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Expanding Horizons: Team Hosts Sutton Trust for Career Insights Day

Imagine getting the opportunity to spend the day in the heart of a Formula One team, immersed in a world of high-quality engineering and expert minds.

That is what around 50 students from the Sutton Trust got a chance to do this week, as we hosted a careers insight day at our Brackley factory.

Our work with the Sutton Trust supports their Pathways to Engineering programme, a comprehensive programme of support to increase access to engineering careers for high-attaining 16-18 year olds from less advantaged backgrounds.

As well as giving them a unique insight into the world of engineering, the scheme is also designed to increase confidence, enhance skillsets needed to navigate for the future, and increase their informed decision making.

The future performance of our team is as important as our present. The best brains of the next generation will lead to the best results.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, who was one of a series of guest speakers to the group on the day, said: "The way the sport works that to move people on you have to have people ready to fill their place.

"What we do here is look to put in really talented and bright students at the entry point of the team and then provide them the necessary support to develop them through their careers.

"Without being able to attract the best young people to the team you cannot be sure you are doing as good a job as the people you are trying to beat on track.

"We have been trying to promote a more diverse intake for a few years now. The simple reason we do that is because it makes the team stronger and a better place to work."

We look to put in really talented and bright students at the entry point of the team and aim to develop them through their careers.

Andrew Shovlin

At the end of the action-packed day, we caught up with three students to learn more about their experience.

What Has Been Your Favourite Moment of the Day?

Ella: "Learning about the carbon components and how they are made up, and all their different roles. How materials are used, and how weight and other factors are considered when deciding how to use them. Are they the cheapest, the lightest or carbon?

"I didn't think that would be an area that would interest me, but now I've heard someone talk about it, it's an area that I'm open to learning more about."

Muhammed: "I found the carbon fibre section of the day really interesting. The big components were much lighter than I was expecting. That aspect was impressive for me.

"I enjoyed the aerodynamics section too, learning about the downforce on the car and the Gs that a driver experiences. The engineering of the aerodynamics also fascinated me."

Charlie: "I enjoyed listening to the talk the most, they were informative and very useful.

"It was a great experience to see the famous W11, as well as some of the other helmets and car parts."

What Have You Learned from Your Day with Our Team?

Charlie: "I have also learned a lot about how a team works. How everything is structured and how everything comes down to the tenths and thousandths of a second to win.

"Hearing that from a team that won eight consecutive Constructor titles was fascinating."

Ella: "What struck me was how many different paths into Engineering there are. I had been focused on Mechanical Engineering for a long time, but hearing all about Aerodynamics and Reliability has made consider studying areas I had never thought of doing before."

It has been so useful to see that there are so many different pathways into F1 and engineering.

Muhammed: "One of the key takeaways for me is huge amount of teamwork that goes on behind the scenes. It is not just the drivers putting in the effort and winning races.

"The fact that so many of the races won are down to the engineers and the teamwork behind the scenes.

"Take the pit stops for example - everyone has to work together in unison, and there is no room for error."

How Are You Hoping the Day Will Help You Going Forward?

Muhammed: "I think it has been a great experience. I will take forward that sense of opportunity, knowing that these places are not as hard to get into as I thought they were.

"Today has given me an insight into the F1 world and it is a career option now that I would consider."

Charlie: "It has been so useful to see that there are so many different pathways into F1, the pinnacle of motorsport and engineering.

"You don't need to be a Cambridge or Oxford graduate with Firsts all the way through to get a position as an engineer.

"It will help me to continue pursuing careers in Formula 1 into the future."

Ella: "It has given me sense of opportunity, to know that there are different options you can select. There is not just one way in.

"There are different degrees you can take that are really good to help you into the industry, as well as placement years and graduate schemes."

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