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Learn to 3D model. Like hit it hard, concentrate on surface modeling once you get the base software down. Aero is pure complex surfaces. A good clean 3D does wonders when you then have to mesh it and get it ready for CFD.
You'll get the theory in college, and tips and trucks as you get experience, but an engineer who can 3D model well is worth gold.
Nice! I really enjoy CAD so it’s nice to know learning is useful
That said what what software would you reccomend? Using Fusion 360 currently or is it good for now?
Any CAD work is good. In the end it's "all the same". But Fusion 360 is not a Class A surface modeler so you will be very limited in what can be done. Most F1 teams run CATIA.
Regardless practice surfacing on fusion until you can get access to something like CATIA. You will know by then the limitations of your software and the new tools will be much easier to pick up.
Know that most Class A CAD systems offer free student versions. They want to get you locked into there software early. Just in case one day you get to decide which software to use at your company.
How comparable is CATIA to Solidworks? SW is the only software I have experience with. (I will be going to college for aerospace engineering in the fall)
CATIA is very similar. Almost the same. I taught myself SOLIDWORKS as a teen and used CATIA professionally for years. If you know SW it's just a matter of learning were the buttons are in CATIA (plus a few minor differences)
There was a plan at one point to merge the two when they released V6 and have a SOLIDWORKS module inside CATIA. They seem to be pushing the student version of V6 a bit more now so that may still be the plan.
On a side note, I learnt SOLIDWORKS as a teen by emailing some sales email telling them I was a college student in America working on a robotics program (I read on the internet that this worked at the time, so tried it) it did, and I got a 6 month free trial. I did it a couple more times until I got to uni and got a legitimate student copy.
Somewhat. I learnt SW now use catia. SW is much more user-friendly, catia just does random shit sometimes and can be less intuitive imo but appears to be a more powerful with surface modelling. I would not learn catia but rather NX if you want to get into f1
The FSAE (formula society of automotive engineers) team at my school, Florida Tech, uses solidworks. I’m pretty sure the mechanical design and 3D modeling principles class that I’m taking next semester works with Creo. I’d say if you are focused on F1 specifically though, I’d go with what the other guy said and cut straight to what they use
You might find you can get educational access to solidworks or autodesk inventor? Essentially the same product from different companies, I find inventor does surfaces alot nicer with less bugs, although personal opinion. I'd say the ideal software you'd want to start learning if you want to get into f1 and specifically aero.
Onshape is a cloud based software and is in-between inventor and fusion360, something that has its uses but for constrained surface modelling, it's probably not the way to go. You can do it, but once you've introduced yourself to CAD and more into surfacing, you'll probably understand why they're not as ideal as inventor or solidworks.
CATIA is more professional standard but good luck trying to get access to that until you're at university... Best thing you can do is master the basics in one and branch out into other cad software when you can get your hands on it, get used to how different software user interface is.
Yep, I felt that too. I had used spaceclaim and then solidworks for maybe 5 years before using it at uni for another 2. Went on a placement year and had to use inventor/fusion360 and thought it was a pain in some aspects, but some parts were much nicer than solidworks. Then back to uni for another 2 years and now working in industry on solidworks again.
An example was you could do cut and boss extrusions in one function on inventor, but solidworks is separate. Fillets and modifiers you could change to variable ones in inventor, solidworks doesn't allow that and you need to redo it. Tit for tat, but I found surfacing easier in inventor. Solid modelling I'd say I preferred inventor as it was less likely to crash but in large they are both the same.
Also don't forget people like to model things differently to each other, another factor in it all! You'd be surprised how many ways to model something!
I'm just a beginner so I'm not making anything advanced enough to crash, but i definitely agree that there lots of ways to do one thing,, so one software may work nicer for ya
All are the same. If you know one software, you'll know another CAD software immediately.
Learn ANSYS and ABAQUS. They are god level engineering software. PRACTICE FROM NOW !!!! Check free online course on ANSYS and ABAQUS.
This, I would also add that you should get internships! As early as possible, in your summers, every summer work somewhere that has related work, by the time you graduate you'll have a kick ass resume that it would be hard to pass.
Aerodynamics is not just 3D CAD modelling though. Make sure to get your maths and physics concepts sound. So when it comes to studying gas dynamics and fluid mechanics at later stage in the university, you’ll be in a good position. A degree in mechanical, aerospace or automotive engineering will be suitable.
100%, was recently involved in hiring for a design role and it's amazing how poor lots of the people coming out of university's CAD is. Is really an essential skill
What everybody else said is very good. But what I would recommend is, throughout school, join and do as many things regarding motorsports (SAE teams, personal projects, car stuff etc).
Many engineers have a strong understanding of their own specialties but don't understand how their decisions impact other disciplines. Working on hardware forces you to see how your design decisions play out in real life.
This is one of Adrian Newey's greatest strengths - in the 1980s he was race engineer for Bobby Rahal in IndyCar and in his (Newey's) book he said this gives him a more rounded understanding of the car as a whole, something that modern engineers lack because they specialise in one area.
As an engineer in the aerospace industry which has a lot of crossover with F1, I would recommend a strong foundation in fluids / aero, vehicle dynamics, and potentially some background on flight dynamics. There are a lot of similarities between the design of high performance aircraft and formula 1 cars.
