Events
Tell us about your experience on the Student Schemes at Mercedes AMG HPP?
I started my Programme management placement in the planning department for the Project One in September 2018. From the first day, the company gave me real responsibilities and I was able to feel useful for the project. The planning team is part of the wider Programme Management department and ensures all engineering changes for the spec of the Power Unit are processed, release demand in SAP, plan future price breaks or opportunities and update the bill of materials with the released changes. 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.
After that, I started my rotation as a Hardware Coordinator for the MGU-H and MGU-K Stators and Rotors. In this role, you are responsible of making sure all released hardware and spec changes from the engineering department get delivered on time. Therefore, you work closely with all the departments of the company starting with engineering, manufacturing, purchasing and build to ensure the tests planned and released can be achieved meeting deadlines. As a Hardware Coordinator, you end up as one of the people with a significant knowledge about the spec of each one of the motors built, as well as a few Kg lighter with the amount of running you do around the factory to coordinate the different departments involved in the process.
What have you learned so far during your time at Mercedes AMG HPP?
It has been the experience where I have learnt the most in my whole career so far. I have been able to acquire knowledge in stator and rotor design, the manufacturing process and purchasing lead times required to deliver them, the quality issues related to the process and how to solve them or the build steps for the finished motors. At the same time, since the company gives you real responsibility from the start, I have learnt how to deal with tight deadlines and high pressure in a fast-paced environment. Everything surrounded by some of the best professionals around the world in power unit design, capable of achieving seemingly impossible goals.
What have you enjoyed most from your time at Mercedes AMG HPP?
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. At the same time as a (at some point) future engineer, finding a company where you develop, manufacture and build your own components in the same facilities is hard to find elsewhere. If you add on top of that the development rate and speed this company is capable of delivering, it is something you have to experience to believe. Last but not least, the challenges and amount of work you have on a daily basis ensure you will never get bored at work, something I have really enjoyed even though I could see how some could occasionally feel overwhelmed.
What advice would you give to this year’s FS Students?
As a previous member of the e-Tech Racing team from Barcelona, I would advise you to squeeze as much knowledge as you can from your Formula Student team. 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. You can fail and you have room for creativity, you are able to learn how important teamwork is and end up in a much more valuable position for a company since you are already in the next gear compared to other students. Make sure you appreciate it and take as much as possible from it, after University you will not be able to experience it again!
Once again, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains are excited to be partners of this year's Formula Student event.
If you are attending this year and would like to find out more about their Graduate or Placement opportunities for 2020, please visit the Mercedes Marquee, or pre-arrange a time by contacting the team at students@mercedes-amg-hpp.com