2014 is the start of a new era in Formula 1 and the new look sport has already grabbed the headlines as teams struggle to get to grips with new technology and sport cars with ugly looking noses. F1 is set for a big change but this might also present a great opportunity for people wanting to get into the sport. Here are 5 ways I believe you can make the most of F1’s new rules and use this time of change to start your career in the sport :
1) Take advantage of diversifying technical challenges
The new engines in F1 are very complex but are a really great vision of the future of everyday road car technology. To succeed in 2014 F1 teams are going to need staff with a wider and more diverse set of skills than ever before. Electronics, IT, chemistry and materials are all set to make a greater contribution to performance in 2014 and mean opportunities for you to get involved.
2) Create innovative marketing opportunities
The cost of the new technologies has meant the budgets of even the biggest teams have been stretched further than ever before. Teams are looking for ever more inventive ways to market themselves and sell F1 to potential sponsors and partners. The new eco-friendly engines and hybrid technologies have opened up new markets and allow teams to promote a whole new energy conscious image for Formula 1. Teams will be on the lookout for marketing talent with fresh ideas and forward looking ways to generate income.
3) Take advantage of increased engine budget spend
While budgets at the teams themselves might be tight, the investment by the 3 (soon to be 4) engine manufacturers is set to be enormous as they battle for supremacy. As always, more money means more jobs and already these manufacturers are employing a huge amount more people than they were during the engine freeze years of the V8.
4) Get ready to attract new manufacturers
The new for 2014 Formula 1 is yet to get to its first race but already the new rules have created a large fan and media interest. The energy efficient technology and road car relevance are much more attractive to automotive companies than the old V8 rules. Behind the scenes there are many rumours that another manufacturer is ready to get involved, be that Audi, Toyota or BMW. Times have been tough but this might be the start of another expansion in Formula 1 and there will being many more jobs opportunities to go with it.
5) Get ready for more races and more testing
The F1 calendar was traditionally only made up of 16 races but that number has been steadily increasing over the past few seasons and is only likely to get bigger still as F1 expands into new markets such as Russia and the United States. There are 19 races in 2014 but this could be as many as 21 in 2015 with Mexico and New Jersey already making agreements with Bernie Ecclestone. In season testing also returns in 2014 and so teams will need more and more trackside capable personnel to cover all these events.
Get Involved
There have been lots of stories suggesting that F1 is struggling and that teams are at risk but motorsport has never been a safe and easy industry. Competition always has it losers but this is what makes F1 so challenging and compelling. I firmly believe that the new rules will come to be viewed as a very forward thinking concept over the coming years and that the rule makers have ensured an upcoming period of prosperity for Formula 1 and the people who work in it. If you want to be part of those good times, now might be the perfect time to get involved.
Keep in touch
I’ve written very little on this blog over the past few months due to the very high workload we’ve had getting the new car ready.
I still have a lot I want to write about and feel very strongly that I can give useful and helpful advice to aspiring F1 people. A few ‘copycat’ websites have begun to appear but to my knowledge this is still the only site written by someone who actually works in F1. If you truly want to work in F1 then I want to keep this site as the number one place to turn to.
You can keep up to date with future posts by following this blog at the top of the page and get my latest advice as soon as it is published.
I also try to keep involved via Twitter through my @Work_in_F1 account.
Best of luck and hope to see you on the grid one day!