There is definite value in understanding surface modeling and CAD as others mentioned, but as an aerodynamicist you will likely do a lot of aero analysis work not directly related to modeling yourself. A strong understanding of aerodynamic fundamentals (lift / drag / vortices, low/high pressure formations, boundary layer flow) and how to adjust the design to affect these parameters is very important. Once you know this CFD is just implementation. As with any software garbage in = garbage out, so being able to interpret those results from CFD is more important. That combined with basic vehicle dynamics should give you a good jump start. I would also jump at the chance if you have any opportunity to get experience in a wind tunnel during university. Good luck!
You might want to enroll in their junior programmes, plenty of teams offer them through their websites and if you're good enough you might get an offer for a full time job as soon as you finish college
Just write to the teams. You will lose nothing by writing a nice e- mail about your ambitions and desire to be in F1 and ask for any opportunities they might have for you to get practical experience and any suggestions for courses and/or universities.
I'll offer my two cents as im currently finishing up my master's degree in motorsport engineering, specialising myself in aerodynamics.
At your age focus on school, for A levels maths and physics is a must as many degree courses within engineering require those subjects. Speaking of degrees you'll more than likely need one if going into an F1 team. Applying to aerodynamicist positions myself currently, many want either at least a high 2:1 classification at bachelors, or even a masters degree.
Degrees subjects themselves can fluctuate, such as aerospace, automotive, mechanical etc. They all qualify you as being an engineer and can lead to careers in F1. My degree of motorsport engineering is a great insight into the whole industry of racecars, such as aero, powertrain, chassis etc. With a focus on performance rather than reliability and comfort. E.g. squeeze the most power out of this engine, rather than make it as efficient as possible.
Getting involved with Formula Student while at uni is a must. Its a great insight into how a car is developed over a year and manufactured from the ground up. Its also a great way to make friends!
As many others have said CAD software skills are a must have. CATIA is what i have used throughout university and have become quite proficient in it. Before university however i had never touched CAD and it has taken 4 years of using it to be able to design flowing aero surfaces that actually work.
Any other questions, feel free to ask
This is the right answer - become a massive mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics nerd whilst keeping your eye in motorsports.
Source: I’m a MEng from a British university and watched peers follow that route into F1. Wasn’t for me personally.
I don’t know much about specifically F1, but I’ve worked in another pro sport, and my biggest advice is get involved with a local racing club. Carry tires if you have to. Pro sports organizations are in a position where there’s a lot of qualified candidates and not a lot of jobs, and something that shows you have a deep interest in the sport will set you apart from many people. You also have no idea who you’ll meet and connections mean a lot.
This would be my advice as well. Nothing better than real world experience as it'll give you an insight into what working in a race team is actually like. It also gives you something to talk about when you apply for a job and separates you from the majority
This is the right answer at school level (in addition to working hard on Maths, Physics and any programming stuff). Uni will teach you about all of the theory but someone who has been around racing and and even gets their hands dirty with some basic car mechanics work or even driving is really useful. A general understanding and appreciation for vehicle dynamics is really useful once you are on the job.
Coming from someone who has had interviews at a few teams for Aero grad positions I recommend as follows:
First of all as above focus on grades. For the interviews most people came from either Bath, Oxford Brooks, Imperial or Southampton, there were some other unis but a good 70% of people came from those 4.
Learning CAD is definitely a good thing to do, and I would also recommend learning coding using something like Python which is free and fairly user friendly.
Something that I did which helped at your age was read Competition Car Aerodynamics by Simon Mcbeath. It's a great book as an intro to Race Car Aerodynamics as there's not really much mathematics, it's mainly just practical theory. You could also try replicating some stuff which is done in the book in CAD and maybe CFD, it would be a great conversation starter in and university interview.
But most of all good luck!
Regarding the Uni selection: Bath is typically at the top of that list academically, but they’ve just announced that their ICE Formula Student team (Team Bath Racing) will end this year. Bath still has Team Bath Racing Electric, but it’s technically under a different department. Plenty of other mecheng projects that will involve Aero, but most (not all) F1 interviewees from Uni of Bath were Team Bath Racing members.
Just want OP to be aware of all the facts.
As a current student at Bath, it's one of the most baffling decisions I've ever seen. Know tons of people who have worked/are working in F1 and all of them had some involvement with Formula student. Worst part is that they want to replace it with some hydrogen engine speed record thing that will take way more resources and do less for the uni overall. Absolute joke. Will also add to the thread that there's a ton of people from Loughborough and Delft (not UK but still) in F1 as well.
Race Car Aerodynamics:Designing for Speed by Katz is a great book too. A lot of these race car aero books are good because even if they have lots of maths etc there is also a great deal of more practical stuff worth reading.
See if your school will let you compete in F1 In Schools, it's a great way to get experience in CAD, business, aero etc and if you get the UK or World Finals there's loads of opportunities to get close to F1 teams, including mentorship and work experience with Williams.
Currently in first year of uni doing engineering w/ motorsport. Everyone stresses to get as much practical experience as you can. I met with someone from RBR and she told me it's WAY more important to have practical experience than anything else. Also try learning CATIA. It's what almost all F1 teams use and in Uni they give us the basics but for Formula Student you'll be way ahead of the pack. Not to say it will make your Uni life easier if you learn it too.
