Do you work in F1?

[Reckoner]

Hello my fellow internet colleagues. Do you work in an F1 team? If so how do you find it? Has it crushed your passion as a fan?

I am constantly being "Headhunted" for various F1 teams but i'm scared i'll loose my passion for the sport. Also I like to work no more than 28hrs per week and don't think this is the case in F1.

Would just like some opinion.

[krisfx]

Surely your passion for the sport would only increase? You are part of the team, winning/racing together to achieve a result. An engineer in a team told me that most people can't hack more than a few years, though so it must be hard work.

On the other end of the scale. I was told that if you like to watch the racing, never get a job there unless you like the sight of a wing as it goes past the pit wall.


On an off topic note, your post sounds insanely arrogant re: working hours and the fact that you're spouting about being headhunted. I would have made it slightly less "I am better than most of you"...

[Tim.Wright]

On an off topic note, your post sounds insanely arrogant re: working hours and the fact that you're spouting about being headhunted. I would have made it slightly less "I am better than most of you"...

I didn't read it the same way. In Germany if you an engineer you can expect several headhunters per week to be onto you looking to put you in a position they have because there are a shortage of engineers here at the moment.

If you are in a specialised field you are going to get a lot of requests from F1, simple. And that is what he simply explained. There's no need to sugar coat it for fear of offending someone...

[krisfx]

On an off topic note, your post sounds insanely arrogant re: working hours and the fact that you're spouting about being headhunted. I would have made it slightly less "I am better than most of you"...

I didn't read it the same way. In Germany if you an engineer you can expect several headhunters per week to be onto you looking to put you in a position they have because there are a shortage of engineers here at the moment.

If you are in a specialised field you are going to get a lot of requests from F1, simple. And that is what he simply explained. There's no need to sugar coat it for fear of offending someone...

It's not really sugar coating, I would say making it slightly more polite, in the UK it's impossible to get a normal job, let alone be requested by F1 teams on a regular basis

[MOWOG]

I would think there is far less glamour and far more drudgery involved then you may suspect.I suspect working in F1 is one of those jobs that completely takes over your life, leaving no room for family, friends or socializing outside of the group you work with.

I would put this opportunity under the category of "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it!"

[Kiril Varbanov]

I would think there is far less glamour and far more drudgery involved then you may suspect.I suspect working in F1 is one of those jobs that completely takes over your life, leaving no room for family, friends or socializing outside of the group you work with.

I would put this opportunity under the category of "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it!"

I'm certainly aware of a person who was travelling around the world with the circus, took another job within the team, in the factory, and said it was a "back to life" step.

[wesley123]

EDIT: This wasnt nice to say, my apologies

[bdr529]

Also I like to work no more than 28hrs per week and don't think this is the case in F1.

28 hours a week, that will only get you a job at McDonald's.
I'm sure it's 40hrs per week at any F1 team, Try something in a lower class they may need someone part time

[Work_in_f1]

I do work in F1 and just wanted to add my comments.

It's very unusual for someone with (I'm presuming) no previous F1 experience to be constantly headhunted by F1 teams! What is your area of expertise ? I'm guessing its an academic speciality rather than any practical mechanical or track based skill? If so it's highly unlikely that you'd go to races and have the travelling lifestyle. The vast majority of people who work in F1 don't go to races, they are involved in engineering and/or manufacturing at base, or in a support function around that. It's only really the mechanics and race engineers who have the demanding 'no life' jobs and its very much a choice you make.

Working in F1 is hard work but then in any walk of life if you want to achieve you need to work hard. If you only want to work 28hrs a week then good luck, you either must be exceptionally talented or not have particularly high ambitions. F1 is probably not for you.

[Callum]

Well, I can not speak from personal experience but I have two friends who both went to top f1 teams in the UK for mechanical engineering internships.

Following these internships both were offered jobs by their respective teams - and both turned them down.

That says it all to me.

(P.S both these guys are pretty clever and are not work-shy)

[CBeck113]

It all depends on what he puts in his online profiles (Xing, Linkedin, etc.). If they are all F1 biased, then the headhunters will use him to fill their statistics, since they get paid for the number of recommendations as well as for finding the right candidate.
I was out of work two years ago here in Germany and I can tell you that I had at least 10 interviews with headhunting agencies and one with an acutal company - and I took that job . I see it as corporate slave trade, since qualified workers are being paid far under that what they would normally earn because the companies don't want to hire themselves, mostly due to the market swings and unions.
Back on topic: you are married to your job if you work for an F1 team. And 28 hours/week? Not in the real world....

[Reckoner]

Thanks for all your replys.

Without giving too much away i'm the top go to guy in the world on Tribology specialising in high speed reciprocal lubrication.

The advances i'm making are without doubt incredible. However my current expertise are applied in the space world and i sometimes extend to the oil & Gas industry.

I've talked to them (various teams) about also doing abit of race engineering work if i go to the races. I'm probably amungst the top rated race engineers. After watching Quali on the TV i work out what every driver's strategy should be for the race and i write a little program in MATLAB. I'm usually spot on with my forecasts. I've told this to the teams and they are keen to give me a dual job.

Problem is getting the hrs down. I'll suggest a 3 day week and during race weekends just do Fri-Sun.

Thank you

[Jersey Tom]

I'm gonna assume this dude is just being a troll so I shouldn't even bother. If someone were to actually try and say "I want to work in racing but only 28 hours a week" then they just don't get it. You race to win. That means you work as long as it takes, to win. It's like anything else that's highly competitive - you get rewarded for wanting it more and working harder than the next guy. Takes WAY more than pure technical merit to integrate into that kind of environment.

On a serious note, will working in (racing series of your choice) "crush your passion as a fan?" To some degree I would hope so. This may just be my opinion, but in the workplace I want my coworkers to be professionals more than fans. Enthusiastic professionals who enjoy what they do, but professionals. Gotta have a level of objectivity.

[Tim.Wright]

Yea after the last reply, I'm starting to think he is taking the piss...

While I believe that headhunters could be after someone which such expertise, I don't think they will be keen to pursue the relationship after seeing such a piss poor work ethic.

[SectorOne]

Thanks for all your replys.

Without giving too much away i'm the top go to guy in the world on Tribology specialising in high speed reciprocal lubrication.

The advances i'm making are without doubt incredible. However my current expertise are applied in the space world and i sometimes extend to the oil & Gas industry.

I've talked to them (various teams) about also doing abit of race engineering work if i go to the races. I'm probably amungst the top rated race engineers. After watching Quali on the TV i work out what every driver's strategy should be for the race and i write a little program in MATLAB. I'm usually spot on with my forecasts. I've told this to the teams and they are keen to give me a dual job.

Problem is getting the hrs down. I'll suggest a 3 day week and during race weekends just do Fri-Sun.

Thank you