Motorsport The Fast Lane When they hear the words ‘World Cup’, most people think of the football (or soccer) tournament held every four years. A handful might think of the Rugby World Cup, and there might even be a few who think first of the Cricket World Cup. But in September 2005, a new World Cup was born. Tim Redmayne reports on the A1 Grand Prix, the self-proclaimed World Cup of motorsport

Millions of people throughout the world watched the A1 Grand Prix (A1 GP) series’ inaugural round at Brands Hatch in England, where 25 nations were pitted against each other in 550 bhp single-seater racing cars. Each nation’s car was painted in its national flag or sporting colours, with sponsorship from national companies. Most importantly, each driver was native to the car’s country.

While many countries with traditional motor racing backgrounds were represented in A1 GP – the UK, Italy and the US, for example – some less familiar names were also battling it out in the opening two races. China, Lebanon and Pakistan have all entered cars in the winter season, which started in September and finishes in May, and they have just as good a chance of winning as the nations with a motor racing tradition.

Unlike Formula One, all the cars in A1 GP are identical. In Formula One, the field is dominated by manufacturers who pour millions into designing cars with electronic driver aids, which means the drivers’ skills aren’t quite so important.While the A1 GP cars are no less sophisticated, the fact that everyone has the same car puts the emphasis on driver skill, meaning that the best driver should always win.

The fact that everyone has the same car puts the emphasis on driver skill, meaning that the best driver should always win

Identical Cars To create a level playing field, a single manufacturer was chosen to produce 50 identical cars for 25 eager-toimpress nations (each country also gets a spare car). That manufacturer was the UK company Lola. Another UK company, Zytek, was chosen to build the cars’ 3.4 litre V8 engines. All the cars have performed brilliantly.

The initial reliability of the machines was unlike that for any other roll-out in motorsport history, and the engineering quality was widely regarded as among the best ever. Usually, when brand new cars are tested for the first time, teething problems and mechanical failures are common as all the carefully designed engineered components bed in together.When A1 GP held its maiden test at Silverstone in August last year, there were no such problems, and the teams were genuinely surprised at the instant reliability. The only mechanical problem was that countries had difficulties starting their cars – there was only one mechanical starter available at that time!

Lola’s superb delivery of the entire A1 GP field demonstrates yet again that the UK leads the way in motorsport technology. The fact that the A1 GP chose a UK company to deliver the largest single order of racing cars ever placed, is an example of the way the UK continues to be at the forefront of developments in international motorsport.

Twelve of the 20 Formula One cars currently racing in Grand Prix are manufactured in the UK. Even Renault, the French manufacturer that won the FIA Formula One Drivers and Constructors World Championship in 2005, continues to build its world-beaters in Enstone, England. UK drivers have won more Formula One world championships than any other nation. And although the US isn’t short of motor manufacturers of its own, the entire grid of the Champ Car World Series (the US’s leading single-seater series) has been supplied by UK firms for years.

The front wing hangers of the A1 GP car
Courtesy of Sutton Motorsport Images

Motorsport Valley So why does the UK continue to lead the way in cutting-edge motorsport technology? Lola’s chief engineer, Julian Cooper, reckons that part of the reason is that UK engineering education has a hands-on attitude, which is key to pushing the industry forwards: ‘Engineers that have come through the British educational system tend to have a more practical approach to engineering, which is ideally suited to motorsport’. Because the UK has a ‘motorsport valley’ of companies in the Midlands, the majority of motorsport companies tend to employ students who have studied in the UK. Cooper continues: ‘Britain has a certain approach which is more focused on the outcome rather than the process, unlike some other countries. That is why we are so successful in the sport. Other countries focus more on the theory, with computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis, which isn’t always what you need for racing.’

Training in the UK So, what kind of training and courses can the UK offer international students? There is a wide range, but you won’t go far wrong with a mechanical engineering qualification.

For some of the best engineering jobs in motorsport, graduates will have studied for either a three-year bachelor’s degree (BEng) or a four-year master’s degree (MEng). Such is the demand to extend the engineering skill-base in the UK, some courses do not even offer a bachelor’s degree but train students up to master’s level from the beginning. Increasingly, employers are demanding master’s-level qualifications, particularly in motorsport, where every improvement in car design equates to crucial seconds on the track. For example, the mechanical engineering master’s course at the University of Bath is highly regarded and each year’s intake includes many international students.

After two core years, students can specialise in different engineering disciplines, including aeronautical engineering (ideal for the budding racing car aerodynamicist), manufacturing engineering (superb for the racing car production industry) and automotive engineering (to explore the intricate vehicle components and dynamics).

UK Engineering education has a hands-on attitude which is key to pushing the industry forwards

On-Track Experience Cooper advises that formal education should be combined with extracurricular practical experience. With the UK’s rich tapestry of grassroots motorsport, the budding racing engineer would be best advised to complement their studies with time at the track, and there are plenty of opportunities. Cooper says: ‘There is so much motorsport in Britain the teams will always be glad of the help, and you get free practical education in return. I often get CVs from Dutch and French students who have good qualifications but aren’t based here. You have to be in Britain for me to be in a position to say yes.’

Formula Student Students at Bath and other UK universities are involved in the annual Formula Student competition, which gives them another opportunity to practise their engineering skills. The competition requires students to design and build single-seater racing cars, and compete against other students from other universities in a variety of performance and handling tests. Approximately twothirds of the entrants are from UK institutions but others come from international universities as far afield as Canada, Iceland and Germany, and are eager to pit their machines against the best that the UK has to offer. Some students base their university selection solely on the chance to participate in Formula Student. Dr Howard Ash, a senior lecturer in automotive engineering at Oxford Brookes University, believes that Formula Student is an ideal way to launch a career in car design and motorsport engineering. Ash says: ‘Formula Student gives students the chance to put theory into practice, and deliver on skills learnt in the lecture room. It’s much more than just an engineering exercise – in order to succeed, the students have to consider everything involved in the motorsport industry, including how to market themselves and raise the necessary budget to compete.’

Ash believes it is these kinds of competitions, and the ability to enlist the services of staff from the motorsport valley companies as lecturers, that gives UK universities the edge: ‘The advantage of studying in Britain is that it is in the heart of the motor racing industry. For example, at Oxford Brookes University, you are a stone’s throw from many key players in the industry including Formula One teams, and our students are actually taught by people from these organisations.

‘Geoff Goddard, a former designer at Cosworth Engineering (now Cosworth Limited), teaches here and he won world championships with Michael Schumacher. Geographically speaking, Britain is superb.With the contacts we have built up we can help to get strong placements.’

Job Opportunities One student who has just embarked on his studies at Oxford Brookes University is 25-year-old Jenner Collins, from Sydney. He is in his first year of a BEng in Motorsport Engineering and reckons that choosing to study in the UK rather than Australia will make it easier for him to get a job in motorsport, such as with a Formula One team, and demonstrates his commitment to working in the industry. He enthuses, 'I'm on the doorstep of Formula One here. I'm close to London, and this is the place to be. Being from Australia, I think it shows get up and go, and how determined I am to be in this industry if I'm willing to study in Britain. There are better job prospects here. Back home it would be much harder to get a career in motorsport, especially at the lower levels.'

By choosing to be trained in the UK, students such as Jenner Collins have more opportunities to be involved in future A1 GP car designs as motorsport grows. The first batch of cars will be kept for the first three seasons of the World Cup of motorsport, then the technical regulations will be updated and the cars redesigned so that they continue to be pioneering single-seaters.

It's clear that if your ambition is to get yourself on the grid for a career in motorsport, a UK education will put you in pole position.