Start your engines.
Did you know that lots of F1 teams have apprenticeship roles?
Over the last five years, the number of racing teams giving apprentices a foot in the door has steadily increased. In 2024, apprenticeships offer a real chance to get a job in Formula One.
We’ve created this in-depth guide to walk you through all of the best F1 apprenticeships available in the next year, looking at where they are, who they are with and how you can get them.
Much like the sport itself, motorsport apprenticeships are highly coveted, and competition is tough, no more so than in Formula One. Spots on F1 apprenticeship schemes are hotly contested, so it’s now more important than ever to know who is offering the best positions and what skills these employers truly value.
So join us on the inside track as we get under the hood of F1, fuelling your new career.
OK, enough bad racing puns… Let’s get on with it.
Already have a team in mind? Use the quick links below to jump straight there:
Williams F1
Williams offer early career opportunities at both apprenticeship and graduate level. Based in Grove, Oxfordshire (a part of the country known as Motorsport Valley), Williams’ apprenticeship scheme is suited to those with a real passion for engineering.
Apprentices with Williams can expect to rotate throughout the Metallic and Composite production areas of the business, as well as attend college to complete an intermediate level qualification.
Their apprenticeships ‘are 4 year programmes, aimed at school leavers who prefer a more practical way of learning.’
At a minimum, applicants for Williams apprenticeships are expected to have a good standard of education at GCSE level, including Maths and English at grade C or above. As a plus, they also value fantastic communication skills. They receive over 400 apprentice applications each year, typically only hiring 3-4. So make sure you do everything you can to stand out on your application.
Williams F1 apprenticeships are usually advertised around February time on their apprenticeships careers page.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: February-March
Requirements: GCSE passes + must-have Maths & English
Redbull Racing
At the pinnacle of motorsport, Redbull Formula One Racing is another team that offer top motorsport apprenticeship positions. These roles are highly sought after and receive a lot of applications, so you will need to demonstrate that you are hard-working, focused, and have excellent attention to detail in order to stand out from the crowd.
A list of Redbull’s past apprenticeships includes:
- Machine Shop Apprenticeship
- Composite Technician Apprenticeship
- Electronics Apprenticeship
- Software Developer Apprenticeship
They have also previously offered apprenticeships throughout their business functions, including finance, marketing, and IT.
To land one of these positions you will need 5 GCSE’s at A*-C/9-4 including Maths, English and Science, as well as the demonstrable ability to follow instructions and work well under pressure.
If you’re looking for a foot in the door of motorsport, you may also want to check out Red Bull Racing’s industrial placement for students.
These roles become available via Redbull’s career site – so check in regularly!
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: January Onwards
Requirements: 5 GCSE passes (A*-C/9-4) + must-have Maths, English & Science.
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1
Mercedes says that their greatest asset is their people. Luckily, they back up this claim by offering several early career options, including apprenticeships.
There is no set recruitment window, as far as we can tell, with roles appearing throughout the year depending on function and type. In the past these have included level 3 apprenticeships in manufacturing, mechatronics and automation.
Roles are available throughout the year in both technical and operational areas of the business, so check back with their careers page regularly.
To grab one of these highly contested apprenticeships Mercedes are looking for a self-motivated team player. The perfect candidate must also have a willingness to learn and be able to meet tight deadlines.
Like other apprenticeships we’ve looked at in this guide, Mercedes want at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above, and these must include English, Maths and Science.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: TBC
Requirements: 5 GCSE passes + must-have Maths, English & Science.
Ferrari Racing
Ferrari is one of the world’s most prestigious and exciting vehicle manufacturers, committed to developing young people and their careers.
Competition for Ferrari’s motorsport apprenticeships scheme is incredibly fierce. In previous years, just 11 apprentices have been selected from over 1000 applicants!
With the odds stacked so high, it’s more important than ever to do your research and really understand what they are looking for in the perfect apprentice.
Ferrari are looking for young people with agile and logical minds wishing to combine those skills with a practical approach to working.
There are four paths available on the Ferrari North Europe Apprenticeship Programme.
These include:
- Service and Repair Technician
- Parts Advisor
- Service Advisor
- Body, Paint & MET Technician
To sign up for one of these apprenticeships, you can start by filling out an application to express your interest.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: varies – check back regularly
Requirements: 5 GCSE passes
Alpine F1 (previously Renault)
Historically Renault Sport has been a big supporter of apprenticeships, delivering schemes regularly over the last few years. Their successor Alpine seems to be keen to take up that mantle.
Alpine has advertised apprenticeship opportunities sporadically over the years, however no information is currently available for their apprenticeship plans in 24/25. Keep an eye on their career page and vacancies for any updates.
In the meantime, if you are interested in Renault and motor engineering you can apply for their dealer apprenticeship program, which has roles for service technicians and parts operatives. This is a fantastic way to learn the type of skills required to one day move into a motorsports career.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: Sporadic. Check careers site regularly.
Requirements: TBC
McLaren F1
Another big player in F1, McLaren’s career website states that they back apprentice programs. As we monitor each team for apprenticeships, internships and work experience, we do often see vacancies from McLaren. However, they do not appear to have a regular recruitment window.
McLaren jobs are added on a regular basis, so it is worth checking out their early careers page often to ensure you never miss an update.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: Yes
Recruitment Window: Sporadic throughout the year
Requirements: TBC
Aston Martin F1
Aston Martin F1 (previously known as Racing Point), Have historically offered apprenticeships through a course of ‘three year hands on experience’ delivered by the National College for Motorsport. However, as of 2020 this course seems to no longer be running.
For those interested Aston Martin, the best place to keep up to date is through the National College of Motorsport, where future racing apprenticeship courses will be announced.
Breakdown
Apprenticeships: TBC
Recruitment Window: TBC
Requirements: TBC
Teams without apprenticeships…
Of the remaining teams: AlphaTauri, Sauber and Hass do not advertise apprenticeship opportunities (as of this time of writing).
This may change, and we would always recommend keeping an eye on the teams’ career pages for other entry-level and graduate job opportunities opportunities.
The chequered flag
It’s time to take your place on the podium as that just about wraps up our lap around the world of Formula One apprenticeships.
Overall, the apprenticeship scene in F1 looks very promising, with many of the top teams offering early career options, helping young people to get jobs in F1 and ways for apprentices to get involved in motorsport.
We’ve also seen some good variety, from trackside assistance and motorsport engineering to business functions away from the track, like marketing and finance. In such a competitive market it’s impressive to see that everyone plays their part in the success of the team, at every level of the business.
Looking at all of the information currently available, the best F1 apprenticeships you can apply for right now are Redbull, Williams F1 and Mercedes. Although no other apprenticeships are currently open, many are confirmed and on the way soon, so check in with your favourite teams regularly!
You can also check out the national motorsport academy for more options to get started on your career in motorsport.
In the meantime, take a look at some of our other engineering and sports job opportunities. Or search all apprentice jobs now!
Relax. We’ll send the jobs to you.
Reckon you know what you want to do, but can’t find the perfect role? Most companies hire their apprentices in a ‘recruitment window’. This means many great jobs are only available for a short time once or twice each year.
Sign up for our job alerts service, and we’ll send you any jobs that fit your search criteria.