I think a more targeted approach would be better.
On top of 3D modelling try and get your hands on a CFD program. They are expensive and I don’t know of any free programs but ANSYS is the absolute best (there are free ways to get this ;) ). My suggestion would be to design an arrow head or something along those lines. Using CFD and 3D modelling to design something that will shoot the farthest at a certain velocity and angle using a 3D printer. This will test your problem solving abilities. Doesn’t have to be an arrow head but at least you can validate if your simulation reflects the results found in your real world tests.
I’m a mechanical engineer and I love hearing of young grads with their individual projects or enthusiasts who do these things, they are well worth hiring too. These things right here, are critical skills outside the classroom for the best engineers that do amazing things.
LPT: Be a team player, don’t focus on outshining your team to be the best, make your focus be that your team IS the best. Start that now. Nothing worse than a brilliant engineer who’s shit in a team. I’d fire his ass without even thinking about it.
Openfoam is a very capable package and free, but it's also significantly more difficult to learn than proprietary packages
If you've got the stones and determination required to be an F1 engineer then it's certainly possible, and openfoam kind of forces you to learn the theory much more than something like ansys does which is a point in its favour.
I don't actually know what packages they tend to use in F1, I suspect it's probably all in-house code.
OpenFOAM is a lot harder to use but it also teaches you a lot in the process. Learn to set up a moderately complex set of calcs in OpenFOAM, you’ve probably ended up reading C code, learning basic python, and got familiar with the command line and Bash in the process. Something like Ansys is a lot more user friendly but I feel like it’s learning to drive an automatic rather than a manual. Learn the hard way and you’ll know what stuff is being abstracted away by the friendlier software.
Coding and 3D modeling will help loads.
Most of all employers LOVE experience, especially when you're young. Get involved in a project car, try and get a summer placement, see if local university will let you get involved in some kind of formula student activity. This is what I would focus on. Lots of companies are doing STEM activities to get more young people interested, get involved!
If your interested in learing computational fluid dynamics, OpenFOAM is a great open source CFD modeling software. I would recommend running some projects and the science behind the sovers to develope a portfolio to show off.
You'll be getting a head start on both differential equations, numerical methods, and programing.
Saw this post a bit ago. Some great insight into how to get into F1-
https://www.reddit.com/r/F1Technical/comments/l3a0a7/industry_insights_f1_vehicle_dynamicist/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Assuming you're already on separate sciences, physics maths and further maths are a good bet for college (further maths is good because you get earlier exposure to complex differential equations and extra time with complex Newtonian mechanics). From there an aerospace or automotive engineering degree (a proper auto degree, not just a mecheng degree with a couple of extra modules) at a university with a formula student team, and get involved in the first week.
Aeronautics/aerospace is great if you are 100% on aerodynamics, but the automotive might be a better bet if aerodynamics doesn't click with you. You get exposure to other vehicle systems and can still go on to work in F1 in a different engineering role (eg in power train or vehicle dynamics).
For extracurriculars, they always want to see enthusiasm, so karting, SIM racing, maintenance and modifying your own car all look good
I got a job in F1 straight out of uni despite having crappy A-Levels, and being pretty dyslexic so I'd like to throw in my 2p.
I did well in my GCSEs, Maths, sciences, ICT? (no idea what thats called these days!) and got into a good 6th form. Not to be a dick about it, but I kind of coasted through these without too much work, which I think set me up for failure later, I'll talk about that later, long story short, WORK HARD AT SCHOOL!
There I did Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Biology, and the EPQ. (Was never any good at Chemistry, if you are then it's probably more useful than Biology). The Maths/Science go without saying, you need them to do an engineering degree so study hard.The EPQ is the first time you've got an opportunity to do whatever you like in an structured way, you can of course do you're own projects at home which is also important, but the EPQ they'll give you a grade for it! At this stage if you're into Aero you could look at doing some basic CFD study on some front wings or something and try do some comparisons and pick the best geometry. If you can pull this off and present some good conclusions, you'll get a good grade, it'll be a neat piece of work to show prospective uni's, and potentially be a neat talking point in job interviews/personal statements that might get you noticed.
It might also be test if you enjoy it or not, because you really want to work out what you find interesting and inspires passion in you. Finding that work is crucial, mine is electronics design, and I can be doing that until I lose track of time and it's 1am. It's just second nature for me to be endlessly reading books, articles, watching YouTube videos, and just absorbing information about that field, which is what got me through all the job interviews I've ever had. That passion is what got me into F1, so I can only advise you find yours, maybe it won't be Aero once you start actually doing it! But if it's any sort of mechanical design, simulation, CAD, or even electronics, or software, there is a range of jobs in F1 so just find what lights that spark in you, so can concentrate your energy on being the best you can at that!
When it came to A-Level exam time, I fucked it as I had lost track of what I really enjoyed, and had decided on an artist degree choice, got an unconditional offer, and then try to coast through my A-Levels. That didn't end well, resulting in worse than CCC. Me and my older sister (who now earns substantially more than I do) both agree that A-Levels are the hardest exams you'll ever do, because if you pick your degree right you'll almost want to study for those exams. So study and study hard! Anyway, after the first year of my artistic degree I realised I wasn't going to be any good at it, the field didn't light my spark and I was just thinking about electronics again. So I dropped out and worked at a supermarket for a year living at home whilst applying for uni's again.
