Fast track to F1: What is a scholarship and what will it do for me?

For high school students who are torn between studying at a university versus a college; a scholarship might just sway it for you.

The University of Bolton is proud to be home to the UK’s only National Centre for Motorsport Engineering (NCME), which has secured £150,000 worth of funding to help three aspiring motorsport engineers into higher education and throughout the duration of the course.

The scholarships mean fees will be waived for all three years of the degree, and they will also cover the costs of student accommodation, as well as a subsistence allowance for other expenses.

To be considered, applicants must meet entry requirements, and the scholarships are limited to full-time UK students only, who will be required to submit a personal statement of 500 words. A shortlist will be drawn up and applicants then interviewed to identify the three successful scholarship candidates.

A particular aim of these scholarships is to support keen engineers from disadvantaged backgrounds and they have been donated by three benefactors acutely aware of the current lack of diversity in the sector.

Vijay Mallya, the former team principal of the Force India F1 team along with Bob Fernley, his former deputy, have formed an alliance with Jonathan Kendrick, a keen sponsor in Formula One and other motor racing series.

“There is talent out there that simply needs the chance. I was lucky to go from a council house in Stockport to Formula One racetracks all over the world and I want a new generation to have that opportunity,” Bob explains.

What is motorsport engineering?

If you love motorsports and the cutting edge of automotive performance, then a degree in Motorsport and Automotive Performance Engineering is the perfect fit for you. Taking mechanical and automotive engineering disciplines to the limits of their specialism, you could find yourself working with an F1 team or innovating the next groundbreaking advance in component design.

Automotive performance engineering takes the normal requirements of engineering to the next level. When winning the race can depend on the tiniest of marginal advantages, the optimal performance of every single moving part in the vehicle matters. We’re talking about precision to the degree of how temperatures make metals behave in spaces where micrometers are the difference between functionality and failure.

What you’ll study:

Year 1: You’ll be doing the basics; understanding the sciences that are embedded throughout the entire degree.
Year 2: Kick off your own special project working within a group where you can do your own thing - which could be anything from an electric vehicle to a hill climb car.
Year 3: Formula Student is very much at the forefront of your agenda - you’ll be taking part in that championship building a car and taking it to Silverstone.

Check out the University of Bolton’s course page for more information and NCME’s Facebook page for a behind-the-scenes look at our student activities.