The new annual award will name an engineering student from a UK university as a rising star of Formula One engineering and support them with an accelerated career development programme.
A joint Williams and Autosport judging panel will select the winner from a list of nominees provided by eight of the country’s leading universities with strong track records in engineering; Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Loughborough, Bath, Southampton, Oxford Brookes and Queens University, Belfast.
The nominees will be assessed on their previous academic track record and a proven passion for motorsport. Following a written essay question and a series of assessments at the Williams factory in Oxfordshire, the eventual winner will be offered an initial two year placement upon graduation in an accelerated development programme that will see them mentored by senior engineers and rotate through various areas of the team before they find their specialism. During the placement they will also get the unique opportunity to work in the team’s race operations division and gain experience at a Grand Prix.
Speaking about the initiative Tim Bulley, Group Director of Haymarket Specialist Media, said: “We are very excited about this new award. Autosport has a long history of surfacing and promoting emerging talent in motor racing and we are delighted to be able to extend this to aspiring engineers. Williams is a brand synonymous with excellence in engineering innovation and we feel honoured that they have chosen to partner with us on this project. As well as inspiring a generation of engineering students, the overall winner will receive a dream start to their career.”
Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal of Williams, added; “Formula One attracts many of the world’s brightest engineering minds and it is a testament to the pedigree of British engineering that the vast majority come from the UK. Williams is passionate about recruiting and nurturing the next generation of engineering talent and this new award will help ensure that bright minds look towards Formula One for their futures. We will give the winners a full time role with the team and mentoring from top engineers such as our Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds. No doubt future engineering stars of the sport will have started their careers in this programme.”
The Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future Award comes off the back of another educational initiative announced by Williams last month – the establishment of the Williams Randstad Engineering Academy that will see up to 10 students aged 16-18 enter a seven year programme of extra-curricular support each year.