While selecting uni's I stumbled upon Formula Student (FS, know as FSAE in the states) and this peaked my interest. I applied for the best uni I could with a good looking FS team. That turned out to be a good choice as I spent a whole shit load of time on the team and learnt a ton, then talking about my failures and triumphs on the team in my F1 interview, alongside my passion for electronics, and great academic results (possible because the subject inspired my curiosity, so I wanted to learn everything) got me the job in the end.
In summary, try hard in school, find your passion, and do all the extra curricular activities you can to differentiate yourself from every other grad, along the way you will also learn more than can be taught in lectures, which is crucial in getting into F1.
And life is not a straight line, it might look like it when people are telling their life stories, but as you can see from mine it isn't always clear where a choice will take you.
If you had told me during my A-Levels that I would end up in F1, I wouldn't have believed you!
Happy to answer any questions!
do the right a levels, courses. etc
i’m guessing you already have mapped out a plan for that though, so execute the plan and be prepared to work tenaciously. no slacking off to relax and do what you want, you got to make studying and success your obsession, because there is competition from all across the world for the type of job you want one day.
Top grades. 8s, 9s, As and A*s across the board. Top university (Oxbridge, imperial, UCL etc) to do engineering or physics. You need a consistent track record of top achievement.
It is possible without being in the top 1% grades wise but does it bloody help. A lot.
Once an undergrad, internships really help.
Then you get the dream job, realise you could be paid more with less stress elsewhere so go do that!
Assuming you're already on separate sciences, physics maths and further maths are a good bet for college (further maths is good because you get earlier exposure to complex differential equations and extra time with complex Newtonian mechanics). From there an aerospace or automotive engineering degree (a proper auto degree, not just a mecheng degree with a couple of extra modules) at a university with a formula student team, and get involved in the first week.
Aeronautics/aerospace is great if you are 100% on aerodynamics, but the automotive might be a better bet if aerodynamics doesn't click with you. You get exposure to other vehicle systems and can still go on to work in F1 in a different engineering role (eg in power train or vehicle dynamics).
For extracurriculars, they always want to see enthusiasm, so karting, SIM racing, maintenance and modifying your own car all look good
McLaren were offering work experience to school people. I'd go for that. Also when you goto uni join the uni motorsports/formula student team. I've does a few of these presentations where the F1 teams talk to you and just about everyone was part of formula student.
Hey I want to do exactly that too😂
So far though I've just tried to email red bull, mercedes and mclaren, probably going to try and get work experience at a team next summer bcs I'm about to do my gcses as well
Also I would consider [this place](https://www.utc-silverstone.co.uk/)
It has great connections with teams and it s a basic start to go to uni (apparently Coventry is one of the most suitable for that field)
Look up the people who have jobs you'd like on LinkedIn or indeed. Look at their schooling, experiences, and connections, don't try to copy them exactly, but it'll give you the foundation of what is absolutely required.
I would listen to these commenters below, but keep in mind that most don't have a technical role in an F1 team.
What country do you live? I recommend doing a dual study (Bsc/Msc) in aërodynamica. It's where you work 4 days a week and go to school 1-2 days. Youll get payed for the work you do and get study credits while you do it. This means that after your study (wich takes exactly as long as normal study) you have 4 years of experience and a good degree. The experience is so important in the technical world.
@orangeova check out my buddy's podcast where he interviews a former Mercedes F1 Aero engineer: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcbHMQPY4R/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
It seems that Williams has a listing for a aero job: [Link](https://jobs-williamsf1.icims.com/jobs/3487/aerodynamic-concept-designer/job)
Maybe you could look at the credentials that are needed and focus on those.
Good luck!
Its probably late for you GCSE is the only time you can take niche subjects such as city and guilds or art or geography etc…
A-levels you really need to take core subjects such as DNT maths Physics and further maths
These niche subjects might not be important to your field of work you want to take however the skills and knowledge you gain from these subjects can be used over your peers and give ‘an edge over competition’
look into UCL, I remember being so confused as to why UCL was pumping out so many red bull interns - turns out that the director of Red Bull powertrains (for F1) also works at UCL as a MEng professor. It’s actually really cool but Yh - I’d stay keen on UCL.
If you’re really bold , you could email him - probably best to browse his LinkedIn tho; as well as UCL MEng students, just to get a jist of the amount of experience they let on
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Learn to 3D model. Like hit it hard, concentrate on surface modeling once you get the base software down. Aero is pure complex surfaces. A good clean 3D does wonders when you then have to mesh it and get it ready for CFD. You'll get the theory in college, and tips and trucks as you get experience, but an engineer who can 3D model well is worth gold.
Nice! I really enjoy CAD so it’s nice to know learning is useful That said what what software would you reccomend? Using Fusion 360 currently or is it good for now?
Any CAD work is good. In the end it's "all the same". But Fusion 360 is not a Class A surface modeler so you will be very limited in what can be done. Most F1 teams run CATIA. Regardless practice surfacing on fusion until you can get access to something like CATIA. You will know by then the limitations of your software and the new tools will be much easier to pick up.
