So you want to get into F1...

I think it is important to put this out as a new crop of university graduates has just reached the job market, as I can tell from the influx of inbox messages. I want to write a bit of a PSA (Public Service Announcement for those not from the USA) to any young engineers who want mentorship via LinkedIn:

If you want help, advice, mentorship, a job etc..., especially to try to get into a very competitive job market like Formula 1/Motorsport, please do your research, and come prepared with questions.

I was in the same boat. I sent hundreds of unsolicited messages to people doing the jobs I wanted to do, which in my case was designing Formula 1 cars. Some, well most, went un-answered. When I started evaluating my approach was when I started making progress.

Here are three important points I realized on my path (mind you, this is over a 5-year span of actively trying to get into F1):

1. People (e.g. adults, professionals, your engineering role models etc...) are busy; really busy.
2. You will be more likely to get a response if you show that you did some semblance of research. E.g. Help me, help you; show the potential mentor that you've done your homework.
3. If you make specific requests, you will get specific answers/responses.

So... how do you use these three points? Try to tailor your messages to your new connections, with the hopes of trying to follow their footsteps to F1. Here are some REAL examples of messages I have received in the past few years (I have removed any sensitive info). Guess which ones I responded to...

Example 1: I felt very happy that you accepted my invitation. What kind of skills i need to develop ? How difficult is it in achieving my dream i.e to get into f1 team as an engineer?

Example 2:Hello Gabriel, I am looking for engineering work if you know of any. I am eligible to work in the E.U. if that helps.

Example 3:Hi Gabriel, hope this message isn’t an inconvenience and thanks for connecting with me on LinkedIn. Wanted to reach out and chat:

This note is in regards to recommendations on getting involved in motorsports as an engineer. I see you are part of the Graduate program at the AMG F1 team, congrats on that opportunity.

I am also from Miami Florida, born, raised and studied at *retracted* (graduated fall 2014 mechanical engineering)

I have been a fan of F1 and motorsports for as long as I remember, studied engineering to get involved in motorsports as a career. Unfortunately haven’t been able to get my foot in the door. Any recommendations? How did you land that graduate program with AMG through Oxford Brookes?

I see you also spent time at an OEM (Honda), what made you want to go back to school and go after F1 in the UK? I have also considered stop working and go after a masters in motorsports (at Purdue or Cranfield University). I see you have specialized in powertrain, I have started to specialize in vehicle dynamics/chassis development.

After working this past year in the automotive industry (involved with OEMs) still hungry to go after motorsports and/or back to school to better my chances. Been reaching out to many teams and industry personal over the summer in order to get more opportunities for my next career step.

Thanks for your time and hope to continue to chat, your guidance and recommendations are appreciated.

Ready to know which ones I responded to? All of them, but thats because although I should ignore messages clearly wasting my time, I can't bring myself to do it. I remember being on the outside looking in with no semblance of hope of living out my dream to design F1 cars, and I want to help more young people accomplish their dreams like I did.

As you might guess, the only message I could actually respond to without steam billowing from my ears was the 3rd example. This message showed me that the sender actually gave a shit about achieving his/her goal. I saw specific questions, I saw CLEAR research conducted into potential pathways, I saw potential. This individual's message intrigued me enough that I think I wrote him/her a very detailed response and even fielded a few phone calls from them. I even went so far as to suggest applying to a few of our vacancies and listing me as a reference. (This specific engineer is now currently in Indycar and has a very exciting career.)

I hope this serves as a good template for helping you all achieve more meaningful responses as you attempt to make it into F1, and also help you understand why you may not be successful at present. I would not be where I am if it wasn't for the responses I received specifically on LinkedIn from numerous F1 engineers (some of which are now my co-workers), so I am inclined to help all of those with similar dreams as mine. Just know, a little effort goes a long way.

-Gabe