how do I get to work in F1??

luckygirl · 15 May 2003, 19:58 (Ref:600157)

I am a mechanical engineer living in London. I am trying to find out how I could break into working for any aspect of racing...but especially F1.

racingdick · 15 May 2003, 20:17 (Ref:600195)

when you find out let us all know

**Bononi** · 15 May 2003, 20:19 (Ref:600200)

Welcome luckygirl !

Maybe you'll find more information in the Racing Technology forum...

But have fun around, we appreciate all new (female) members !

racingdick · 15 May 2003, 20:26 (Ref:600216)

we like Girls, Id be gay if i didn't

Armco Bender · 15 May 2003, 20:55 (Ref:600262)

I've had my name down with all the Teams for a position as a driver for the last 25 years.........I'm still waitng for my phone to ring,........and I know I'm the next Fangio

Logrence · 15 May 2003, 23:50 (Ref:600413)

Female? You could be a pit babe...

corkholio · 15 May 2003, 23:56 (Ref:600415)

Let Paul Stoddart or Eddie Jordan borrow your checkbook.

Lee Janotta · 16 May 2003, 01:35 (Ref:600447)

Hmm... That's a headscratcher.

I have a friend who got work in baseball by dating the daughter of one team's general manager, who subsequently bribed my friend with a job to leave his daughter alone.

Dunno how that'd work for you, but, it's an idea!

Oh, and welcome aboard.

racefanatic · 16 May 2003, 02:38 (Ref:600480)

Wow this is just what I need. I'm a sophomore in high school and I'm planning to major in mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman in a few years. I just want to be involved in racing, and my dad told me that being the biggest fan in the world won't help, so if you have any advice...

Snrub · 16 May 2003, 04:52 (Ref:600537)

I imagine to start on a path that would lead to F1 you'd have to be top graduate in the UK for a given year. Over here there's a yearly challange called Formula SAE. Teams from universities in the US and Canada compete to build open wheel cars with motorcycle engines. Obviously that would be a good step. I'm not sure how one exactly gets involved in being a part of a racing team, but clearly that opens up some connections. I know of a guy who's participated in the team side of several high level series in north america and he has all sorts of crazy stories, meetings, connections.

I understand there's a university over there that is considered the best in the world for aerospace, aerodynamics,etc. engineering. Is that Rose-Hulman? That would certainly help.

I'm only a Computer Engineer so I don't know this stuff.

Charlex · 16 May 2003, 05:20 (Ref:600542)

It's almost impossible to start working in F1, without making it in an smaller series, like F3 or F3000. If I were you I would try in a F3 team, in UK it would be a little more difficult than the rest of europe, you have the German F3 instead, where the teams are a bit small, and it could be easier to get the job. In which segmoent do you want to work? Design? Race setup? Data analysis? Because the paths to travel are going to be different depending the specialization you want. If you want to design, maybe you don't need to work in samlls teams, were you design nothing.
I wanted to do the same thing, but living in this part of the world doesn't help much, now I got a job in the petroleum area, but any time I can change.
The way I thought I would do it was making a Master in Motorsport. Thats another choice with a lot of possibilities of success, but it ha a price, maybe a high cost. Leeds or Cranfield were my choices.

ASCII Man · 16 May 2003, 07:14 (Ref:600581)

You could apply to the Ferrari mechanic school in Maranello, they train future ferrari mechanics there who have the possibility to work for the F1 team if they're good enough.

Kex · 16 May 2003, 11:42 (Ref:600808)

Read Steve Matchett's (ex-Benetton mechanic) book, The Mechanic's Tale which should give you a few ideas...

shiny side up! · 16 May 2003, 13:35 (Ref:600966)

FSAE is a great place to start if you are at one of the Uni's that has a team. Here in the states, being an FSAE engineer is becoming a necessity to get an entry level engin job for a professional team in CART/IRL/NASCAR. Also, there are a couple of Uni's in the UK that have offer a motorsports engineering program... I don't remember which... but that might be worth looking into.

Volunteering for a team of any formula will only do you good, but best would be other open wheel/single seaters... also, you might want to get a subscription to the industry magazines, Racecar Engineering and Race Tech are great places to start, and they often even have classifieds and 'how to work/find a job in racing' type sections in them...

Jay · 16 May 2003, 14:15 (Ref:601019)

A number of FSAE engineers from my Uni went to work at BAR.... just make sure you get an actual degree (or some kind of training) that you can fall back on in case your dream doesn't come true. Engineering is good.

