In Formula 1, podium places are often decided by the tightest of margins. With all-important points on the line, F1 performance engineers help us unlock milliseconds and fight for top positions on the grid.
Thinking about a career in F1 performance engineering? Check out our guide to careers in the sport.
What is performance engineering in F1?
F1 performance engineering is all about chasing improvement. Every decision is geared toward making the car faster and giving the driver the best chance possible of reaching the podium.
At the track, performance engineers monitor live telemetry while juggling factors like tyre wear and track temperature. Back at the factory, they dive into simulations and long-term development, making sure today’s insights feed into tomorrow’s car.
Elizabeth Wood Bowyer, Performance Optimisation Engineer, summed up the questions F1 performance engineers ask on a day-to-day basis.
“What should we focus on to find performance? Is it the car, the driver, or the oncoming rain? What might go wrong next, and how can we avoid it? What’s likely to work, and what won’t? What looks right? What’s achievable?”
Types of performance engineer jobs
If you’ve watched F1 on TV, you might have seen our performance engineers analysing data and telemetry alongside our race engineers. But there are plenty of roles beyond the pitwall.
As a performance engineer, you could also find yourself working in:
- Aero: these performance engineers specialise in the way the car cuts through the air. They use real-time data to adjust setups for track conditions. They collaborate with drivers, engineers, and mechanics to maximise performance.
- Performance optimisation: these engineers are usually factory-based. They run simulations, study vehicle dynamics, and ask the big questions that shape car development. Their work is crucial to the car’s long-term competitiveness.
- Performance systems: In this performance role, you’ll work to make sure everything connects. They oversee processes and ensure that insights from one part of the team flow seamlessly into another.
Each role has its own plus-points. For Stefano Nitti, Senior Trackside Aero Performance Engineer, the thrill of working trackside is one of the best parts of the role. He said:
“My role revolves around preparing the car to make sure it gets out of the garage in the best spec that we can achieve. I also take care of the performance side of things, which means I support the driver in understanding what the car response is from an aerodynamic perspective across every lap and every turn.”
“One of the aspects that I really love about my job is that I’m in between the garage, the mechanics, and the engineers. During preparation day, we test everything out and then while the session is ongoing, I support the engineers with all the data analysis.”
Elizabeth Wood Bowyer, Performance Optimisation Engineer, prefers having more time to digest the data and suggest long term improvements for the car’s future:
“I work from the factory to optimise car performance over the long-term, supporting future car development and R&D projects, as well as supporting race weekend optimisation. I get my head into some proper vehicle dynamics and simulation work, and I’m part of making the decisions that dictate the performance of the car.”
What skills do you need in F1 performance engineering jobs?
Working in performance engineering is about mindset as much as expertise. To create our winning formula as an F1 performance engineer, you need a blend of technical prowess and plenty of soft skills.
F1 performance engineers should have:
- Strong grounding in vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, and simulation
- Confidence working with data analysis tools like MATLAB or Python
- The ability to interpret large data sets and identify trends quickly
- Experience in simulation environments, including driver-in-the-loop tools
The best performance engineers are also:
- Clear communicators who can explain complex data in simple terms
- Team players who thrive on collaboration
- Calm under pressure, able to adapt quickly when plans change
- Curious and creative, always looking for new ways to improve
Why become a performance engineer at Atlassian Williams Racing
Joining as a performance engineer means helping to build our team’s bold vision for tomorrow, as we fight our way back to the front of the grid.
As Elizabeth Wood Bowyer puts it, “The air at Williams is full of hope and change at the moment. I’m very excited to see how these next seasons unfold!”
Richard Frith, Head of Performance Systems, added:
“I grew up watching Williams dominate F1, so being part of the team working to get us back to the front of the grid feels like a full-circle moment and an incredible opportunity.”
Find an F1 performance engineering job today
A career as a performance engineer in F1 is fast-paced, rewarding, and full of opportunities to grow. If you’re looking to shape the future of Formula 1, you can find your place in a performance engineer job at Atlassian Williams Racing.
Ready to create our winning formula? Explore our F1 performance engineering jobs today or join our talent community to stay up to date.
