With Mercedes and Williams on her CV, Michelle Bryant is carving her way in the motorsport engineering industry. She credits one programme in particular as to what got her through the door: Formula Student.
Mirroring the real world of F1, Formula Student is an annual engineering competition that isn’t just about the car and driver, but intellect and innovation. Hosted by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, students enter one of three categories: Internal Combustion Vehicle, Electric Vehicle, or Self-Driving Vehicle to design, build, test, and race a small-scale formula-style car.
It gave Michelle, 31, the specific experience she needed whilst studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff. She moved straight into the motorsport industry after university and now works as a mechanical design engineer for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team.
Can you tell me about your role in Formula Student?
“I was lucky because at Cardiff University you could volunteer from your first year. I settled into a role of sponsorship and graphic design because nobody else was doing that and you can’t make a car faster without any money.
“The reality was, I wasn’t comfortable working on a car yet. I kind of wish I’d tried to get more hands-on because it’s the perfect time to do it. You can do everything wrong, and it doesn’t matter; it’s a safe environment to learn.
“From my experience, I think there’s something with guys where they come across as more confident even if they don’t know what they’re doing, whereas I would shy away more. It’s one of those things where you have to put yourself in that uncomfortable place and just do it.”
What inspired you to get involved in Formula Student?
“My love of motorsport started when I was really young. My dad would host annual Le Mans barbecues and my sister and I would cart round wheelbarrows of beer for all the guests. I learnt pretty quickly that I loved the people associated with the sport. There wasn’t even a specific job I wanted, I just wanted to be in motorsport and around these kinds of people.
“When I started looking at jobs in F1, Formula Student was often mentioned. So I knew the competition was a stepping stone to get me to where I wanted to be. Every subject I picked was to get to that one place so that’s why I wanted to do it, and I’m glad I did.”
How diverse and inclusive was Cardiff’s racing team?
“There were very few women on the team – I think three was the most we had at once. That was true within mechanical engineering in general.
“The team was always really welcoming, especially the chief technician who encouraged absolutely everyone to give it a go. On my first day, he was standing outside the paddock, stopping everyone and asking them to join the team. It didn’t matter who you were, he asked everyone.
“You need that push. Whenever you see a paddock full of guys working on a car, it’s scary to jump in when you feel like the minority. Even today when I go into the garage, I feel inadequate and in awe of everyone there. You have to get used to it and think, ‘I’m welcome to be here and take up that space’.”
As a mechanical design engineer at the Mercedes, what does a typical day look like?
“I moved from working for Williams to Mercedes, which was a big jump. A difference is that Mercedes wants their components to last a lot longer, so that’s an aspect that’s a bit more challenging.
“The nice thing about F1 is that every day is different. I’m completely factory based. I’ll work on computer-aided design and simulation software working on future designs with the mechanical team. You then support the build by working with technicians to make sure it all goes together well. You see the whole life cycle of what you’re working on.
“Sometimes people from the Aerodynamics department might come along and say they want to put this piece of bodywork here, so we’d have to move all our suspension and try and find a way to make the impossible possible.
“That’s why I enjoy it so much – it doesn’t feel like work a lot of the time. You’re playing with race cars at the end of the day.”
Can you share any innovations at Mercedes you’re particularly proud of?
“I joined Mercedes just before Dual Axis Steering (DAS) was launched. DAS was a system operated by the steering wheel to move the front tires to heat them. It’s well known now, but at the time it was never heard of.
“It was a loophole design; something being thought about by Mercedes for a long time before they implemented it. They always struggled to heat the front tires quickly, so by pulling the steering wheel towards you the tires would move and scrub along the track and heat up really quickly. Then you could move them back parallel and they’d be nice and hot.
“I remember the engineers describing it to me and thinking no other team would be able to come up with something like this just to heat the front tires. This is why Mercedes wins championships.
“It was completely bonkers; the complexity behind it, the safety aspects, and reshaping the car to make this work was astronomical. I remember watching the onboard footage at the preseason testing at work, thinking ‘the internet is going to explode’.
“Lewis [Hamilton] pulled the steering wheel and the commentators were like, ‘What just happened?’. You know you’ve come up with a good idea when teams try to protest it.
“It’s one of those things where you’re reminded the sport is also an engineering sport. It’s all about the people who are the best at being clever.
“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is Mercedes’.”
As a woman in a male-dominated field, what challenges did you face in the transition from university to the professional world?
“I found the professional world more accepting than university. There was a lot of competitiveness around trying to get into different jobs and this is where negativity often came out. One of the worst comments I’ve had is about only getting a job in F1 because I was a girl. That still sticks with me, but you’re bound to get the odd person who disappoints you.
“There is the outside perception that people don’t want women there, but that’s never really the case once you’re in it. I’ve always felt welcomed and part of the team and just another person, so overall it’s been very positive.
“Everyone’s actively striving for more diversity because having different ideas will ultimately make the car faster and everyone will do everything they can to do that.”
Can you share any advice for women looking to break into motorsport engineering?
“Don’t wait for things to happen because opportunities don’t just land on a plate for women like they often do with their male counterparts. I think Formula Student is such an invaluable place to start. I’m so grateful for my experience on the programme and I do think it gave me that edge over others applying to careers in F1.
“Also, always ask the question – it’s never a stupid question. Just because something’s never been done before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. That’s something particularly good about F1, it’s so adaptive. So, keep having those ideas, keep trying to push those boundaries and if you want it, go and get it!”
