Stairway to heaven

Racecar the opportunities created by the governing body for young engineers

For young engineers, once they are through education, I believe there is a huge amount of opportunity

Motor racing has undergone a dramatic change in the past two decades. Breeding grounds for young engineering talent such as Lola and Reynard have closed in the UK, racecar builders such as Van Diemen have been soaked up by larger companies while, at the other end of the spectrum, motor manufacturers are unsure as to what will be the next propulsion fuel, and are therefore cautious about making investment in any race series, particularly one featuring immature technology such as hydrogen or electric.

In the feeder formulae, standardised parts reduce the variety of component suppliers, while long homologation periods for top level cars has rather limited the options. Unsuccessful applicants for a tender are locked out for years, rather than being given the opportunity to develop something better and go back to the market.

For a young engineer looking to start a career in motor racing, the market is certainly different to how it was at the turn of the century. Some would argue the companies that receive applications are more robust and able to employ, while others argue that variety