Some questions about a job in Motorsport ( more for Formula

[Ruairidh]

I am 16 and very keen on a job in motorsport but cant decide what type of designer i want to work towards. Also i my family have just moved out to australia in november( i am a british citizen) but after high school and university i will be coming back to the uk to pursue a career in Motorsport(hopefully F1).

1.Am i right on thinking the designers in Motorsport stay back at the race team headquarters (dont go to the races)?

2.Which type of designer gets most recognition for their work (e.g aerodynamicists, mechanical, electrical and so on).

3.Does anyone know if there is a pay difference between the different designers if so what ones pay better than the others.

4.Does anyone have any information on what working in formula one is like, because there's not a lot of in depth answers on the internet about it.

5.I know that formula one teams are interested in your experience in motorsport as well as your qualifications/degree's. Does anyone know any potential ways for me to gain experience (i live close to the barbagallo raceway near Perth. It hosts races for v8 supercars and many other types of racecars. Do you think i would have a chance of gaining experience if i volunteered to help out there (do you think they would even let someone my age help out at race days?), there is also a go kart track near the raceway too)

http://www.wascc.com.au/

6. I have looked at degrees at uni and for aerodynamics there is a 3 year bachelor of technology (aeronautical) course with the opportunity to do a 2 year master of engineering degree afterwards. would the aeronautical course be enough or would it be better to do the master degree afterwards?

http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/b ... ronautical
http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/m ... ngineering

7. or there is a
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (MECHATRONICS) HONOURS/ BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY (MOTORSPORTS) course that's maybe more suited towards a mechanical designer.

http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/b ... otorsports

so which set of degree would be better. thanks for the help with the 7 questions.

also i've just read after posting this, that f1 looks good but once you're in it its not so good because of long hours and the pay isn't as good as what you think it is. is this true and if so what other motorsport area would have normalish hours and good pay.

[Tim.Wright]

Interesting, my automotive career started by moving out of Perth. There is/used to be Fastlane racing which ran formula fords in the state comps as well as a driver training school. Offering to swing spanners there (for free) will at least get you familiar with the environment and the cars.

If your questions are made in order of importance, and your second question really is your second most important consideration then don't wasting time going to uni. Just become a tech journalist. You don't need any formal technical training, you get to go to the races and you will get infinitely more recognition.

The fundamental thing is that you need to be doing a profession you enjoy because if you insist on working in motorsport, your first years are going to be a lot of work and shìt pay. If you want normal hours and good pay - you are in the right city. Do civil engineering, get a job on the mines and enjoy your 100k salary for a 40 hour week with which you do your own motorsport activities.

If you want to play with cars professionally, you need to have a passion for a certain discipline otherwise you will never be more than mediocre at it which won't get you very far in a very competitive job market. In other words, don't choose aerodynamics just because it seems to be a good way into F1. Choose it because you like aerodynamics. If the maths involved in fluid dynamics freaks you out, there's a million other technical jobs in motorsport and automotive engineering:

• Design engineer
• Stress engineer
• Draughtsman
• Control systems engineer
• Software engineer
• Vehicle dynamics engineer
• Simulation engineer
• Test bench engineer
• Race engineer
• Strategy engineer
• Calibration engineer
• Electronics engineer
• Reliability/durability/fatigue engineer
• Tyre engineer

Watch out for the bachelor of techology - motorsports. (this is from ECU right?). They have good industry links etc in motorsport but it's not a bachelor of engineering which means at the end of it you aren't classed as an engineer. This may cause you some problems looking for work later in the motorsport industry, may cause quite a few more problems in the general automotive industry and will be a massive problem in every other engineering industry. The plus side is that they send their FSAE team over to Europe each year to race at Silverstone. But on balance, most engineers in motorsport and automotive are actual engineers (i.e. with a bachelor of engineering).

[Facts Only]

16 is very early to try to specialise. lots can change in 6+ years.

I would study a Motorsport Engineering Degree (BEng) with an Industrial placement year then perhaps try to specialise in the final year or maybe after a few years in the industry, when you know what you want go back and get a Masters Degree in a specific area of engineering.

If you base your decisions on who gets paid most and who gets most recognition you will never be happy. Because you will get bugger-all recognition (unless you are one of the top few in the world) and no matter how much money you earn it wont be enough.

[Tim.Wright]

I would study a Motorsport Engineering Degree (BEng)

I don't think such a thing exists in Perth.

[Facts Only]

I would study a Motorsport Engineering Degree (BEng)

I don't think such a thing exists in Perth.

Ahh, I thought he said After High school he would be moving back.

Although if planning to come back to the U.K for a career in Motorsport why not come back for the degree as well? Certainly it will be easier to make contacts for future jobs in the U.K if you are already here.

[Ruairidh]

Interesting, my automotive career started by moving out of Perth. There is/used to be Fastlane racing which ran formula fords in the state comps as well as a driver training school. Offering to swing spanners there (for free) will at least get you familiar with the environment and the cars.

If your questions are made in order of importance, and your second question really is your second most important consideration then don't wasting time going to uni. Just become a tech journalist. You don't need any formal technical training, you get to go to the races and you will get infinitely more recognition.

The fundamental thing is that you need to be doing a profession you enjoy because if you insist on working in motorsport, your first years are going to be a lot of work and shìt pay. If you want normal hours and good pay - you are in the right city. Do civil engineering, get a job on the mines and enjoy your 100k salary for a 40 hour week with which you do your own motorsport activities.

If you want to play with cars professionally, you need to have a passion for a certain discipline otherwise you will never be more than mediocre at it which won't get you very far in a very competitive job market. In other words, don't choose aerodynamics just because it seems to be a good way into F1. Choose it because you like aerodynamics. If the maths involved in fluid dynamics freaks you out, there's a million other technical jobs in motorsport and automotive engineering:

• Design engineer
• Stress engineer
• Draughtsman
• Control systems engineer
• Software engineer
• Vehicle dynamics engineer
• Simulation engineer
• Test bench engineer
• Race engineer
• Strategy engineer
• Calibration engineer
• Electronics engineer
• Reliability/durability/fatigue engineer
• Tyre engineer

Watch out for the bachelor of techology - motorsports. (this is from ECU right?). They have good industry links etc in motorsport but it's not a bachelor of engineering which means at the end of it you aren't classed as an engineer. This may cause you some problems looking for work later in the motorsport industry, may cause quite a few more problems in the general automotive industry and will be a massive problem in every other engineering industry. The plus side is that they send their FSAE team over to Europe each year to race at Silverstone. But on balance, most engineers in motorsport and automotive are actual engineers (i.e. with a bachelor of engineering).

thanks some of your information has been really helpful. no my questions were not in order of importance it was just the way i had quickly jotted them down (i shouldve really put them in order though ) aerodynamics does interest me but i have not really looked into some of the maths involved in the university side of it all yet. maths, physics,chemistry and engineering studies are strong points of mine and back in august i achieved A grades in my exams for them.
yeah the courses are from ECU i have left the links to the course pages in description if that would be of any use to you to help me further. i do believe they have a separate Formula SAE team for students that aren't studying the motorsport courses.

http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/b ... ronautical
http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/m ... ngineering

http://www.ecu.edu.au/degrees/courses/b ... otorsports

[Tim.Wright]

I'd also recommend going to the open days of ECU, Curtin and UWA this year and check out their FSAE teams.

[Greg Locock]

Why limit yourself to WA? The Australian penchant for attending the local uni /and living with one's parents/ strikes me as somewhere between endearing and plain weird.