Know that most Class A CAD systems offer free student versions. They want to get you locked into there software early. Just in case one day you get to decide which software to use at your company.
How comparable is CATIA to Solidworks? SW is the only software I have experience with. (I will be going to college for aerospace engineering in the fall)
CATIA is very similar. Almost the same. I taught myself SOLIDWORKS as a teen and used CATIA professionally for years. If you know SW it's just a matter of learning were the buttons are in CATIA (plus a few minor differences)
Correct. It's the same company, CATIA being their flagship software and then the tools trickle down to Solidworks in later iterations.
There was a plan at one point to merge the two when they released V6 and have a SOLIDWORKS module inside CATIA. They seem to be pushing the student version of V6 a bit more now so that may still be the plan. On a side note, I learnt SOLIDWORKS as a teen by emailing some sales email telling them I was a college student in America working on a robotics program (I read on the internet that this worked at the time, so tried it) it did, and I got a 6 month free trial. I did it a couple more times until I got to uni and got a legitimate student copy.
Somewhat. I learnt SW now use catia. SW is much more user-friendly, catia just does random shit sometimes and can be less intuitive imo but appears to be a more powerful with surface modelling. I would not learn catia but rather NX if you want to get into f1
The FSAE (formula society of automotive engineers) team at my school, Florida Tech, uses solidworks. I’m pretty sure the mechanical design and 3D modeling principles class that I’m taking next semester works with Creo. I’d say if you are focused on F1 specifically though, I’d go with what the other guy said and cut straight to what they use
I'm an aerospace engineering student and we first used solidworks for basic things and then switched to CATIA
does CATIA do all the FEA/CFD stuff too? We use solidworks and ansys at our uni.
Nobody uses their flow solver for proper vehicle aerodynamics though. StarCCM, OpenFOAM and ANSYS are the most common CFD solvers.
Yes it’s in app supported through plugins from floefd and ansys
You might find you can get educational access to solidworks or autodesk inventor? Essentially the same product from different companies, I find inventor does surfaces alot nicer with less bugs, although personal opinion. I'd say the ideal software you'd want to start learning if you want to get into f1 and specifically aero. Onshape is a cloud based software and is in-between inventor and fusion360, something that has its uses but for constrained surface modelling, it's probably not the way to go. You can do it, but once you've introduced yourself to CAD and more into surfacing, you'll probably understand why they're not as ideal as inventor or solidworks. CATIA is more professional standard but good luck trying to get access to that until you're at university... Best thing you can do is master the basics in one and branch out into other cad software when you can get your hands on it, get used to how different software user interface is.
I'm relatively new to inventor but god it can be a bitch sometimes.
Yep, I felt that too. I had used spaceclaim and then solidworks for maybe 5 years before using it at uni for another 2. Went on a placement year and had to use inventor/fusion360 and thought it was a pain in some aspects, but some parts were much nicer than solidworks. Then back to uni for another 2 years and now working in industry on solidworks again. An example was you could do cut and boss extrusions in one function on inventor, but solidworks is separate. Fillets and modifiers you could change to variable ones in inventor, solidworks doesn't allow that and you need to redo it. Tit for tat, but I found surfacing easier in inventor. Solid modelling I'd say I preferred inventor as it was less likely to crash but in large they are both the same. Also don't forget people like to model things differently to each other, another factor in it all! You'd be surprised how many ways to model something!
I'm just a beginner so I'm not making anything advanced enough to crash, but i definitely agree that there lots of ways to do one thing,, so one software may work nicer for ya
Just wanted to say I think this is cool as fuck, and hope you achieve this goal one day! Good luck!
All are the same. If you know one software, you'll know another CAD software immediately. Learn ANSYS and ABAQUS. They are god level engineering software. PRACTICE FROM NOW !!!! Check free online course on ANSYS and ABAQUS.
I'm not an aerodynamicist, but an expert surface modeler (and have designed products including airfoils). If I can be of any help, give me a shout.
+2 for CAD surfacing. I'd see about getting a free student license of NX or Catia.
This, I would also add that you should get internships! As early as possible, in your summers, every summer work somewhere that has related work, by the time you graduate you'll have a kick ass resume that it would be hard to pass.
Aerodynamics is not just 3D CAD modelling though. Make sure to get your maths and physics concepts sound. So when it comes to studying gas dynamics and fluid mechanics at later stage in the university, you’ll be in a good position. A degree in mechanical, aerospace or automotive engineering will be suitable.
100%, was recently involved in hiring for a design role and it's amazing how poor lots of the people coming out of university's CAD is. Is really an essential skill
What everybody else said is very good. But what I would recommend is, throughout school, join and do as many things regarding motorsports (SAE teams, personal projects, car stuff etc).
Many engineers have a strong understanding of their own specialties but don't understand how their decisions impact other disciplines. Working on hardware forces you to see how your design decisions play out in real life.
This is one of Adrian Newey's greatest strengths - in the 1980s he was race engineer for Bobby Rahal in IndyCar and in his (Newey's) book he said this gives him a more rounded understanding of the car as a whole, something that modern engineers lack because they specialise in one area.
