Events
The Institution’s Formula Student team is delighted to have the continued support of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) as a long-term partner of the competition; HPP’s stand, complete with Mercedes AMG F1 car, is a familiar and impressive sight for students at the Silverstone paddock each year.
The biggest cornerstone of the competition, Formula Student gives young engineers the chance to develop and hone their technical understanding, practical skills, project planning and team work on a highly involved project outside of the classroom, providing well-rounded engineers of the future. Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains share our values and recognises the practical experience the event can provide to young engineers, with many of their students and employees being Formula Student Alumni.
Taking their existing experiences as a starting point, new intakes are given exciting projects to contribute to across multiple business areas. “My first 6 months were spent working within the Performance Applications team, analysing data from the engines. From day one I was diving into race weekend data to solve issues and push the operating envelope of the powertrain" says Alex Thomas, who now works full time as part of the newly formed Formula E team. Current Programme Management placement student Javier Millet Palmada agrees: “From the first day, the company gave me real responsibilities and I was able to feel useful for the project. My start in planning gave me a really good overview about the systems and procedures inside the company as well as a basic knowledge of SAP, very useful for my future in the placement.”
The nature of the work provides placement students with the chance to continually learn, developing them into flexible engineers that can overcome common challenges. "The fast-paced work at HPP and the constantly changing powertrain means there is always new work to do" continues Alex. "There is always a new design task just around the corner and the variety of work means there’s a constant stream of new challenges to get stuck in to! This has allowed me develop a wide variety of skills and gain knowledge of multiple areas of engineering."
Currently in the first year of the Electronics Engineering Graduate Scheme, Billy Jeans is also quick to point out how the role has helped improve his technical knowledge and give him a better understanding of future career paths for his skillset. "I am part of the new and exciting Formula E team as an electrical product engineer” he explains. “My responsibilities include testing sub-sections of our new power unit to ensure we are maximising efficiency wherever possible. I’ve learned a huge amount about designing mechanical parts for ease of assembly. This is something I’d never done at university as a studying electrical engineer."
It’s a similar story with Chelsea Morison, who is currently on a 12-month placement as part of her Newcastle University degree and cites the support the business provides as an important factor. "The responsibility (scarily/excitingly) for [real projects] lies with you and you take complete ownership after being mentored and taught all of the systems and processes you need to know" she explained. "The mentoring is very valuable as you learn from the colleagues that have the most experience in the area. You get to dive into each and every job head-first and make it your own because it’s about meeting the deadline and getting the job done to the best standard without cutting corners in the way you believe is best."
While working at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, the nature of their projects means that Formula Student competitors have the opportunity to contribute to unique, high level competitions and achieve business objectives that just aren’t available on other schemes. Nowhere is this better emphasised than with Javier, who cites his involvement with e-Tech Racing Team in Barcelona for securing his current placement role. "For me, it has been thanks to my Formula Student experience I was able to get this placement in HPP, and you won’t find a better chance of designing, confronting problems and hands-on experience afterwards. Being able to fulfill my childhood dream of experiencing the insights of an F1 team was incredible, doing it in the team that has won 5 double F1 World Championships, with such a success rate has been mind-bending.”
This sentiment is echoed by Billy Jeans: “I’ve also really enjoyed being relied on and responsible for such significant elements of our powertrain which is absolutely confidence inspiring and rewarding. To top it off, knowing you played your part in winning a race or getting a podium finish with our power units is a pretty special feeling, let alone winning a World Championship!”
With less than a month to go before this year’s event, what advice can they give team members heading to Silverstone? "Read the rules!" says Billy "This is by the far the most useful thing to do as it lets you understand where you can maximise performance and ensure you don’t need to make any huge modifications to get through scrutineering."
“Formula Student is a truly unique experience, and I cannot recommend enough getting involved as much as possible with your teams” explains Alex. “Not only do you get real practical engineering experience which will boost your career prospects, but you can get exposed to so much more - the breadth of experience you can gain with Formula Student is like no other, so take advantage!“
"Keep pushing yourself and your team" adds Chelsea "This is all about a team success, and despite how projects may seem very individual you are still a part of a big team of people who all realistically want the same thing – a car that is going to be successful at the event! Grab every single opportunity that comes your way – you never know where it might take you!"
All competitors currently making their way to the UK competition next month are strongly advised to bring copies of their CVs with them and make time during the event to meet the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains team. Discuss your relevant experience with representatives at their marquee and get advanced notice of the next graduate intake and assessment centres taking place.
For more details from the interviewees, read the full interviews with Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains personnel via the FS website: