The motorsport industry is one of the most exciting sectors an engineer could work in. It represents the cutting-edge of the skill, and pushes forward the automotive market with developments and innovation that could only come from the sharpest and most competitive designers, engineers, and manufacturers.

The UK is a hub for motorsport teams, with 7 out of 10 of them based in motorsport valley around the Midlands and Oxfordshire.

Motorsport engineering is a fantastic career to get into,

Here Are The Top 5 Motorsport Companies For Engineers

McLaren

McLaren is one of the world’s most famous racing brands. Their team employs over 800, with over 20 different nationalities, making them a truly massive company on the world motorsport stage.

Founded in 1963, they’ve since gone on to win 20 World Championships. This has been achieved due to their relentless focus on innovation, applying an upgrade to their Formula One car on average every seventeen minutes. These innovations are then applied to other projects, filtering through their automotive labs and into their sports cars.

The work the engineers do goes on to impact other sectors, meaning their work can change lives far beyond the scope of motorsport.

McLaren’s Applied Technology team is responsible for taking what they learn, and improving other automotive sectors with it.

Ferrari

Maybe the most famous car brand in the world, Ferrari began producing and racing their own cars in 1947, and has participated in every F1 Championship since they began in 1950.

Understandably, Ferrari have a big team, with an even bigger budget. Engineers who work there are given a degree of freedom when pursuing innovation, but results are always expected, as Ferrari has an impressive reputation to uphold.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso (Italian for ‘Red Bull’) was formed after Red Bull purchased Minardi in 2005. Working at this team will allow you to learn and develop your skills in a relatively less competitive environment than in other F1 teams. The team is funded enough to allow the potential to move the team up the grid, should sufficient progress be made by the engineering team.

Mercedes

Known as the Silver Arrows, Mercedes has become one of the most successful F1 teams in recent racing history. Lewis Hamilton famously joined in 2013, and has helped the team go from strength to strength.

The work is fast paced and challenging, as the team must keep Mercedes on the podium at all costs.

Williams

Williams has been a staple in the Formula One world since 1966. Unlike other racing teams which are extensions of larger business, Williams is purely independent, existing only to race. This means their engineers are focused entirely on the car, given every resource the team has to offer. In total, the company employs over 600 people at their headquarters in Oxfordshire.

Working in motorsport is the pinnacle of engineering for many, and demonstrates that they are the very best in the industry.

Find out what skills you need to be an F1 engineer, or read about how F1 can stay the top motorsport, or check out our Motorsport Jobs.