Ultimately, experience is what F1 employers look for most, but it can be really hard to start getting job experience with no prior education.
You could also join relevant extracurricular clubs, such as a computer science club or a mathematics club. Besides technical classes, learning another language like Italian or German couldn’t hurt. F1 is a very international sport, so these skills could look good on your resume.
If you live in the UK, take 1-3 A-level courses in these subjects. If you live in the USA or Canada, you could take a post-high school automotive mechanic certification course at a technical institution. In the USA, mechanics must pass an EPA exam at the end of their courses. They may also choose to get certified by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, which can look good on a resume.
Keep in mind that being an F1 mechanic doesn’t just mean you get to watch all the races. You’re going to be working both on and off the track, and when you’re at the races you’re not just there to watch, so passion about all aspects of the sport is really important.
Not only is this important for winning races, but it’s a matter of safety as well. If you crack under the pressure of working very quickly, you might make mistakes that could put a driver at risk.
Besides working with the driver and other mechanics, you’ll also be receiving instructions from an F1 engineer regarding the car you’re working on.
[If you take post-secondary courses in something like motor vehicle engineering or auto mechanics, your educational institution might be able to place you in an internship or apprenticeship of some kind.
If you live near a local race track, even something like a rally course, you could even try to find a job with a really small local team to start.
General requirements for apprenticeships are passing grades in your high school or equivalent education, as well as maths, English, and science classes. If you’re lucky enough to land an apprenticeship for an F1 team, you might be able to work your way up the ladder and stay on with the team after the program ends.
There are also job listings sites specific to careers in motorsports that list a variety of jobs with different F1 teams.
Even if you get rejected, some teams might be nice enough to write back and tell you what experience you’re missing that they’re looking for. Then, you can try to get that experience through another job or a course.
Remember that even if you don’t get your dream F1 mechanic job, there are tons of other motorsport leagues that you could have just as much fun working for for a few years until you’re more than qualified to work in F1!
Pre-season testing starts in February for F1 and the last race is at the end of November. This is where being passionate about the sport really comes in handy. Even though the job demands a lot of time, you’ll be doing something you love. Engines have friction. They have oil that runs through them to cool down all the metal moving parts. [11] X Research source So you need to change the oil. That is the basic maintenance of a combustion engine. [12] X Research source Different manufacturers have different types of maintenance schedules. But every gas car needs an oil change.
The good thing is you know the schedule for the whole year right away, so you can plan trips home and time off. You also get long breaks twice a year, in December and August.
In general, mechanics make a median annual salary of about $40,000 USD. If you ever get laid off of your job as an F1 mechanic, it’s nice to know that you should be able to easily find a decent paying mechanic job elsewhere.
