F1 Apprenticeships

In terms of dream jobs, they don’t get much better than one that will offer you a behind the scenes view of life in a Formula One team. It is relatively rare that these opportunities arise so it is important to put your best foot forward and show your drive, ambition and skills in order to secure such an illustrious apprenticeship and start to your working life. Even in cases where a job doesn’t materialise at the end of the apprenticeship, being able to put this on your CV will stand you in good stead throughout life.

What are Formula 1 Apprenticeships?

Formula One apprenticeships are opportunities for someone to work in a fast-paced, and ambitious formula one racing team, working on the elite level racing cars and helping to keep them running smoothly. This is a chance to work with some of the best in the business and learn your trade alongside some extremely talented and knowledgeable people who are keen for you to prosper and succeed as the team does.

Being able to work at this level so early in your career can only be an advantage and, if you are successful in getting an apprenticeship place, the sky’s the limit in terms of your future. These are highly sought after positions which come up relatively rarely and to be in pole position you have to really be able to make your CV  and application stand out.

Benefits of F1 Apprenticeships

As well as being part of a successful and ambitious team competing in an elite level motor sport, you will be paid competitively for the role and there is sometimes even a generous bonus offered. Many roles in this area also offer life assurance, private medical care and on-site gym as F1 teams need their teams to be as fit and healthy as possible to ensure peak performance, just like with their cars. Subsidised catering and a good amount of annual leave is also pretty standard in this kind of position.

What Does an F1 Mechanic Apprenticeship Involve?

A lot of hard but very rewarding work, often in very time-sensitive situations. You will learn all of the skills necessary to pursue a career as part of a formula one team. Mercedes F1 apprenticeships are an excellent introduction to working in elite motorsport but these skills are transferable and you will be well-equipped to work as a mechanic in a less specialised role in the future if that is your preference as well.

You will be expected to learn skills that are appropriate to the role including;

• How to inspect the vehicles using a wide variety of specialised tools and instruments and to gauge their potential performance levels and metrics.
• How various components fit together and how they can be removed and replaced if they are faulty or perhaps require a closer visual inspection or cleaning.
• Develop an understanding of the workings of formula one cars by studying blueprints and schematics in order to enhance your understanding of the job.
• Find out how to package components for safe transit. As many of the parts are specific to formula one vehicles and are therefore very costly to produce, this is a very important consideration.
• Understand how to identify component non-conformance, and know who to liaise with to ensure that any concerns are addressed using the appropriate measures.
• Complete safety inspections of the vehicles using all of the tools and techniques at your disposal.

The prestige of having undergone an apprenticeship in the field of formula one will open doors to you when it comes to your career.

Are You Suited to a Formula 1 Mechanic Apprenticeship?

As you may expect, to be successful as a formula one apprentice mechanic you will need a very particular set of skills. An ability to work under pressure and to a tight timescale is a must. Being able to confidently handle hand tools and to have a high degree of manual dexterity is a must for this position as is an aptitude for working well within a tight team. If you are not a team player then this role isn’t for you.

You must be eligible to complete an advanced apprenticeship within a two year time frame and have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grades 9-4 or equivalent and must include English Maths and Science.

You must have a real hands-on and can-do approach and be someone who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty to solve problems. It is important to be computer literate and be able to learn new computer programs quickly, as many of the Formula 1 telemetry systems for the cars are computer based. There is a lot of digital feedback and being able to analyse and interpret this correctly is a large part of what makes a successful F1 mechanic.

A strong interest in how mechanical components interact and how they can make a complex machine function is vital to developing the level of understanding needed for this role.

F1 Apprenticeship Types

F1 teams can require a wide range of roles ranging from mechanics to IT support and purchasing/logistics so not all of the roles advertised will be on the mechanical / engineering side of things. Many of the roles in the team require the use of advanced computing systems and on-board telemetry, meaning that IT support is also a vital component in ensuring the success of the team. Purchasing and logistics roles also help the team to function in an optimal way, as knowing when new components need to be ordered, where they need to be delivered to and how urgently they are needed is also necessary. If a vital component wasn’t delivered to the correct location prior to a grand prix, that could affect the success of the whole team.

The Future of Formula One

One of the benefits of applying for this type of role is that Formula 1 is firmly established and embedded as an elite motorsport which helps the manufacturers to test new prototypes for engines, which can ultimately yield ideas for their consumer models of car.

This means that there is a bright and secure future in this area and even if for some unforeseen reason the sport of Formula 1 racing ended tomorrow, you would still have many skills that are directly transferable to other areas of life as being a mechanic can qualify you to deal with a wide range of vehicles and being involved in IT, purchasing etc is also transferrable.

Apply for a F1 Apprenticeship Today

Feel free to take a look at our jobs board to see whether there are any F1 jobs live at the moment. These are highly prized positions and it will be very competitive to secure a position so ensure your CV is up to the task and refresh your memory on writing a cover letter before you apply. Find out more about how to apply for an apprenticeship.

If you are still swithering on whether to apply, take a look at some of these excellent reasons to start an apprenticeship today.