My placement journey as a Mechanical and Automotive Engineering student
Omar
Automotive and Motorsport Engineering
My name is Omar and I am currently on a placement year at Red Bull Powertrains, as part of my Automotive and Motorsport BEng Degree.
I’m an international student from Egypt. I always wanted to study automotive engineering, particularly in the UK, as many Formula 1 teams are based in the UK and I am very interested in a career in F1.
Why Huddersfield?
One of the reasons I chose to study at Huddersfield was the fact the University has a successful Formula Student team – Team HARE. After some research, I discovered the team had placed as 3rd UK team in the Formula Student competition in 2019, and many alumni had gone on to work in Formula 1. Since joining the University, I have been fortunate enough to be able to get involved with Team HARE and the Huddersfield Engineering Society, of which I am now President.
My placement year
Placements are a big part of the undergraduate degrees at Huddersfield. The academic staff helped me to see that a good way to get into a career in F1 is to gain experience through a placement role, and that our placement unit is very strong. After some research, I found that F1 teams tend to offer roles very early on during the year. So, during the summer after my first year, I connected with the Placement Unit at the University. With their guidance, I was able to apply as soon as the opportunity became available.
To put it simply, without the support from the placement unit in my school, I wouldn’t be where I am now. They supported me throughout my journey, from CV and cover letter advice to preparation for my interview and other advice throughout. I am very thankful for their support. They are prompt in their advice and are very quick to respond to any queries that might arise and are certainly one of my favourite things about the University of Huddersfield.
I work for Red Bull Powertrains which is a subsidiary of Red Bull Racing the Formula 1 team. The organisation works on designing and maintaining the engine/power unit that powers the car. The main aim is to win the Drivers and Constructors World Championships. For the past two years this has been the case.
My day-to-day activities include supporting with the design of engine components using CAD and running FEA and CFD simulations to ensure that the products operate and function as expected. I also work on failure investigation and fault fixing. I actively work in other areas of the business such as materials, simulation, performance and others to find the root cause of failed components and come up with innovative containments and solutions to ensure that such failure does not occur again. My main goal is to ensure that the parts that I design are the lightest they can be while being reliable and producing maximum power, all whilst also being cost-efficient due to a recently introduced cost cap.
How has the experience shaped me?
I have learned so much from doing this placement and have changed as a person in many different ways, both professionally and personally. I now understand what it takes to become successful in the industry and the qualities that companies look for in a candidate. I get to work with quite possibly the most successful engineers in the motorsport industry. The main skills that I have developed are problem-solving, communication and time management, each of which is equally as important, and I feel being creative when problem-solving is crucial.
I can’t wait to get back to University for my final year and use the knowledge that I gained from my placement to deliver a successful car and see the team hopefully win the Formula Student Competition.
My advice
If you’re considering applying to Huddersfield, I would say go for it. I have enjoyed every single year in Huddersfield, and the uni just keeps getting better! The facilities are always developing, with more facilities being introduced every year. For your course, I would recommend undertaking a placement as it will help you gain an understanding of the industry that you’re interested in is truly like, it will change your perspective about your career.
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