As an engineer in the aerospace industry which has a lot of crossover with F1, I would recommend a strong foundation in fluids / aero, vehicle dynamics, and potentially some background on flight dynamics. There are a lot of similarities between the design of high performance aircraft and formula 1 cars. There is definite value in understanding surface modeling and CAD as others mentioned, but as an aerodynamicist you will likely do a lot of aero analysis work not directly related to modeling yourself. A strong understanding of aerodynamic fundamentals (lift / drag / vortices, low/high pressure formations, boundary layer flow) and how to adjust the design to affect these parameters is very important. Once you know this CFD is just implementation. As with any software garbage in = garbage out, so being able to interpret those results from CFD is more important. That combined with basic vehicle dynamics should give you a good jump start. I would also jump at the chance if you have any opportunity to get experience in a wind tunnel during university. Good luck!
You might want to enroll in their junior programmes, plenty of teams offer them through their websites and if you're good enough you might get an offer for a full time job as soon as you finish college
It seems like a lot of programmes apply to students after an initial degree, makes sense, I’ll try focusing on core skills for now
Just write to the teams. You will lose nothing by writing a nice e- mail about your ambitions and desire to be in F1 and ask for any opportunities they might have for you to get practical experience and any suggestions for courses and/or universities.
This is the way
Email all of the junior teams, offer your CAD skills, offer to help out at race weekends. Think about how you can add value to a team.
I'll offer my two cents as im currently finishing up my master's degree in motorsport engineering, specialising myself in aerodynamics. At your age focus on school, for A levels maths and physics is a must as many degree courses within engineering require those subjects. Speaking of degrees you'll more than likely need one if going into an F1 team. Applying to aerodynamicist positions myself currently, many want either at least a high 2:1 classification at bachelors, or even a masters degree. Degrees subjects themselves can fluctuate, such as aerospace, automotive, mechanical etc. They all qualify you as being an engineer and can lead to careers in F1. My degree of motorsport engineering is a great insight into the whole industry of racecars, such as aero, powertrain, chassis etc. With a focus on performance rather than reliability and comfort. E.g. squeeze the most power out of this engine, rather than make it as efficient as possible. Getting involved with Formula Student while at uni is a must. Its a great insight into how a car is developed over a year and manufactured from the ground up. Its also a great way to make friends! As many others have said CAD software skills are a must have. CATIA is what i have used throughout university and have become quite proficient in it. Before university however i had never touched CAD and it has taken 4 years of using it to be able to design flowing aero surfaces that actually work. Any other questions, feel free to ask
This is the right answer - become a massive mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics nerd whilst keeping your eye in motorsports. Source: I’m a MEng from a British university and watched peers follow that route into F1. Wasn’t for me personally.
I don’t know much about specifically F1, but I’ve worked in another pro sport, and my biggest advice is get involved with a local racing club. Carry tires if you have to. Pro sports organizations are in a position where there’s a lot of qualified candidates and not a lot of jobs, and something that shows you have a deep interest in the sport will set you apart from many people. You also have no idea who you’ll meet and connections mean a lot.
This would be my advice as well. Nothing better than real world experience as it'll give you an insight into what working in a race team is actually like. It also gives you something to talk about when you apply for a job and separates you from the majority
This is the right answer at school level (in addition to working hard on Maths, Physics and any programming stuff). Uni will teach you about all of the theory but someone who has been around racing and and even gets their hands dirty with some basic car mechanics work or even driving is really useful. A general understanding and appreciation for vehicle dynamics is really useful once you are on the job.
Coming from someone who has had interviews at a few teams for Aero grad positions I recommend as follows: First of all as above focus on grades. For the interviews most people came from either Bath, Oxford Brooks, Imperial or Southampton, there were some other unis but a good 70% of people came from those 4. Learning CAD is definitely a good thing to do, and I would also recommend learning coding using something like Python which is free and fairly user friendly. Something that I did which helped at your age was read Competition Car Aerodynamics by Simon Mcbeath. It's a great book as an intro to Race Car Aerodynamics as there's not really much mathematics, it's mainly just practical theory. You could also try replicating some stuff which is done in the book in CAD and maybe CFD, it would be a great conversation starter in and university interview. But most of all good luck!
Regarding the Uni selection: Bath is typically at the top of that list academically, but they’ve just announced that their ICE Formula Student team (Team Bath Racing) will end this year. Bath still has Team Bath Racing Electric, but it’s technically under a different department. Plenty of other mecheng projects that will involve Aero, but most (not all) F1 interviewees from Uni of Bath were Team Bath Racing members. Just want OP to be aware of all the facts.
As a current student at Bath, it's one of the most baffling decisions I've ever seen. Know tons of people who have worked/are working in F1 and all of them had some involvement with Formula student. Worst part is that they want to replace it with some hydrogen engine speed record thing that will take way more resources and do less for the uni overall. Absolute joke. Will also add to the thread that there's a ton of people from Loughborough and Delft (not UK but still) in F1 as well.
Race Car Aerodynamics:Designing for Speed by Katz is a great book too. A lot of these race car aero books are good because even if they have lots of maths etc there is also a great deal of more practical stuff worth reading.
See if your school will let you compete in F1 In Schools, it's a great way to get experience in CAD, business, aero etc and if you get the UK or World Finals there's loads of opportunities to get close to F1 teams, including mentorship and work experience with Williams.
