F1 Job Roles

Here you can find descriptions and essential information about a variety of job roles in Formula 1. From here, you can work out what you want to do and what you need to achieve in order to get that job of your dreams.

F1 Job Roles :

Junior Designer
Senior Designer
Chief Designer
Technical Director

Please note that this section is underconstruction and I hope to add many more job roles and descriptions to it in the coming days and weeks. The descriptions are general and may vary from team to team. Salaries are typical but again vary a great deal and so this information is provided only as guide and should not be relied upon.

24 Comments

  1. Hi, Just want to put out, what a great idea this website is!

    I am 14 and extremely interested in motorsport. One of my friends is doing fairly well in karting and is hoping for a driving career. I have not started karting and know its to late if i want a career, but i’ve taken a huge intrest in becoming a race engineer one day. I’m doing fairly well in sciences (physics, chemistry and biology) and am doing ok in maths, but i know i can improve my grades with a bit more work. So what would be the best way to go forward to get into a race team as race director? I know that it would take a lot of study and many years of training before i get there! Thanks!

    Nicholas
    November 27, 2013 at 4:59 pm

    1. race engineer, sorry typo.

      Nicholas
      November 27, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    2. Hi

      Try reading this if you haven’t already it might help you

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/01/28/how-to-get-a-job-as-an-f1-race-engineer/

      workinmotorsport
      November 27, 2013 at 9:51 pm

  2. Hi there, I have no relavant degree only one in graphic design but have since worked as a mechanical engineer on specifically the transmissions or gear boxes of all kinds of private and commercial vehicles. I have always had a passion for formula one and also for technology and would love to somehow get involved. Is it possible to get into the mechanical side of the sport without qualifications and do the teams do any form of apprenticeships where you can learn while working for them?
    Thanks for your time,
    Philip

    p4lcrooksta
    November 24, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    1. Hi Philip

      Yes teams have apprenticeships but they are generally for school leavers or people in their early 20’s. I dont know how old you are.

      I would advise trying to volunteer your services for smaller race teams or private individuals and learning about racing cars that way. An F1 team is unlikely to take you on straightaway because it is such a high level in the sport. If you can demonstrate some understanding of racing and racing cars through your experience then I am sure you can get work in motorsport and work towards F1.

      work_in_f1
      December 18, 2013 at 9:50 pm

  3. First of all I would like to thank you for putting up this website for us. I will have a bachelor in International Business and Marketing by the end of the year, and I was wondering if F1 offers any jobs related to those two? Also, what would be the best way to start?

    Karl
    November 5, 2013 at 9:31 am

    1. Hi Karl

      You would be best served in the marketing area of F1, building and managing relations with sponsors and investors.

      There are lots of those jobs around, especially in the bigger teams but I would suggest contacting lower formula drivers and offering part-time help to them for free to build up your experience, contacts and resume before you could work in F1. Its often a good route and it looks very good to an F1 team later on.#

      Good luck

      workinmotorsport
      November 6, 2013 at 10:18 pm

  4. how does someone go about actually racing the cars? and do we have to provide our own cars? um, do you know any other jobs or anything that you know of that can race or test cars?

    mike
    November 5, 2013 at 4:33 am

    1. Hi Mike – you need to be an accomplished professional racing driver to race in F1.

      http://jobinf1.com/2013/05/08/how-to-become-an-f1-driver/

      You can’t provide your own car as they cost £60million a year to develop and hundreds of staff. Entry is limited to 11 teams now.

      workinmotorsport
      November 5, 2013 at 10:25 pm

  5. Hi there,

    Thanks for putting your site up. I’ve been a broadcast engineer for years travelling the globe but am very interested in race control. Are you aware if those who manage it are employed by F1 directly?

    Jack
    October 27, 2013 at 10:59 am

    1. Hi Jack,

      I must admit I’m not sure how it works exactly. Charlie Whiting is the overall race director but he is employed by the FIA not by Bernie. F1 essentially own the commercial aspects of F1 but the FIA and the hosting motor club run the meeting itself.

