How to get in Formula 1...

coen89 · 21 Apr 2006, 12:43 (Ref:1590835)

hi everyone,

I'm a 16 year old boy from Holland who wants to get in formula 1, DTM, WRC it doesn't matter, if it's motorsport its great! In the following years I will follow a course for Aviations Operations this is like a back-up plan. I already work in local raceteam to gain some experience (only i have to clean the cars but to taste how a raceteam works, it's a brilliant job..) Now my question is how have you got into the motorsport, is there work in the motorsport bussiness and does someone knows a technical racecar book that i can find in Holland?, because there arent much technical racecar books

I want to thank you already

greet, Coen

avsfan733 · 21 Apr 2006, 13:37 (Ref:1590895)

Howdy Coen!

ok for starters your not gonna find a lot of the technical books that are current. There is the one technical analysis out their which is a few years old and it was written by Peter Wright. In terms of getting involved...well good luck. Currently I am a mechanical engineering student who is looking to do the same things you are. What I have found is that the teams themselves don't take anyone without a good reason. I am currently looking to fulfill the requirements for y degree which include 5 period of work placement. The only even close to relevant thing I have found is the Renault academy which is setup for graduate research students. I doubt you will have much luck without a engineering degree of some form. I have had some more luck by approaching people that supply some teams.

Personally, I plan on continuing my education with an advanced degree in composites design and research either with a prof at my current school who is doing related research, or another one which I have a contact with. What you nee to do and what I am trying to do is find a specialty that is very relevant to racing. Remeber that things like mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering etc have applications outside of racing so they leave you with both a better opportunity to get involved and a fall back plan. Hope that helped a little bit. PM me if you wanna talk more or just ask specific questions.

ps I am very involved with Formula SAE (Formula Student) and try to stay current with my technical knowledge by reading SAE and ASME papers that I feel are relevant. Better info their than your going to get places because they are actual technical research papers under close scrutiny by their peers

ss_collins · 25 Apr 2006, 10:10 (Ref:1594494)

Well I'd tell you what to read but that would be advertising...

When I was 16 I got my first and most important breaks into the motorsport industry, a motorsport club ran a hillclimb in my local park and I was offered work experience at Williams. I'd too had read all the book I could find and read every magazine going. Joining the local motorsport club gave me access to local competitors and thier experience, and Williams advised me to attend a technical college that had a motorsport engineering diploma that fed into the market leading degree course at Oxford Brookes. I did both.

Oxford Brookes is probably the best place to get you degree from if you want a job in F1, there are a lot of local teams (in other catergories beyond F1 too) in the area. I'm not sure bout the Dutch unis, all I know is what I see at the FSAE and FSUK events, so can't really comment.

My advice to you is to look into doing the Motorsport engineering diploma at Brooklands College and then the UK universities, Brookes I've mentioned but there are others like Kingston, Brunel, Birmingham, Leeds and Swansea that are pretty damn good.

rcarr · 25 Apr 2006, 14:14 (Ref:1594672)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss_collins

My advice to you is to look into doing the Motorsport engineering diploma at Brooklands College and then the UK universities, Brookes I've mentioned but there are others like Kingston, Brunel, Birmingham, Leeds and Swansea that are pretty damn good.

Excuse me! You forgot Cranfield! Bursaries from Williams and one of the steering commitee is Pat Symonds! Probably the best post-graduate in the world!

avsfan733 · 25 Apr 2006, 16:55 (Ref:1594757)

oh I don't like you two having this discussion

I have looked at these schools for postgrad thigns but its near impossible for us US kids to get a chance

**FIRE** · 25 Apr 2006, 20:22 (Ref:1594882)

Quote:

Originally Posted by coen89

hi everyone,

I'm a 16 year old boy from Holland who wants to get in formula 1, DTM, WRC it doesn't matter, if it's motorsport its great! In the following years I will follow a course for Aviations Operations this is like a back-up plan. I already work in local raceteam to gain some experience (only i have to clean the cars but to taste how a raceteam works, it's a brilliant job..) Now my question is how have you got into the motorsport, is there work in the motorsport bussiness and does someone knows a technical racecar book that i can find in Holland?, because there arent much technical racecar books