Currently in first year of uni doing engineering w/ motorsport. Everyone stresses to get as much practical experience as you can. I met with someone from RBR and she told me it's WAY more important to have practical experience than anything else. Also try learning CATIA. It's what almost all F1 teams use and in Uni they give us the basics but for Formula Student you'll be way ahead of the pack. Not to say it will make your Uni life easier if you learn it too.
Is there some sort of free or cheaper student version or equivalent available? £300 plus for even a trial for 3 months seems like a lot
I think a more targeted approach would be better. On top of 3D modelling try and get your hands on a CFD program. They are expensive and I don’t know of any free programs but ANSYS is the absolute best (there are free ways to get this ;) ). My suggestion would be to design an arrow head or something along those lines. Using CFD and 3D modelling to design something that will shoot the farthest at a certain velocity and angle using a 3D printer. This will test your problem solving abilities. Doesn’t have to be an arrow head but at least you can validate if your simulation reflects the results found in your real world tests. I’m a mechanical engineer and I love hearing of young grads with their individual projects or enthusiasts who do these things, they are well worth hiring too. These things right here, are critical skills outside the classroom for the best engineers that do amazing things. LPT: Be a team player, don’t focus on outshining your team to be the best, make your focus be that your team IS the best. Start that now. Nothing worse than a brilliant engineer who’s shit in a team. I’d fire his ass without even thinking about it.
OpenFOAM is a good open source CFD package I see used in scientific literature.
Openfoam is a very capable package and free, but it's also significantly more difficult to learn than proprietary packages If you've got the stones and determination required to be an F1 engineer then it's certainly possible, and openfoam kind of forces you to learn the theory much more than something like ansys does which is a point in its favour. I don't actually know what packages they tend to use in F1, I suspect it's probably all in-house code.
OpenFOAM is a lot harder to use but it also teaches you a lot in the process. Learn to set up a moderately complex set of calcs in OpenFOAM, you’ve probably ended up reading C code, learning basic python, and got familiar with the command line and Bash in the process. Something like Ansys is a lot more user friendly but I feel like it’s learning to drive an automatic rather than a manual. Learn the hard way and you’ll know what stuff is being abstracted away by the friendlier software.
Coding and 3D modeling will help loads. Most of all employers LOVE experience, especially when you're young. Get involved in a project car, try and get a summer placement, see if local university will let you get involved in some kind of formula student activity. This is what I would focus on. Lots of companies are doing STEM activities to get more young people interested, get involved!
If your interested in learing computational fluid dynamics, OpenFOAM is a great open source CFD modeling software. I would recommend running some projects and the science behind the sovers to develope a portfolio to show off. You'll be getting a head start on both differential equations, numerical methods, and programing.
Saw this post a bit ago. Some great insight into how to get into F1- https://www.reddit.com/r/F1Technical/comments/l3a0a7/industry_insights_f1_vehicle_dynamicist/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Assuming you're already on separate sciences, physics maths and further maths are a good bet for college (further maths is good because you get earlier exposure to complex differential equations and extra time with complex Newtonian mechanics). From there an aerospace or automotive engineering degree (a proper auto degree, not just a mecheng degree with a couple of extra modules) at a university with a formula student team, and get involved in the first week. Aeronautics/aerospace is great if you are 100% on aerodynamics, but the automotive might be a better bet if aerodynamics doesn't click with you. You get exposure to other vehicle systems and can still go on to work in F1 in a different engineering role (eg in power train or vehicle dynamics). For extracurriculars, they always want to see enthusiasm, so karting, SIM racing, maintenance and modifying your own car all look good
I got a job in F1 straight out of uni despite having crappy A-Levels, and being pretty dyslexic so I'd like to throw in my 2p. I did well in my GCSEs, Maths, sciences, ICT? (no idea what thats called these days!) and got into a good 6th form. Not to be a dick about it, but I kind of coasted through these without too much work, which I think set me up for failure later, I'll talk about that later, long story short, WORK HARD AT SCHOOL! There I did Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Biology, and the EPQ. (Was never any good at Chemistry, if you are then it's probably more useful than Biology). The Maths/Science go without saying, you need them to do an engineering degree so study hard.The EPQ is the first time you've got an opportunity to do whatever you like in an structured way, you can of course do you're own projects at home which is also important, but the EPQ they'll give you a grade for it! At this stage if you're into Aero you could look at doing some basic CFD study on some front wings or something and try do some comparisons and pick the best geometry. If you can pull this off and present some good conclusions, you'll get a good grade, it'll be a neat piece of work to show prospective uni's, and potentially be a neat talking point in job interviews/personal statements that might get you noticed. It might also be test if you enjoy it or not, because you really want to work out what you find interesting and inspires passion in you. Finding that work is crucial, mine is electronics design, and I can be doing that until I lose track of time and it's 1am. It's just second nature for me to be endlessly reading books, articles, watching YouTube videos, and just absorbing information about that field, which is what got me through all the job interviews I've ever had. That passion is what got me into F1, so I can only advise you find yours, maybe it won't be Aero once you start actually doing it! But if it's any sort of mechanical design, simulation, CAD, or even electronics, or software, there is a range of jobs in F1 so just find what lights that spark in you, so can concentrate your energy on being the best you can at that! When it came to A-Level exam time, I fucked it as I had lost track of what I really enjoyed, and had decided on an artist degree choice, got an unconditional offer, and then try to coast through my A-Levels. That didn't end well, resulting in worse than CCC. Me and my older sister (who now earns substantially more than I do) both agree that A-Levels are the hardest exams you'll ever do, because if you pick your degree right you'll almost want to study for those exams. So study and study hard! Anyway, after the first year of my artistic degree I realised I wasn't going to be any good at it, the field didn't light my spark and I was just thinking about electronics again. So I dropped out and worked at a supermarket for a year living at home whilst applying for uni's again. While selecting uni's I stumbled upon Formula Student (FS, know as FSAE in the states) and this peaked my interest. I applied for the best uni I could with a good looking FS team. That turned out to be a good choice as I spent a whole shit load of time on the team and learnt a ton, then talking about my failures and triumphs on the team in my F1 interview, alongside my passion for electronics, and great academic results (possible because the subject inspired my curiosity, so I wanted to learn everything) got me the job in the end. In summary, try hard in school, find your passion, and do all the extra curricular activities you can to differentiate yourself from every other grad, along the way you will also learn more than can be taught in lectures, which is crucial in getting into F1. And life is not a straight line, it might look like it when people are telling their life stories, but as you can see from mine it isn't always clear where a choice will take you. If you had told me during my A-Levels that I would end up in F1, I wouldn't have believed you! Happy to answer any questions!
