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How To become a Mechanical Design Engineer:

Becoming a motorsport mechanical design engineer can be a rewarding and challenging career. Here are some steps to consider when looking to begin your career:

#1 Education:

To become a motorsport mechanical design engineer, you will need to have a passion for woking out how things work and be able to come up with solutions to problems as quickly and as efficiency as possible. You will essentially require a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field such as automotive engineering. Look for programs that have a strong focus on motorsport design like the courses run at Oxford Brookes and Cranfield University.

#2 Gain Experience

Internships or placement experience opportunities can provide you with valuable experience and give you a better understanding of the field. Look for opportunities with motorsport engineering teams. You could even offer your service for free to get your foot in the door. Gaining experience can even be gained at secondary school level with initiatives like F1 In Schools that focus on car surfacing and aerodynamic design.

#3 Build Your Skillset

To excel in this field, you will need a strong understanding of general engineering principles, mathematics, material properties, mechanical systems, Procurement understanding, FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CAD (computer-aided design) software. Additionally, you will need strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Some examples of industry standard CAD packages can be found below:

• CATIA V5
• Solidworks
• Onshape
• Autodesk Inventor
• SketchUp
• Rhino

It is also worth understanding and (if possible) gaining hands on experience with the following manufacturing techniques:

• CNC
• Milling
• Lathe work
• Welding
• 3D printing

Networking:

Attend industry events, webinars and connect with professionals in the field. Networking can help you learn about opportunities and gain insight into the industry. Our previous postings go over networking in more detail.

Get Certified:

Consider pursuing certification through organisations. Certification can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise to potential employers and can be crucial for gaining your next full time role.

• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
• International Council on Motorsport Sciences (ICMS)

Stay Current:

Motorsport engineering and technology is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the design side of the field. This can involve attending conferences and workshops, reading industry publications, and staying engaged with other professionals in the field.

Be sure to check out some of the previous blogs here.

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