Ever dreamed of playing a key part in a legendary Formula 1 team? Our early careers programmes give you the chance to create our winning formula. From the special feeling of walking through the doors at Grove for the first time to seeing your hard work come to life on the track, our F1 early careers opportunities are here to nurture your potential.
Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or someone looking to steer into a new career path, our early careers F1 programmes set you up for professional success. From aerodynamics and electronics to design and engineering, you’ll be doing more than just shadowing in these programmes. You’ll be contributing to the performance of one of the most iconic teams in F1 history from day one.
If you’re wondering how to start a career in F1, our programmes have plenty of success stories, like those shared here by Aaliyah, Fleur, and Reece. In fact, more than 10% of our workforce have come through this pathway. Find out more about the ins and outs of our development opportunities through their stories.
Meet our F1 early careers talent
Aaliyah Ascroft - Graduate design engineer
Aaliyah’s story shows that starting a career in Formula 1 doesn’t always begin with certainty. Sometimes, you find your place by following a gut-feeling hunch, even if you don’t immediately think so.
“I'm probably a bit of an abnormality in the sense that I applied on a whim because I didn't think I was going to get it. I was just starting to get into F1, and what I really liked was the ingenuity side of it. That drew me to it initially, but I did not think I was going to get the job at all.”
That leap of faith led to a placement with the front of vehicle team, where she helped design parts and watched her work make it onto the car.
“Seeing some of the parts I’ve helped on actually on the car was probably the first big feeling of: ‘Oh, wow, I'm actually doing this!’”
Today, Aaliyah is a graduate design engineer in the suspensions, steering and brakes group. She credits her hands-on learning during her early careers programme for shaping how she works, and she’s not alone.
“My approach might be quite different to someone who came from an aerospace background. That's because I've learned how to do everything in the F1 environment. The amazing thing about Williams is it's filled with loads of people who come from early careers backgrounds. Everyone knows how to support you because they've all been there themselves.
A lot of my team are ex-placement students, which is great because everyone is established in the wider team and familiar with the Williams way of working and training.
Fleur Vermeulen - Aerodynamics industrial placement
Fleur came to Atlassian Williams Racing from the Netherlands, halfway through her aerospace engineering studies. She joined as an industrial placement student and was immediately impressed with how hands-on our early careers programmes truly are.
“I'm doing this in between my university years so it really gives you a lot of experience before graduating with a degree. It's actually great, you learn way more than just being in university and I think Williams is big on early careers. It is quite family-oriented and that really attracted me.
They really give you the responsibility to try to fix the car or improve the car. I thought it would be just walking around, shadowing what people do, but it was immediately from the start: ‘this is your part, go for it, see what you can do, see if you can improve some things that we don't see’”
Now part of the aerodynamics team, Fleur is designing components that directly influence the car’s performance. While still learning, at Williams she’s trusted to play a part in our mission to get back to the top.
“You get to see everything, especially in the early careers programme. You see all the other industrial placements, so I know not only what I'm doing, but also what's happening on the factory floor, and what happens in the design office, and that's important.”
Reece Gerring - Electronics apprentice
Reece took the unconventional route into a career in F1. After studying sport in college and working at Screwfix, he knew it was time to pursue his true calling. With our F1 early careers programme, he’s been able to make real impact from day one.
“Formula 1 has always been a passion of mine, and the aim has been to prove I belong here. I want to work my way up and prove I belong among the best engineers in the world. Sport has always been a big passion of mine, so college for me was just all sport. I realised I wanted to do something I'm passionate about, and I've always loved F1, so I thought I'd give it a go.”
Reece’s story is a reminder that wherever you start, you can reroute with the right support. Throughout his time with Williams, he's seen firsthand how deeply early careers are embedded into the teams.
“There's a big emphasis on early careers, no matter where you go in the business. It's good to see, and it gives you confidence that there is support there for myself, and they are good at handing out advice as well. There is a really good network. I know I can go to any of the training officers or any of the apprentices for advice on college work or work here, too.”
Leadership support
Support for our up and comers at Williams starts at the very top. Team principal James Vowles has long made his passion for giving the most promising young minds a home known. Fleur shared the impact his support has on the early careers team.
“We talk about it a lot. Before I applied, I heard him talk about it more than any other team principal, that Williams really appreciates having early careers people, and it really wants more. So, it just made me think that this would be a good fit for me.
It's great because you see him promote it because he knows that it's the future. He also comes to talk to us, he gives us little speeches so it's not just saying these things publicly, it's actually showing how he wants to help us to improve.”
Start your career in Formula 1
If you’re wondering how to start a career in F1, these stories should steer you in the right direction, from our global Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy and placements, to work experience and apprenticeships. We’re building pathways to help people of all backgrounds find their place.
Ready to get started? Explore our early careers programmes to register your interest in joining our 2026 cohort.
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