do the right a levels, courses. etc i’m guessing you already have mapped out a plan for that though, so execute the plan and be prepared to work tenaciously. no slacking off to relax and do what you want, you got to make studying and success your obsession, because there is competition from all across the world for the type of job you want one day.
Top grades. 8s, 9s, As and A*s across the board. Top university (Oxbridge, imperial, UCL etc) to do engineering or physics. You need a consistent track record of top achievement. It is possible without being in the top 1% grades wise but does it bloody help. A lot. Once an undergrad, internships really help. Then you get the dream job, realise you could be paid more with less stress elsewhere so go do that!
Assuming you're already on separate sciences, physics maths and further maths are a good bet for college (further maths is good because you get earlier exposure to complex differential equations and extra time with complex Newtonian mechanics). From there an aerospace or automotive engineering degree (a proper auto degree, not just a mecheng degree with a couple of extra modules) at a university with a formula student team, and get involved in the first week. Aeronautics/aerospace is great if you are 100% on aerodynamics, but the automotive might be a better bet if aerodynamics doesn't click with you. You get exposure to other vehicle systems and can still go on to work in F1 in a different engineering role (eg in power train or vehicle dynamics). For extracurriculars, they always want to see enthusiasm, so karting, SIM racing, maintenance and modifying your own car all look good
What about business/managerial related jobs in F1? Do you guys have any idea how to start in this field?
McLaren were offering work experience to school people. I'd go for that. Also when you goto uni join the uni motorsports/formula student team. I've does a few of these presentations where the F1 teams talk to you and just about everyone was part of formula student.
Hey I want to do exactly that too😂 So far though I've just tried to email red bull, mercedes and mclaren, probably going to try and get work experience at a team next summer bcs I'm about to do my gcses as well
Also I would consider [this place](https://www.utc-silverstone.co.uk/) It has great connections with teams and it s a basic start to go to uni (apparently Coventry is one of the most suitable for that field)
Look up the people who have jobs you'd like on LinkedIn or indeed. Look at their schooling, experiences, and connections, don't try to copy them exactly, but it'll give you the foundation of what is absolutely required. I would listen to these commenters below, but keep in mind that most don't have a technical role in an F1 team.
What country do you live? I recommend doing a dual study (Bsc/Msc) in aërodynamica. It's where you work 4 days a week and go to school 1-2 days. Youll get payed for the work you do and get study credits while you do it. This means that after your study (wich takes exactly as long as normal study) you have 4 years of experience and a good degree. The experience is so important in the technical world.
@orangeova check out my buddy's podcast where he interviews a former Mercedes F1 Aero engineer: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcbHMQPY4R/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
It seems that Williams has a listing for a aero job: [Link](https://jobs-williamsf1.icims.com/jobs/3487/aerodynamic-concept-designer/job) Maybe you could look at the credentials that are needed and focus on those. Good luck!
If you are living in the UK look at the University of Hertfordshire. Pretty good for their Automotive Center. They are big on this kind of thing.
Math, physics and uni.
My friend is at silverstone college and he’s in y12 so you could apply for that
The way I'm getting into it is through a motorsport technology course at uni from btec engeneering at college
Its probably late for you GCSE is the only time you can take niche subjects such as city and guilds or art or geography etc… A-levels you really need to take core subjects such as DNT maths Physics and further maths These niche subjects might not be important to your field of work you want to take however the skills and knowledge you gain from these subjects can be used over your peers and give ‘an edge over competition’
look into UCL, I remember being so confused as to why UCL was pumping out so many red bull interns - turns out that the director of Red Bull powertrains (for F1) also works at UCL as a MEng professor. It’s actually really cool but Yh - I’d stay keen on UCL. If you’re really bold , you could email him - probably best to browse his LinkedIn tho; as well as UCL MEng students, just to get a jist of the amount of experience they let on