Industry

Motorsport

Designing, building and racing cars. Formula 1 teams in England, including Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, Williams and Alpine, run regular apprenticeships, mostly in hands-on factory jobs.

Formula 1 teams are some of the best-known engineering employers in the UK, and several of them train apprentices every year. Most motorsport apprenticeships are hands-on: making carbon fibre and metal parts, building and testing components, and checking parts are made to very tight measurements.

The teams we’ve researched are all in England: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS in Brackley, Northamptonshire, Williams in Grove, Oxfordshire, and Alpine in Enstone, Oxfordshire.

Before you apply

  • Places are limited, and it’s competitive. Each team only takes a small number of apprentices, so apply to more than one team, and to engineering employers outside motorsport too.
  • Every team has its own timetable. Check each team’s official careers page rather than assuming they all recruit at the same time.
  • You need the right to work in the UK. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS and Williams both say they can’t sponsor visas for apprentices.
  • You need to live close enough. You’ll work on site at the factory, so work out how you’d get there every day.

We only include teams whose official websites show an apprenticeship programme with clear levels. Other teams sometimes advertise individual apprentice jobs, so their careers pages are worth checking too.

Types of work and careers

  • Composites

    Making lightweight carbon-fibre parts, from bodywork to structural components.

  • Machining and metallics

    Producing precise metal parts using manual and computer-controlled machines.

  • Assembly, build and test

    Putting cars and components together, then checking they work as designed.

  • Inspection and metrology

    Measuring parts precisely to make sure they meet tight tolerances.

  • Electronics and IT

    Wiring, electronic systems and the technology that supports the team.

  • Business and operations

    Purchasing, planning and other roles that keep a race team running.

Compare Motorsport apprenticeships

A quick side-by-side of what each employer publishes. Pick a level to see what each employer offers at that level, and open a profile for the full details and sources.

All employers

Employer Levels Length Pay Entry requirements Where
Alpine F1 Team
  • L3 Advanced
2–3 years Not published Not published Enstone, Oxfordshire
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
  • L3 Advanced
  • L4–5 Higher
Up to 19–42 months Discussed at interview 5 GCSEs at grade 5+, including maths, science and English Brackley, Northamptonshire
Williams F1 Team
  • L3 Advanced
3 years Not published Not published Grove, Oxfordshire

Advanced apprenticeships (Level 3)

Roughly equivalent to A levels.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
Alpine F1 Team 1 programme Apprentice programme 2–3 years Not published Not published
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team 1 programme Level 3 apprenticeships Up to 42 months Not published 5 GCSEs at grade 5+, including maths, science and English
Williams F1 Team 4 programmes Composites; Metallics and 2 more 3 years Not published Not published

Higher apprenticeships (Levels 4–5)

Roughly equivalent to a foundation degree, HNC or HND.

Employer Programmes at this level Length Pay Entry requirements
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team 1 programme Level 4 IT apprenticeships Up to 19 months Not published 5 GCSEs at grade 5+, including maths, science and English

"Not published" means we couldn't find it on the employer's official pages. Pay and lengths can change each year and between locations, so always check the employer's own page before you apply. How apprentice pay works · What the levels mean

Key figures

Maximum length of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team's Level 3 apprenticeships
42 months
Source: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
Length of Williams F1 Team's rotational apprenticeship
3 years
Source: Williams F1 Team careers
Share of an F1 car made from carbon fibre, according to Williams
~85%
Source: Williams F1 Team careers

Summary

  • Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, Williams and Alpine all run apprenticeship programmes, mostly in hands-on manufacturing and engineering.
  • Programmes are long, often three years or more, and mainly at Level 3.
  • Places are limited, teams don't sponsor visas for apprentices, and you need to live within reach of the factory.

Employers we profile in this industry

Levels documented across these employers:

  • L3 Advanced
  • L4–5 Higher

  • Alpine F1 Team

    The Formula 1 team based in Enstone, Oxfordshire, racing as BWT Alpine F1 Team. Its two-to-three-year apprentice programme leads to a Level 3 engineering apprenticeship in one of five factory departments.

    Motorsport, Engineering and manufacturing
    • L3 Advanced

  • Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team

    The Formula 1 team based in Brackley, Northamptonshire. It takes on apprentices every year for Level 3 apprenticeships of up to 42 months and Level 4 IT apprenticeships of up to 19 months, and asks for five GCSEs at grade 5.

    Motorsport, Engineering and manufacturing
    • L3 Advanced
    • L4–5 Higher

  • Williams F1 Team

    The Formula 1 team based in Grove, Oxfordshire, racing as Atlassian Williams F1 Team. It runs a three-year apprenticeship for school leavers where you rotate through four areas of the factory.

    Motorsport, Engineering and manufacturing
    • L3 Advanced

This is a curated selection, not a complete list of employers in the industry. Filter this industry in Employer Search.

Sources and review

Last reviewed . Details can change after this date, so check the official source before you rely on them.

  1. Apprenticeships - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team · accessed
  2. Apprenticeships at Atlassian Williams F1 Team Williams F1 Team · accessed
  3. Early Careers at Atlassian Williams F1 Team Williams F1 Team · accessed

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