      Does that makes sense? It depends what you want to do really.

      workinmotorsport
      October 27, 2013 at 9:31 pm

  6. Hi, great idea to create a website about this subject! Just what I was looking for.

    In contradiction to most of the boys and girls around here I am not a technician. Still I’d like to work in the F1. Logistics is my area of expertise. I was wondering if there are jobs at F1 teams. (It’s seems te bo there not since I haven’t found any vacancy) If there are, could you tell me what kind of jobs and what kind of requirements there are? Currently I have a Dutch bachelors degree in logistics with experience in shipping and distribution. Actually on both sides: transportation company and at manufacturer.

    Hope you can help me out. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work.

    Rienk
    October 13, 2013 at 7:30 pm

    1. Hi Rienk

      What about this job at Ferrari?

      http://jobs.ferrari.com/cezannecv/RecruitmentWeb/CznWfResearch_FERRARI.asp?FUNID=7004517&ACTION=INSERT&RITORNO=INIZIO&LANGID=1033&DINAMICIMAGES=STD

      workinmotorsport
      October 14, 2013 at 9:26 pm

  7. is there a job doing interview with f1 drivers asking question that have never been asked or dare ask before

    catherine.seals@googlemail.com
    October 10, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    1. Hi Catherine,

      You’d need to be a journalist, either on TV or a print journalist to get the chance to ask those questions.

      Why not start a blog?! It’s how a lot of young journalists seem to be starting out in their careers these days

      workinmotorsport
      October 12, 2013 at 8:38 am

  8. HI…..This is varun from india. I am done with my graduation in computer sciences and technology, and planning for master’s for 2014 fall.How much scope do i have to enter forumla1 in technical department.Please suggest me a major stream in master’s to increase my chances in getting through f1 . I really have great passion towards f1. I love to work with any team

    varun
    October 8, 2013 at 4:18 am

    1. Hi Varun

      Thanks for the comment. It depends on what you want to do really. Do you want to get involved in computer technology in F1, software perhaps or move across slightly and get involved in car design & development? The answer would change depending on what you want to do

      workinmotorsport
      October 16, 2013 at 12:24 pm

  9. Thank you for the informations shared on this blog, it is really nice to know someone is willing to help those wanting a future in the F1 world 🙂
    But what I really wanted to know is this: is there a position in F1 for someone with an International Relations degree?
    Thank you in advance

    FSander
    October 6, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    1. Hi

      I’m not sure exactly but I would think your skills could be useful in marketing and sponsorship finding as we desk with a large number of international corporations for sponsorship partnerships,

      workinmotorsport
      October 14, 2013 at 9:40 pm

  10. Well, I had a query regarding previous ques “Do we need degree to enter into F1??”, comments were closed to that ques, so kindly accept my apologies for the inconvenience. So, here is my ques:

    I am Bachelor degree holder in Mechanical Engineering from India. I am good at designing. Presently I am planning for Masters and then PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics.? Does my chances improve in R&D Dept.,? As you said, most of the designers doesn’t have any degrees and many of them are school dropouts. So, what would be my chances to enter into F1?

    chennatej90
    August 25, 2013 at 3:58 pm

    1. Hi

      Thanks for your comments.

      A few answers then. Firstly most designers DO have a degree, only a small percentage would not these days as it is a very specialised role. Many other job roles in F1 do not need degrees but to be a designers you should aim to have one.

      If you want to be an aerodynamicist, then the CFD course is the right one to take.

      workinmotorsport
      September 25, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    2. You also asked what are your chances to get into F1. I can’t answer that I’m afraid. There are lots of people with masters degrees who want to work in F1. To be sure that you get the job you need to do more, go further and make yourself stand out. That will improve your chances dramatically !

      workinmotorsport
      September 25, 2013 at 10:10 pm

  11. 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

    Marat Gilmutdinov
    July 2, 2013 at 2:23 am

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