| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | competent and kept everything to myself. No one at |
| Until recently, I worked as a personal assistant for | | | | work had much idea that I was so interested in |
| the CTO of a British sports car manufacturer and I | | | | motorsport except a couple of the security guards |
| just couldn’t stand it. Everything about it | | | | who would see me arriving to work at 6:30am and |
| disgusted me. I hated sending things to Typing | | | | looking around the workshop. They never mentioned |
| Services Online (even though it meant I didn’t | | | | it though. However, one day I’d forgotten to |
| actually have to do the work); I hated the | | | | return my sketchbook to its bag and I went back to |
| photocopying; the telephone calls; the endless word | | | | work with it sitting on the table next to the couch in |
| processing; and my office in general. I have always | | | | the waiting area. An hour later my boss came into |
| been super determined to go far and since I was | | | | my office and asked if I knew anything about it. I |
| about fourteen, I knew I wanted to work in | | | | was totally shocked; I didn’t know what to |
| motorsport. I got an honours degree in product | | | | say; I just stared. He said he knew it was my |
| design engineering and did a masters year specialising | | | | handwriting but he wouldn’t have believed it |
| in designing formula 1 style cars. I graduated almost | | | | otherwise. He said he’d no idea that I was so |
| top in my class; completed 2 different summer | | | | interested in the actual design of cars but that he |
| internships and being a girl, I thought companies | | | | was very impressed and couldn’t understand |
| would be looking to hire me partly because of the | | | | why I’d not mentioned anything sooner. I told |
| motorsports industry’s reputation for being | | | | him I’d never applied for this company as a |
| male dominated. However, I was very much | | | | designer because they hadn’t had any |
| mistaken. I had a few interviews for design positions | | | | vacancies. I couldn’t believe it. My ego was |
| at factory teams and performance tuning companies | | | | skyrocketing! |
| and always got down to the last few but never | | | | I’ll always be so grateful to my boss. |
| actually got offered a job. I then went lower market | | | | I’ve never seen anyone so considerate and |
| and applied for design jobs at regular production car | | | | concerned about their employees. He told me he was |
| manufacturers but still had no joy. Finally, I just | | | | going to find me a job doing something I loved and |
| applied for any position going in a company that was | | | | he didn’t disappoint. Somehow, he managed |
| related to motorsport. So that’s how I ended | | | | to get me a job working as a designer under Adrian |
| up being a personal assistant. | | | | Newey at Red Bull Racing. Never in my wildest |
| Anyway, I never lost my passion for design and | | | | dreams did I think I’d land a job there; let |
| speed and in my spare time during my 2 years as an | | | | alone in any F1 team! I admire Adrian Newey above |
| assistant I filled many sketchbooks with ideas, | | | | almost all others in the field of motorsport and to |
| calculations and drawings. I would sit in the office | | | | think that he’s now my boss! I’ll never |
| over lunch when it was really quiet and just design. I | | | | know how I got turned down by so many |
| never showed anyone my work because my | | | | companies and then 2 years later was given a job at |
| confidence had been so knocked by not finding any | | | | an F1 team but I’m not complaining! |
| job I wanted. I just assumed that I wasn’t | | | | |