Formula 1’s design departments cover every area of the car, with each section a battleground for development against rival teams, with results ranging from lap times in milliseconds to world championship makers. But every area of the car can make a difference, while certain sections have become even more crucial in recent years and amid regulatory changes.
We spoke to Mercedes Senior Brake Line Design Engineer Mark Stiles to find out what his role is, how to get into the job and what a normal day entails.
What is your role?
My job title is Senior Brake Line Design Engineer, reporting to the Head of Mechanical Design. I work within the rear suspension design group and collectively we are responsible for the design of the car’s inner and outer rear suspension and rear brake cooling assemblies.
What are your main duties and missions?
It is my responsibility to design the parts and assemblies for the rear brake cooling on the car. The work goes deeper than that within the team, however. I work closely with aerodynamicists and CFDs to understand their needs and incorporate them into my designs. They identify and expand on theoretical performance, but it’s my job to deliver it to the car with lightweight, reliable designs that can be manufactured to a high level of precision and quality. I also liaise with the planning and purchasing departments to agree design and delivery targets, and with the build and race teams to ensure fit and function as expected. In mechanical design, we work with the structural analysis, vehicle dynamics, and test and development groups to ensure that our designs meet the required specifications and are fit for purpose.
One of the hardest parts of my role is working with manufacturers and suppliers to develop methods to manufacture components in the lightest and most efficient way. This often results in complex and innovative solutions for both component and tooling design. We always try to push the boundaries of the design and manufacturing process to ensure that the product we end up with delivers as much performance as possible.
The designers take full ownership of their projects; we are responsible for the initial design of a part or assembly, and then throughout its lifetime. We are therefore actively involved in the manufacturing, building and testing departments of the factory and remain in regular communication with the race team before, during and after track events. It also involves reacting to feedback or issues reported by the lead to establish root causes and design fixes or resolutions that are applied to current and future iterations of parts and assemblies. It’s easy to assume that working for a big F1 team you can’t follow your designs from start to finish, but that’s not the case here and cross-departmental networking is an essential part of my role.
Mark Stiles, Senior Brake Line Design Engineer, Mercedes F1 Team
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
What qualifications do you need?
I have a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Motorsport Engineering. It is essentially a mechanical engineering degree, but some aspects of it have focused on applying theory to motorsport issues and topics.
What should you study in school?
STEM subjects are obviously crucial for anyone wishing to pursue a career in this type of field. I studied A levels in Mathematics and Physics (entry requirements for my degree) as well as Product Design. These are subjects that interested me, but luckily I was also very good at them. Before that, I already had a pretty good idea of what kind of career I’d like to pursue, which meant my study choices became pretty straightforward.
What other skills are useful?
A pre-existing interest in motorsport is not essential, but it will aid your development and give you enthusiasm for a role in F1. Working hours can be long, especially during the winter car design phase, so if you’re competitive and passionate about what you do, it helps you succeed and push the envelope when it matters most.
A good understanding of mechanical principles and a general interest in “how things work” are essential in any mechanical design role. Much of the work involves applying the knowledge and experience you have gained to solving new problems and tackling new challenges. In F1, innovation and creativity are the subject of great responsibility, but in reality, innovation usually starts with a simple idea. Innovation is seen in the collaboration of people and processes to “make it happen”. It is never an individual effort, but that of a team.
Some kind of hands-on experience is also a nice feather to have in your hat. Whether it’s time spent working on road or race cars, building/crafting things, or fixing things, it’s all worthwhile experience that will help you become a better engineer and design better parts. From an early age, I built and raced radio-controlled model cars; it gave me a basic understanding of race car architecture and terminology and I’ve often referred to RC racing as “miniature motorsport” because that’s essentially what it’s all about.
It’s important to have a life outside of work in F1; interest or participation in other sports and activities is actively encouraged. Pursuits that provide a social setting in which you can gain experience in a competitive environment, manage pressure, collaborate with others or learn to be fair and respectful will make you a more complete member of an F1 team and of a person in general.
How can I gain work experience?
Working in the junior classes and other forms of motorsport can be beneficial in getting F1 design work; some of the best ideas and solutions have their origins in other motorsport categories or in different engineering fields. I worked in manufacturing engineering and wind tunnel model design before I got a job designing F1 cars.
Lots of people apply for jobs with F1 teams, so having something on your CV is essential to stand out from the crowd. Whether it’s volunteering in junior motorsport on the weekends or having work experience in a well-known engineering company, it will help you. Almost everyone participated in Formula Student while in college now, which is becoming less and less of a differentiator. All experience is good experience and not having F1 design experience should not deter you from applying for F1 design jobs.
Mark Stiles, Senior Brake Line Design Engineer, Mercedes F1 Team
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
Do you go shopping?
Design engineers generally do not travel to races unless there is a specific need for them to be trackside at an event to provide technical assistance on a car system. The occasional trackside visit may be necessary if you have a big upgrade or similar being fitted to the car, where being on hand with in-depth knowledge of a new assembly would benefit the driver. racing team.
What does a working day look like for you?
It’s not a typical 9am to 5pm job and every day there are new experiences and new challenges to face. It’s a desk job though and most of my time is spent at a desk using CAD to complete design work. Specifically, this could involve the initial design of a large assembly, the detailed design of parts, or the design of tools and jigs to enable the fabrication and construction of parts and assemblies. Depending on the time of year, I will also work to schedule design projects and the use of design resources/media allocated to me during particularly busy times.
If there are any new parts or assemblies planned to run on the car, I produce any associated documentation to describe the planned construction, operation and maintenance requirements before communicating it to the race team and other stakeholders before the event. This includes specifying and overseeing all testing and validation procedures that must be completed before an assembly is incorporated into the car. After track or test events, I will generally be involved in the dismantling and inspection of all assemblies that are returned to the factory, as well as helping to determine if any parts need to be repaired or replaced prior to future races . This practical element is part of the role that I particularly enjoy.
Our job as designers is ultimately to provide the race team with the best possible car to fight with, and it’s hugely rewarding to experience the team’s triumphs knowing that I’ve helped their achievement.
This article was created in partnership with Motorsport Jobs. Find the latest motorsport job offers on the Motorsport Jobs website.