In any industry, innovation relies on the industry bringing through the best and the brightest future talent. Motorsport is no exception. Each year the top teams and manufacturers offer a number of industrial placements to help nurture the industry’s stars of the future. Almost every single automotive manufacturer and team offer at least a graduate programme with some nurturing new talent all the way through from apprenticeship level. This week we’re sharing the best opportunities and industrial placements for undergraduates within F1 and Formula E.
Mercedes-AMG Student Placements
We’re starting our round up of industrial placements with Mercedes-AMG because currently they have a whopping 26 student placements! They have engineering student placements in automation, electronics engineering, motor control, build systems and materials engineering to name just a few.
Mercedes AMG offers 2 year graduate placements as well as 12 month undergraduate schemes and they demand the best of the best apply.
Their current advert for the Mechanical Engineering placement ask for:
“A curious, tenacious and driven individual with a hunger to work in a fast paced environment
- On track to achieve a 2.1 degree, or above, in a relevant Mechanical / Automotive / Mechatronics / Motorsport / Aeronautical or related degree e.g. Science or Maths
- A strong academic background in relevant A-Level, or equivalent disciplines, for example Maths or Sciences
- An excellent understanding of engineering first principles
- Practical, “hands-on” experience to complement your academic studies
- Excellent communication skills
- Self-motivation, adaptability and creativity
- The courage to challenge and desire to be challenged, to expand your technical knowledge and skills”
Here’s a link to all of the current Mercedes AMG industrial placements.
Ferrari Work Placements
At six months, the Ferrari F1 internship programme is shorter than all of the others. Their placements start in mid-September meaning that for this year all of the places are taken. That said, applications are open throughout the year with the closing date being April for each September’s intake so you have plenty of time to get your application in for next year.
Ferrari’s F1 Academy website makes it clear that those who impress go on to earn a long-term job with the team. They only hire graduates who have graduated within the last 12 months, including those with a Master’s or PhD. This means that the timing is perfect for those of you expecting to complete your course between now and April.
Want to apply for a Ferrari Industrial Placement? Send your CV and your ‘dedicated motivation letter to: FerrariF1Academy@Ferrari.com
Alpine F1 Student & Graduate Placements
Alpine F1 Team open their applications for student placements early in the year. NMA graduate Ellie Williams came through the Renault/Alpine F1 training programme and now works full time with the race team. In 2021, applications for their F1 internship programme opened in February. We expect this to be the case in 2022 as well.
All of the Alpine f1 internship and graduate programmes are run through owning manufacturer, Renault. You’ll find all of the details and positions available in their global business on their website. From apprenticeships in dealerships to graduate positions starting at £28,000, Renault offers some of the best opportunities for young and eager candidates.
Keep an eye out on their careers page on their website.
Scuderia AlphaTauri Internships
Based in Oxfordshire, Scuderia AlphaTauri offers the ability to apply to their F1 internship programme at any time of year. Whether you are a recent graduate or still working towards your degree, Scuderia AlphaTauri wants to hear from passionate motorsport fledglings who are willing to pull out all the stops when it comes to forging their career in the industry.
Head over to their website and send in your CV and covering letter.
Williams Formula E Placements
Williams offers some of the best Formula 1 placements each year. The application deadlines are always very short so you need to keep an eye out on their website on a regular basis. NMA students are given a heads-up, wherever possible when these highly sought-after positions become available.
Williams still has an industrial placement available for 2022, this time in Formula E. The powertrains industrial placement will see you working on a number of areas – mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic, electrical and software so you need to be good all-rounder.
To be eligible for the Williams Formula E Powertrain Placement you must be working towards a degree in Electrical, Automotive or Motorsport Engineering.
How to Apply: “All applications should be submitted via our website: www.wae.com. When applying for industrial placements opportunities, all students are expected to submit a Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 sides of A4) and a covering letter no longer than 500 words, containing the following information:
- Your current career aims and how you plan to achieve them.
- Subjects that you are currently taking and plan to take.
- Relevant leisure pursuits and activities.
- Why work experience with the Company would be beneficial to you and why Formula E specifically.”
Aston Martin F1 Placements
Aston Martin have their sights firmly set on P1 over the next 5 years and their industrial placements are all advertised on their LinkedIn page.
You can also get a good understanding of what it’s like to work with Aston Martin F1 on their brilliant You Tube channel. Their INSIDER series gives you an access all areas pass to pit lane and the garage to see how race engineers and other staff deal with the challenging world of F1.
The Key to Success for Motorsport Internships...
Understandably, competition is fierce for the top F1 internships and industrial placements. The key to success is a comprehensive yet concise CV and an compelling cover letter. We asked motorsport recruitment expert Russell Howard from Race Staff for his top tips for getting through the paper sift when applying for motorsport internships. Here’s his best advice…
“Get as much experience as possible and include everything on your CV or cover letter. If you started tinkering with cars in your teens or karting as a kid, make sure you include it.
Let your passion for motorsport show though. If you can demonstrate that your interest in the sport and/or team goes further than just watching on TV, you’ll stand a better chance of catching the eye of the recruiter.
If you don’t have much experience, your choice of degree will also count for a lot. Teams will be looking for people mid-way through a degree where some of the learning has already been done. They don’t want to be teaching their engineers from scratch and will expect you to have at least a year’s knowledge under your belt. Most teams will be looking for you to be working towards a degree in motorsport or mechanical engineering.”
Formula Careers have a very handy full list of teams and direct links to their careers and LinkedIn pages. Click here.
Total Flexibility
All of these motorsport internships, without exception, require you to be working towards a degree in a relevant discipline. Some university programmes don’t offer a gap year and many internships also won’t accept students in their final year. So how do you satisfy the criteria and find time for an industrial placement and complete your degree at the same time? The NMA’s fully flexible degree programmes allow you to fit your studies in around your work. This would allow you to complete your internship at the same as studying for your degree so you could start applying for internships at any time.
A motorsport degree will also give you the edge over applicants who have a more generalised engineering degree as your learning will be directly relevant to the role.
2 thoughts on “Hot Jobs: Industrial Placements in Motorsport for 2022”
How do I sign up for this?
Hello Patric. If you read the blog you will see a series of links to the Team LinkedIn pages or websites. You have to direct apply to the company. Best wishes, Team NMA