Performance Engineering in F1
Extract the best out of a race car
About this Course
Performance Engineering in F1

This course includes
In Formula 1, as in any other Motorsport category, Performance Engineering plays a key role in exploiting the maximum lap time and reliability performance of the race car.
To achieve this, the Performance Engineer must be knowledgeable about all areas of the car and interact with several stakeholders within the team, including power unit engineers, designers, and aerodynamicists, with the goal of influencing future car design and enhancing the development of suspension, brakes, power unit, cooling, and aerodynamics, to name only a few.
This course provides a deep dive into the main tasks of a Performance Engineer in the setting of Formula 1 team, covering systems, metrics, simulation, and activities occurring prior to, during, and after race events.
A number of industry-relevant case studies are covered in order to put into practice the theory behind the course content and to provide robust learning outcomes, based on years of experience.
Finally, students will be challenged with a final assignment in which they will analyze data, assess metrics, calculate parameters and propose improvements and setups modifications.
What to expect from
Upon successful course completion, each student will receive an official Motorsport Engineer certificate. All students are free to interact with the instructor, benefit from industry networking opportunities, professional recommendations, and advice.
Duration & Difficulty
- 58 Lessons
- Advanced Difficulty
- Approximate time required to complete course: 13 hours
- Introduction to Performance Engineering in Formula 1.
- Objectives and tasks of a Performance Engineer.
- Sensors, vehicle model and data reconstruction.
- Assessment of simulations and metrics to define and optimise car setup.
- Electronic maps: a fine adjustment tool.
- Performance Engineering data analysis, metric calculation, driver performance and identification of limitations.
- Case study 1: Balance limitation mid corner understeer.
- Case study 2: Bottoming limitation.
- Case study 3: Wind balance limitation.
- Case study 4: Rear wing test.
- Case study 5: Front suspension test.
- Reliability – Identification of issues.
- Importance of balance, aerodynamics and ride.
- Case study 6: through corner balance adjustment with ARB geometry.
- Assignment: Data analysis, calculations and setup proposal and improvement.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
6. Use the techniques and methods learned during the course to optimise balance to maximise performance.
- You are a student or professional with interest in vehicle dynamics and trackside engineering
- You are a motorsport professional and want to learn about the specifics of Performance Engineering techniques, methods and tasks in F1
- You want to start a career in Performance Engineering
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Engage with our Performance & Race Engineering community!
As a student enrolled to our courses you will have access to our exclusive Community Forums. You will be able to ask questions to your course instructor and start threat discussions in our Forums!

Your Course Instructor

Marc Ollé Bernades
- F1 Performance Engineer
Marc has worked as Performance Engineer at Williams Racing Team developing and optimising the balance of the car to exploit maximum performance, combining factory support and trackside events.
He graduated with Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and holds a MSc in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology and a MSc in Motorsport Engineering from Oxford Brookes University.
In 2011, Marc begun his professional career in the automotive sector with companies such as Volvo, IDIADA and McLaren Automotive. He then switched to Motorsport, gaining broad experience in the industry working as Race and Vehicle Dynamics Engineer of a GT4 team, Vehicle Dynamics and Simulation Engineer for Mahindra Racing Formula E, and Performance Engineer for Williams Racing.



Course curriculum
A conversation with Marc Ollé (full version)
My professional background
Course overview
Department structure and stake holders. Trackside vs. factory based roles
Tools and softwares
Work dynamics
Module Summary
Test
Sensors
Vehicle model
Data reconstruction
Module Summary
Test
Electronic maps
Brakes
Fuel load
Steering wheel
Lap Time Simulation and DIL Outcome
Inboard suspension
Module Summary
Test
Post FP1/2 main analysis and work ahead of Saturday P3/Q
Final activities before GP: balance and maps adjustment, fuel load, brakes, etc
Module Summary
Test
Predictions/simulations vs. measurements
Driver analysis
Module Summary
Test
Aerodynamics: analysis and importance
Ride: analysis and importance
Identifying issues with the car: sensor failures, flat spots, reliability, etc
Module Summary
Test 1
Test 2
Calculations, data analysis preparation and balance evaluation
Setup comparisons
Data analysis
Setup proposal
Advice
Tutorial 2: MoTeC functionalities
Assignment Instructions
Data
MoTeC Workbook and Channel List
Official MoTeC Documentation
Assignment submission
Lifetime access
€199.95
Access Duration: Lifetime ⓘ
Duration for which video lessons, downloadables, quizzes and assignments will be made available from the time of enrolment.
Mode of Delivery: Online ⓘ
Lessons are managed by experienced course leaders leveraging online means.
E-mail support ⓘ
We provide support throughout the duration of the course.
Certification ⓘ
A certificate will be awarded upon course completion so you can share your achievement with your network.
Interact with instructor ⓘ
Network with motorsport engineering professionals and receive the advice you are looking for.
Assignment ⓘ
Impress your course leaders by excelling at the challenges they present to you.
Watch lessons in any order ⓘ
Start from the beginning or the end - you choose!
Assignment feedback ⓘ
Receive feedback from our course leaders so you can understand areas of improvement.
Videocall with instructor ⓘ
Network with motorsport engineering professionals and receive the advice you are looking for.
Do not miss out on any news!
Add your email to the mailing list to get the latest updates.
FAQ
Every course page has a section called “This course is for you if…”, detailing who the course is designed for. If you are unsure about a specific course, please get in touch with us at info@motorsportengineer.net and we will be happy to provide further guidance.
Every course page has a section describing the syllabus. Furthermore, the detailed curriculum is also publicly available. Courses last between 8 to 20 hours, including guided lectures and individual work. Also, our courses are totally flexible and you can progress at your own pace.
Our courses can be accessed, depending on the price plan acquired, going from 2 months to lifetime access . This guarantees flexibility to the needs of every student.
If you are a group of students interested in one or more courses please contact us at info@motorsportengineer.net.
Networking is key for finding your way into any industry, and motorsport is not different. For this reason, we think that having the possibility to interact directly with instructors is vital. We have created a number of tools that will allow you to speak directly with our instructors during of the course through the platform.
Keep in mind that interesting questions will make you stand out!
Job hunting can be a stressful process filled with uncertainty. We offer a CV review process that is based on years of experience working in Formula 1 and other motorsport categories and recruiting the best talent for some of the greatest brands in the industry.
This is a private service offered on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in this, please send us an email to info@motorsportengineer.net mentioning our CV review service and we will get back to you with all the information.
This is one of the most common questions we receive at our inbox.
There is not an answer that fits every single case, but here are some tips you can follow to achieve your goal.
1. Complete the Introductory Course available for free in our platform. It will give you a general idea of the motorsport industry.
2. Read our blog article 5 things every aspiring Formula 1 engineer should know.
3. Browse our Motorsport Academy for a course that catches your attention on the topic that you want to specialise in.
4. Feel free to contact us at info@motorsportengineer.net should you require further assistance.