TJ lands dream job at Mercedes F1

Glasgow Caledonian University’s TJ Scott is on the fast track to success and revving up for an exhilarating career in Formula One.

The Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering student has secured a coveted graduate position in Mercedes F1’s engine department, starting in September 2024.

His standout performance at this summer’s Formula Student competition turned heads at the racing giant, where engineering heavyweights such as Rishi Chavda and Alex Coignac-Smith were left impressed by his drive and knowledge. He was one of only four students to be approached for the position out of the hundreds who took part worldwide.

Formula Student, a European educational engineering competition run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Backed by industry and high-profile engineers such as patron Ross Brawn OBE, the competition aims to develop enterprising and innovative young engineers and encourage more young people to take up a career in engineering, with more than 100 university teams taking part every year.

The GCU Racing team made its Formula Student debut at Silverstone in July this year. Comprised of 15 talented Glasgow Caledonian students and staff, the team successfully manufactured a race car at the University’s workshop, which was fully prepared to compete against other universities from across the globe.

TJ, who is 26 and from Hamilton, said: “I’ve been fortunate to be offered this amazing graduate position after I was invited to interview based on my performance during the design-judging stage of the Formula Student competition.

“The judges themselves are sent by their respective employers to scope out potential graduate recruits. In my case, I impressed a representative from Mercedes with my justification and defence of the engineering method behind our car’s powertrain.

“I will now be taking a graduate position within the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains team, where I will be rotated between four departments, all of which are working on the design of the Mercedes Formula One powertrain.

“Ideally this will be the first step in a long career at the top level of motorsport, competing against some of the best engineers in the world.

“I have been interested in cars for as long as I can remember, assisting with my dad’s car restoration business and its later expansion to race preparation and setup. In my free time, I am often tinkering with my own projects, or on the racetrack myself at both open-track days and amateur hill-climb events.”