I want to thank you already

greet, Coen

Do you know the book of former Sauber mechanic Armand Broekmans? See:
http://213.211.153.184/autonetcarboo...&Prod_ID=brcgY

Maybe this book is something for you? (I didn't read the book myself)

At this Dutch auto(sport) bookshop they have a lott of other books (you don't need a creditcard).

rcarr · 25 Apr 2006, 20:31 (Ref:1594890)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avsfan733

oh I don't like you two having this discussion

I have looked at these schools for postgrad thigns but its near impossible for us US kids to get a chance

I must disagree! A few of my friends in cranfield are from the US!

ss_collins · 25 Apr 2006, 21:06 (Ref:1594921)

yes cranfield is world leading in post grad but thats a bit far ahead for a 16 year old don't you think.

I was at the project presentation last week - I know all about cranfield, and think its a great place.

rcarr · 25 Apr 2006, 21:39 (Ref:1594947)

I should have been there! I used to be in the winning team! Oh well never mind! I dropped out in March!

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 09:55 (Ref:1595277)

well first of all,
thanks all for your reactions. That dutch book can be very handy, thanks. I'm now 16 as you know and already helping at a raceteam (bleekemolen) so the fact to get experience is good work i think. It's hard to tell a non-dutchie how our schoolsystem works but i will be 20 when i could begin with a post-grade studie so cranfield is maybe a very good place to go then (financiel scenary not considerd). In holland post-grade is called HTS i believe isn't it? The way to get in Formula 1 is always hard so these days I will gain experience as much as I can

so if someone has good sitee with lots of technical info please send them to me and i will be very thankfull.

greet,
Coen

ss_collins · 26 Apr 2006, 10:02 (Ref:1595281)

rcarr the one and only drop out.

I think HTS is degree - post grad is post degree - It rare to see a post grad student under 23

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 10:15 (Ref:1595299)

ah.. i thought a degree would be studying on a university and so on

but if that's "hbO" nivo well then I'm really going for race-engineer!

rcarr · 26 Apr 2006, 10:55 (Ref:1595327)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss_collins

rcarr the one and only drop out.

Was anything said about me dropping out?

It was just the wrong choice for me. I am a car designer not an engineer! The course is for engineers wanting to become race engineers not car designers to become race car designers!

Suze · 26 Apr 2006, 11:11 (Ref:1595338)

The one and only drop out...?! Hms...

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 11:20 (Ref:1595346)

does anyone know some interesting websites about race-engineering?

ss_collins · 26 Apr 2006, 11:53 (Ref:1595364)

www.mulsannescorner.com
www.racecar-engineering.com
www.scarbsf1.com

coen I'm not sure but the Uni degrees in the UK are the equivalent of HTS but do check as I'm not sure

only that there was one drop out only.

dropping out can be the best option.

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 13:45 (Ref:1595456)

could you explain drop out? it's for me a unknown term

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 14:00 (Ref:1595463)

BTW what book is better, race engineers and mechanics or engineer to win?

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 18:22 (Ref:1595607)

Ah, I think I now now what HTS is, it's pre-grade so I don't get a degree but will be engineer..

Suze · 26 Apr 2006, 20:11 (Ref:1595668)

Dropping out may be....coen89, dropping out is leaving something without finishing it - eg doing 2 yrs of a 4 yrs uni course, that can be called "dropping out" and the person that does that is a "drop out."

That make sense?!

coen89 · 26 Apr 2006, 21:06 (Ref:1595708)

yes, thank you, wasn't familiar with the term, but now i am

rcarr · 26 Apr 2006, 23:24 (Ref:1595824)

Don't get me wrong, I have a prefectly decent degree under my belt! A car design degree not an engineering 1!

I'd class my time at cranfield was an error! I dont see myself as a drop out!

coen89 · 27 Apr 2006, 13:13 (Ref:1596228)

*ontopic again: what do you learn on the course race-engineering?

avsfan733 · 27 Apr 2006, 14:15 (Ref:1596268)

ok now I am totally having a hard time following this discussion. I know the educational standards in europe are better I'm guessing ares just don't improve because we can't figure out what to steal from ya'lls

coen89 · 30 Apr 2006, 18:44 (Ref:1598246)

well in Holland we don't have a special course for race-engineering

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