Race Engineering

[g_conaty]

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone can give me some help. I am in the process of doing my GCSE exams at the minute and am commencing a BTEC course in Engineering in September. My ambition is to become a race engineer in formula 1 but i have some questions about university courses.

If i want to become a race engineer will i have to get a degree in motorsport engineering or aeronautical engineering.

If anyone can give me any help on this issue it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

[THR]

it helps, but the experience is worth a LOT more than a degree, if u have both, and an apprenticship it should make it really easy! but its not! lol.

the actual subject of the degree depends on wot u want to do, esp for aero.

[Dino IV]

I agree with THR. The value of a degree is only statistical to get you an entry pass in one of the teams, but experience is the thing more highly valued. It totally depends on your own qualities where you might end up. Are you an algebraic whizzkid fond of comps, than start fancying motormanagements or simulation software. Are you extremely creative then perhaps studies of materials and chassis components are attractive. But whatever you choose stick to your own qualities and don't pursue something that isn't like you in the first place. Keep your studies broad and when the first apprentices come along then try to see if you can find a way into motorsports. If that's not the case - which is not very unsurprising as the real circus is very small - then you can always fall back on your studies and take a different route at another junction. Life *sigh* ... anyway enjoy!

[kart_26]

hi
I am a mech. engg. student doing my BTEC in Hyderabad,India.
I would like to know how I can get into motorsports engineering because there are no institutions offering any courses related to it.
Could you please give me some advice?

[ParkLife]

Swansea Institute offer a course in Motorsport Engineering but I was a little dissapaointed in what I saw down there. But it did look interesting. I chose a Mechanical Engineering degree in the end.

Anyone got any jobs going? I'll do anything. Well, almost anything, not that anyway.

Actually, I can't be picky. Go on then, even that.

[Jay]

It's probably better to get an engineering degree from a reputable instution than go to a college for a specialised degree in motorsports. That way if motorports doesn't work out you'll likely have something to fall back on.

Another thing to consider is that motorports engineering isn't the most lucrative career...unless you make it really big, and I mean F1. You could likely do a lot better in industry with as any other type of engineer. Still...if you really love it..... go for it.

[Hugh Jarce]

Not only do you need qualifications, a mate of mine who is well, well up in a team maintains there is a lot of 'being in the right place at the right time' and being very, very persistent!

[Mackmot]

I'm going to Coventry University in september to do a Motorsport Engineering degree. Its a brand new course so they will be desperate to impress, they are already a very good engineering college and they are just on the edge of 'motorsport valley'. I'll tell you in a few months if they are worth going to.

[DAVID PATERSON]

There's a very good article in the latest edition of Racecar Enginneering magazine on this topic. Basically the bloke says they have many graduates looking for engineering jobs with race teams that have a degree but no experience. Spectating at every GP doesn't count. His advice was go to a club meeting and chat to the amateur teams there and find one you like and they'd probably be stoked to get some help. They can't afford to pay you but they will give you valuable experience. Don't wait till you graduate either, you can be getting experience while you study.

[Amaroo Park]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
There's a very good article in the latest edition of Racecar Enginneering magazine on this topic. Basically the bloke says they have many graduates looking for engineering jobs with race teams that have a degree but no experience. Spectating at every GP doesn't count. His advice was go to a club meeting and chat to the amateur teams there and find one you like and they'd probably be stoked to get some help. They can't afford to pay you but they will give you valuable experience. Don't wait till you graduate either, you can be getting experience while you study.

There was a guy in my Class when I was an Apprentice Mechanic who worked on a Formula Holden. Anyway at the Australian GP in the early ninties the car he was working on was breaking crank shafts constantly due to incorrect tunnel boring of the main bearing journals. He came up with the idea of heating the block and tunnel boring it when it was hot. It work and word spread around the pits about. Anyway cutting to the chase he was then offered a job with Bennetton F1 and from what I understand is still working for them.

[ginettag27]

Most of life is either who you know or being in the right place at the right time. You might be interested to read Steve Matchetts books, as I have quite recently done - they chart his progress in to Formula 1 as a Race Mechanic (for Benetton, when they weren't so good and then when they signed up one 'Michael Schumacher'.... ). His first book is about the '94 season - which was full of incident.. His second book was more about his whole career and how he actually made it in to Formula 1. One of his 'traits' was the he was downright persistent!

Good luck!

EPS
:-)

[Orkun Ozener]

I want to ask a question about this subject, I'll be graduated from a technical universty next year, I want to take post graduate degre course about Motor Sport Enginerring. Do you know any unývesrty tahat gives post graduate educaiton about Motor Sport...

Thanks.

[Mackmot]

Yeah, Cranfield do the top post grad coarse, its pretty expensive though

[Onlooker]

From the amount of guys that come and go in motorsport be very careful about putting all your eggs in the one basket."Everyone" wants to be in F1 but few do when they get there it's not what you think and most motorsport is like that.Always have a back up plan as you could go to any uni in any country and find 4 Mech Eng students that want to go to F1 but as there is only 22 cars or 22 jobs what are the odds that it wont happen?Very very high indeed, don't be left with a useless degree that will get you nowhere, materials, strenghts, kinematics, calculas, CAD, fluids are all needed and are required in the broader system as well so hedge your bets and as a previus post said persistance ,experience and being in the right place at the right time will be more likely to get you in than some "motorsport degree"

[mattray]

There are plenty of national and club teams out there that have plenty of mechanics needing tea and coffee and lunch, why not find one near you or your uni and offer to do this for them?

You will be shocked at how much you will learn from sitting around at lunch time with everyone and just watching and helping as needed. I started doing this when i was 16 and have had a job when ever I have needed one because of the contacts I have made through it. You can only make contacts if you are in that right place.