. How would you see this type of degree fit within F1? Do you think it would be more geared towards a engine manufacturer rather than a specific team?

    Thank you for your time. Your blog is very helpful and full of information.

    Bill

    1. Hi Bill

      I dont think it would be more suited to engines than chassis manufacture necessarily. Most teams are interested in maximising the turnover rate of parts for development purposes and so streamlining the manufacturing processes and making it as time efficient as possible is in most racing organisations interest. Much of the engine is metallic clearly, whereas much of the chassis & bodywork are composite parts and so are manufactured in a slightly different way and on different timescales. This is the main difference so it depends on where your expertise lies.

  328. Hi,I have 2 questions about the f1 mechanic and 2 questions about the f1 driver.First,how the new mechanic enter to f1.Second, Can someone become a f1 mechanic if the people dont know how to repair something.Third,what subject f1 driver must know.Last,how to be a f1 driver if all f1 team still have a complete drivers.

  329. hello sir ,iam pavan from india .iam currently pursuing my 2 nd year mech eng.first of all the blog as greatly inspired a youngster like me and i thank u for that.
    well iam currently working towards putting something solid on my resume to get me into f1.
    now iam half way thro my 2nd yr and now i have joined a student fsae team in my college (pretty much learning the basics).
    iam also pursueing my research on Al composites-do u think such research projects help me in my venture.pls comment on this.(well i can see i have tremendously improved in my material selection skills).
    i also see that iam good at getting innovative good ideas. iam also learning catia v5 on my own(well tryng to bring these ideas on computer).can u suggest 3 to 4 softwares that i can learn that are very important in the industry .so tht by the time i graduate i can have solid base in using these softs.

    1. Hi Ghazali

      F1 engineers need to know a lot of maths but it should be covered in any normal engineering degree. You just need to follow you normal school curriculum until that point.

      A mechanic’s education is less important, it is mainly down to practical experience and practical skills.

  331. Hi

    I’ve spoke to you before and you have been really helpful! I love the website, It is so useful and i can find out just a want very easily! Great job on it!

    Just one quick question. I couldn’t find it anywhere. To be a mechanic in Motorsport and hope to be in F1 one day, the best thing to do is do A levels in Maths and Physics with another A level which is related to them both. For me I’m going for resistant materials. Is this a good choice? Then do Mechanical engineering at Uni. Is this correct. Also what Uni’s would you recommend for a future in Motorsport?

    One last question BTEC city and gilds Engineering Level 2, Is this a good thing to achieve for a career in Motorsport?

    Thank you so much, You have been a big help!

    1. Hi David

      If you really want to be a mechanic then you don’t need a degree. It’s only necessary for engineers. I assume you know what the difference is? You can still be a mechanic with a degree but much of the learning is theory and bookwork which you will never use.

      I would go down the BTEC route for that, and try to get practical experience of building cars, racing cars if you can and try to get valid experience for F1.

      Hope I haven’t confused you there?

  332. What type of engineering is best to study at university if you want to get involved with the design of f1 cars?

  333. Hi workinmotorsport!!!

    What about physicists?! What would be the path that you most recommend for a Master of Science in Physics?? I am 27, Mexican, and have a really solid background in math, physics and numerical simulations which can be demonstrated with an International Award. I am interested in engine design, data analysis and non-linear phenomena simulations. Right now, my plan is to apply for a PhD in mechanical engineering oat Polito or Unimore in Italy for 2015, or perhaps a 1yr MSc at Southampton or Oxford Brookes… Then, while being in Europe, I would apply for research internships (in particular, the Ferrari Graduate Program). You think this is a good plan for getting into F1 Engineering? Or what would you suggest?

    Thank you very much in advance!!!!
    Best regards!

    1. Hi again Jorge

      I think I answered most of this but the 2 courses in the UK would be very good to do (Southampton & Brookes). They have strong industrial links and there are so many openings and oportunities in the motorsport industry in the UK.

  336. Hi,just now I read all comments and I found 1 comment about how to work in f1 if the job already full and the answer from you is just have need to wait.So,how do you know if f1 job already full just have need to wait.Second comment is about when is the final year of the formula 1 racing and the answer from you there is no end, it’s happen every year.The answer is from you or it is formula 1 rules.

    1. Hi

      You don’t know for sure if all the teams have the staff they need but there are very few weeks when there is not at least one team advertising for a vacancy. On that score I would say F1 is never full…

      Current concord agreements are confidential but many circuits & teams have contracts stretching beyond 2020 I believe. You can never say never but everyone in F1 wants it to continue for the foreseeable future and I would imagine they it will in some form or other. There are no guarentees though and it isn’t written into any rules.

  338. Hello, I would like to know if I can still be a Formula 1 driver, even when I did not begin to ride. I’m 15. Only I tried to drive a kart and it was good. thank you.

  339. hi, i want to join NK amaron f1 academy.could u suggest me some requirements/measures before joining it.can u tell me if it is helpful in achieving my dreams to become an f1 racer.

  340. hello sir ,iam pavan from india .iam currently pursuing my 2 nd year mech eng.first of all the blog as greatly inspired a youngster like me and i thank u for that.
    well iam currently working towards putting something solid on my resume to get me into f1.
    now iam half way thro my 2nd yr and now i have joined a student fsae team in my college (pretty much learning the basics).
    iam also pursueing my research on Al composites-do u think such research projects help me in my venture.pls comment on this.(well i can see i have tremendously improved in my material selection skills).
    i also see that iam good at getting innovative good ideas. iam also learning catia v5 on my own(well tryng to bring these ideas on computer).can u suggest 3 to 4 softwares that i can learn that are very important in the industry .so tht by the time i graduate i can have solid base in using these softs.

    1. Hi Pavan

      I would recommend learning, Excel & possibly MATLAB & Simulink if you have access to them. None of this is 100% necessary but if you can demonstrate that you are able to use them to produce useful work then it can only help.

      I am sure your composites research would be of interest to F1 teams yes so that sounds good.

  341. Hi
    I just wanted to ask if a electronic and electrical engineer can get in to f1, also at the moment im a secound year student and im trying to get a placment at a company does f1 take on industerail year students.

    Thank you so much for keeping this great blog

  344. Hi,what topics in maths f1 engineer should know and can someone become a f1 mechanic without experience with other motorsport?

    1. Only maths which any engineering degree with cover, nothing too specialist. Yes you can work in F1 with no experience but you will be up against other people who do

  345. sir could u tell me which is more flexible MATLAB or excel with vba.
    then as a design engineer do u need material selection skills.if yes how important do u consider it to be.

    1. It depends what you want to do, excel+VBA much quicker & simpler. MATLAB more suited to complex modelling & analysis

      Yes you need to select materials as a designer but its not that hard. It’s not a big skill. Most teams have metallurgists to consult with

  346. Hi there! I’ve always had the doubt of what career do I have to take to be one of the designers and engineers of the engines of the cars in a F1 team? So I’ll be really pleased if you can clarify my doubt. Thanks

    1. By career I presume you mean education or qualification. If so, then mechanical engineering is the most common.

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