Farhal's placement at Red Bull
Mechanical Engineering student Farhal spent one year on a Mechanical Design Student Placement with Red Bull Powertrains. He reflects on his experience.
My role
My role is within the Energy Recovery System (ERS) division, with a primary focus on the mechanical design and development of the battery pack.
On a day-to-day basis, my responsibilities are quite varied since the team is constantly working to improve the performance and reliability of the current cars running on track, while simultaneously developing future power units for subsequent seasons. There’s also a strong reactive element, as we must respond quickly to faults or issues that arise with parts that are either on track or back at the factory.
My core work includes the design and CAD modelling of battery pack components, as well as the creation of detailed engineering drawings for manufacture.
Alongside this, I’ve also worked with our battery performance engineers to analyse on-track data from races and testing to support performance evaluation and inform design changes based on the learnings. This has led to some collaboration with chassis integration engineers for customer teams to drive packaging changes aimed at improving cooling performance of the car.
Lastly, I contribute to fault investigation and resolution, working closely with engineers and technicians to diagnose issues and implement corrective actions. This includes providing direct support to technicians during the assembly of hybrid battery packs, helping to resolve any challenges encountered during the build process.
Although I regularly interact with a range of departments across the business, I also had the opportunity to spend a month working with the battery test team over December and January.
Joining a new team
Within my first few weeks, I was also provided with a four day in-person training course on CAD using Siemens NX, as well as Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) training to understand how to properly define physical part tolerances on engineering drawings.
At the time of writing, my team is relatively small and tight knit, consisting of three engineers, including myself, working under our manager. This structure gives us broad exposure, allowing each of us to develop a strong understanding of the overall system domain. Because our work is closely interconnected, we share updates and insights on a daily basis to stay aligned, and while each engineer is typically responsible for specific areas of the battery, my role is more flexible, floating between different areas to provide support wherever additional resource is most needed.
The transition from university
Working at RBPT is a massive step up from university life for several reasons. I’m on-site at the Milton Keynes campus 5 days a week and often work beyond my standard hours. Consequently, most of my weekdays are centered around work, with limited time for other activities. Adjusting to this routine was challenging at first, but over time I’ve adapted and developed a routine to ensure I get enough rest and maintain my energy levels.
My placement work is far collaborative and dependent on others’ data, outputs and experience which makes communication and people skills vital. I’ve quickly become familiar with internal processes, industry terminology, specialised tools, and industry standard practices that I hadn’t encountered during my studies, so I often need to ask clarifying questions to bridge those knowledge gaps.
Finally, being responsible for actual hardware that’s operating on track and in the real world introduces a challenge and level of pressure that is very different from academic work. Issues need to be addressed as quickly as they arise, often requiring rapid problem-solving and frequent context switching, all while continuing to develop future designs. Unlike education, where timings, deadlines and tasks are clearly defined and relatively stable, priorities in F1 can shift drastically in the blink of an eye.
New skills
I’ve built a strong understanding of good practice in mechanical design. This covers areas such as material selection, O-ring groove design, bolted joints and fastener interfaces, the use of adhesives and bonding techniques, designing for different manufacturing processes and how to account for tolerances.
Furthermore, soft skills like communication have been particularly important, whether leading meetings with external suppliers or coordinating with engineers across different disciplines. I’ve also significantly improved my efficiency and time management, learning how to juggle multiple projects simultaneously while prioritising the most critical tasks at any given time.
In addition, I’ve taken full advantage of the company’s continuing professional development offerings. These have included in-person sessions on topics such as performing under pressure, building confidence and motivation, overcoming imposter syndrome, and managing stress. Together, these experiences have provided me with practical strategies and tools to help maintain consistent performance and adapt effectively to the demands of the role.
My proudest moment
A particularly memorable moment for me came when Craig Scarborough, one of the most prominent technical journalists in Formula One, published a spy shot of our power unit that featured a component I had designed at the centre of the image, complete with his analysis. Seeing my work highlighted and discussed publicly in that way was surreal, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
Moments like that, where your work is not only out on track but also recognised beyond the team, are immensely satisfying and make the hard work worth it.