That said, DO NOT go into engineering if you just love racing. A love of racing will not get you through a grueling 4 year program. Calculus, Mechanics, Chemistry, Electronics, Computers and Stats will. I can't stress that enough, every year thousands of students go into engineering without the faintest clue of what they're getting involved in....they don't last long.

Inigo Montoya · 16 May 2003, 14:29 (Ref:601031)

The best way to get into F1 is to start in a lower racing series. Send out emails/letters to every team you can find in the lower formulas. One of my former students took this approach and now works with a CART Toyota Atlantic based team - and travels all over north america with the team. Once you get your foot in, from what I have been told, then you steadily will move up the formulas.

Good luck!

M Coupe · 16 May 2003, 14:34 (Ref:601036)

Also, be careful of what you actually want to do. And more importantly what you are prepared to do, (and no I don't mean that

)

I know someone who used to work for the Jordan, and Sauber teams. His salary was good but not earth shattering (and it was a base salary only, no overtime paid, although there was a point win bonus). The hours are ridiculous. You should get 25 days holiday a year, when?? during the season the teams are VERY reluctant to give you time off, the closed season is packed full of new car work. Then you also should only work 5 days a week (European law has a maximum number of hours you can be made to work).
F1 teams expect the following, usually after a race weekend you get the Monday off, however if it is a problem weekend, and ALL the teams have those, you are required in work on the Monday, and it isn't a standard 8 hour day, you work all week, most of the weekend as well, then the following week to get the car ready, then it's off to the GP, even those team members who don't travel spend a lot of time in the office. Oh, and if you aren't prepared to work the long hours, don't expect to last long before you are looking for a new job.

I always wanted to work in F1 until I saw how the staff were treated, and deceide to give it a miss, I now work for a road car Manufacturer, and have done so for a number of years (not all with the same one), at least in the road car business you get to test drive the products.

Also if you do want to go into F1 then a Mechanical Degree isn't the best place to start, Aerospace or electronics are. I know someone else who was interviewed for a Race Engineers job at Jordan, he had ZERO mechanical knowledge, knew nothing about suspension or engines, but was a very good electronics and ECU engineer, and he wasn't turned down after the 1st Interview.

And Jay's second paragraph is spot on. I did exactly that to a certain extent, but worked my way through it to get my degree.

Jay · 16 May 2003, 18:07 (Ref:601250)

That's true, F1 isn't the kindest of working environments. You'd have to REALLY love it to want to work there. If I was offered it, I might try it for a year, but definately not as a career. The life of glamour the drivers live is very very different from the life the mechanics and engineers live. The pay is mediocre, the hours are seemingly never ending, and despite all the travel, they don't see much of the places they visit, because they're always at the track. You'd have to really love what you're doing...which is much different than really loving F1 or racing. If you've never been around a racing team or haven't spoken with someone who has, you have no idea what it's about to work in motorsports.

nameless · 16 May 2003, 19:54 (Ref:601311)

i am going on to loughborough university next year to study a degree in automotive engineering with the hope it may one day lead me into motorsport, not sure im up to the workload of F1, but i wouldnt sniff at btcc or similar.

garagegirl · 16 May 2003, 20:58 (Ref:601358)

how about studying motorsport engineering? thats what i hope to aspire to do at uni

J.McClane · 16 May 2003, 21:23 (Ref:601377)

I'm a chef and 5 years back I was asked if i wanted to join the catering team in F1 at Silverstone.

I thought about it and turned the offer down...............glad I did too.

Inside_Info · 16 May 2003, 21:56 (Ref:601420)

Quote:

Originally posted by garagegirl
how about studying motorsport engineering? thats what i hope to aspire to do at uni

Just make sure you have other interests as well!!! If you study motorsport engineering and then can't find a job in racing, then what are you going to do....?

Bear in mind that a large number of people have been laid off in this business (designers, engineers, mechanics... and others) in the last year or so....

There's very few jobs going at the moment....

Ralf · 17 May 2003, 06:04 (Ref:601585)

There's a few jobs available in F1.....
Can you drive a Jaguar or a Jordan???

Ralf · 17 May 2003, 06:11 (Ref:601586)

Or can you commentate?

Armco Bender · 17 May 2003, 23:04 (Ref:602182)

Oii,buzz off,I've got my name in first for the next available drive,if I need an assistant to carry my helmet bag or something I'll phone you.

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