Cleo, Vehicle Manufacturing Technician

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What I do

I’m a car build technician for Atlassian Williams Formula One Team.

I work in the factory, on the production line that makes F1 cars, as well as helping trackside on race days.

Formula 1 teams are made up of hundreds of specialists working across many different departments in the factory, not just the team you see at the track.

Parts that have been manufactured come to our department in the factory, and we build them into the final car.

Between races, we then strip the parts from the car, re-build them and check they’re ready to race again.

Vehicle Build Technician Cleo, wearing overalls, gloves, and a headset, surrounded by colleagues trackside on a race day, with a focussed look on her face.

How I became a technician

I didn’t always plan to become a car build technician.

When I left school after my GCSEs, horses were my main love. I trained as a horse-riding instructor, moved away from home, and spent three months working with horses in America.

After that, I worked at my family’s estate agents, helping to run the office with my dad. What was meant to be a year turned into seven and a half years! Eventually, I realised I wanted to do my own thing.

How I became a technician

I already loved motorsports and had my own track car. Through sprint races and track days, I met people working in Formula 2 and Formula 1. Formula 1 felt impossible to reach, but I decided to start learning.

I kept my office job, and on my days off I’d volunteer with race teams, helping at race weekends and learning how to build race cars.

I then went to college, and I studied a Level 3 Diploma in Motorsport Vehicle and Technology, which was a two-year course.

How I became a technician

I already had practical experience, but the course helped me to understand why I was doing things and how the cars worked.

While at college, I worked in W Series, which was an all-female racing championship that ran for three seasons. I remember seeing an F1 car for the first time and thinking, that’s where I want to be. A year later, I was building that same car!

After college, my first step into F1 was with Alpine’s testing programme as a rear-end mechanic. Then, I joined Williams as a car build technician.

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A typical day in my working life

At the factory, I usually work from 8am to 5pm.

We start with an operations meeting to see where everyone is with the workload. Then, we’re allocated jobs, which might mean rebuilding part of the car, working on the suspension, or building a new component from an engineering drawing.

We also practise pit stops in a simulator room, where a car corner is set up to mimic a race weekend. I might practise taking a wheel off, putting one on, or using the wheel gun.

A typical day in my working life

Trackside is very different and much faster paced. We have two days to build the car and get it ready for its first fire-up.

That means fitting major parts such as the engine and gearbox, then carrying out checks on systems including the hydraulics, fuel system and sensors.

Sensors across the car can measure things such as position, temperature and pressure.

A typical day in my working life

Once everything is signed off, the car also goes through precise scanning to check that its dimensions meet the rules.

If something unexpected crops up, we change our schedule and work out how to deal with it.

On a race weekend, my exact job depends on my role. I might build spare parts, wings or the fuel system, then help the mechanics on the car and support pit-stop work.

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Vehicle Build Technician Cleo, wearing overalls, gloves, and a headset, standing trackside on a race day.

What I love about my job

Every day is so different. The job I’m doing, the place I’m in, or the people I’m working with can all change, and that keeps me switched on.

Before motorsport, I worked in an office, where my days were much more similar. That makes me really appreciate how many different avenues there are in Formula 1, as now I do something different every day.

I also get to travel and visit countries I’ve never been to before, including China, Canada and Japan. Travelling the world and doing a job I love is pretty amazing.

The skills I use most

Problem solving is a big part of my job. Something can always crop up, so I need to be ready to work out what to do next and adjust the plan.

Attention to detail is also really important in Formula 1 – everything needs to be done exactly right, to make sure the cars are safe and working at top performance. I follow engineering drawings and procedures carefully, build parts to the right specification and carry out checks before the car runs.

Practical application is also important. I’m happy to jump onto something I haven’t done before, check the drawings and speak to the right person to figure it out. I still ask questions now. I’d much rather ask than guess and risk making a mistake.

Before motorsport, I worked in an office, where my days were much more similar. That makes me really appreciate how many different avenues there are in Formula 1.

Be persistent and don’t give up. Not everything will go the way you want the first time, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying.

A little more about my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

Teamwork is how we get the cars out every weekend. I work closely with mechanics, engineers and technicians in different areas, and everyone has their own specialist knowledge.

Building a Formula 1 car involves lots of people bringing their work together to get the cars ready to race. I like being able to move across the car and help wherever I’m needed. It means I’m always working with different people and learning how different parts of the team fit together.

My favourite piece of equipment

My go-to tool is my little quarter-drive ratchet. It’s tiny, but I use it for almost everything.

Some areas of the car are really narrow. At the front end, for example, there can be only enough room to get one hand in through a small opening. My ratchet is perfect for those tight spaces.

I use it for jobs all over the car, from working in the front end to helping fit the engine or gearbox. It’s small, simple and incredibly useful.

What I like to do in my spare time

Motorsport started as a hobby for me. I have my own track car, and I enjoy taking part in sprint races and on track days.

My interest in cars also goes back to spending time with my dad. He has always liked classic cars, and when I was growing up, we’d go to car shows together. In my teens, I started helping to take cars apart and put them back together again. That interest gradually grew into something I wanted to make my career.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

Going to my first Formula 1 race as an F1 mechanic was a huge moment for me. I remember sitting in the van with the team as we drove into the circuit and thinking, wow, I’ve actually made it.

Of course, I still had to get through the race weekend! But it was a really special moment that showed me how far I’d come in a short time.

A surprising fact about my job

A surprising thing is just how many people it takes to get a Formula 1 car onto the track. The factory is huge, with people working across lots of different specialist areas.

My family have visited the factory and were amazed by the scale of it all. From the outside, people might just see two cars racing at the weekend. Behind those cars is a massive team, all bringing different skills together.

The next steps in my career journey

My goal is to become a number one mechanic on a race car. The number one mechanic oversees the whole car build and acts as a key link between the mechanics and the race engineer.

I’ve already done that role in testing programmes, but a race weekend works differently. I’m learning how that side of the job works and building my experience. There are so many opportunities to keep learning, whether that’s moving into a different department or progressing within the race team.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Be persistent and don’t give up. Getting into motorsport and Formula 1 wasn’t easy for me, and I got turned away a few times. If it’s what you really want to do, keep going for it.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions either. I still ask questions now. Being open and honest when I’m not sure helps me learn and helps prevent mistakes. Not everything will go the way you want the first time, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying.