• Question: what subjects would be best to take in GCSE if I want to design cars-Formula 1 cars?

    Asked by Alex Kerr to Philippa, Matthew, Neil, Paula, Pete on 6 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Pete Symons

      Pete Symons answered on 6 Mar 2015:

      It sounds like you know what you want to do! I follow F1 closely and I would have loved a job in F1, pretty high pressure though, long hours, tight deadlines pretty much all year round to keep up with the car development race, but travelling round the world and being part of a really tight team would make it all worth it, I bet.
      Right to answer your question, anything STEM. You would eventually need to study engineering at university with strong focus on aerodynamics (definitely), electrical engineering (especially with the new power plants in F1 which look set to stay) and mechanical engineering.

    • Photo: Philippa Jefferis

      Philippa Jefferis answered on 8 Mar 2015:

      I agree with Pete about the STEM subjects. However it is also good to have an understanding of the world in which the engineering takes place. You may not be able to take them at GCSE but I found A level economics really helpful for giving me a wider view of the world. So that or business studies would help you too.

    • Photo: Neil Taylor

      Neil Taylor answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      Hi Alex,

      I think that Pete and Phillippa have already done an excellent job and covered everything I was going to say! The only extra bit of information I would add is that it might be worth checking out what the entry requirements are for the course(s) at university/college that you may wish to apply for. As Pete says, this is likely to be something to do with aerodynamics and/or electronics (I guess it depends what bit of the car you want to design!)

      The college/university will list what A-level subjects they require for a particular subject. This may help you decide on which GCSEs are going to be best for you.

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