Yash Pathare

MSc Automotive and Motorsport Engineering

Since childhood, I was interested in the field of Motorsports. I was always fascinated by the engineering involved in making fast cars. This is why I opted to study Mechanical Engineering after finishing high school. My undergraduate degree was in Mechanical Engineering. I completed it at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology (affiliated to the University of Mumbai, India). I passed with distinction in June 2006. Mechanical Engineering made me realise how much detailed thinking is involved in designing and manufacturing every single component that fits in a modern automobile. The obvious choice for me then was to take up a postgraduate course in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering, to learn more about the science of making cars.

I enrolled on the MSc in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering course at Brunel in September 2006. A little internet research brought the name of Brunel University to the fore as an ideal University to undertake a course in Engineering. My criteria for choosing a University were pretty straightforward - a course content that would give me the chance to learn as many new things as possible, a University that holds a good reputation for Engineering, and a place where I will have all the necessary facilities to progress. Since Brunel University satisfied all these criteria, I chose Brunel.

I believe one of the most important things that the course has taught me, is to be responsible, and learn to take decisions quickly and efficiently. Being involved in the Formula Student project, I also learnt how much detailed thinking goes into the designing of each component and thereafter, the feasibility of manufacturing the design. For me, the most important aspect of the course was the opportunity to gain practical knowledge by building a race car through the University's involvement in Formula Student. Also, it has emphasised the benefits of having a brilliant team of individuals, rather than having a team of brilliant individuals. This course has highlighted the importance of people skills, since I had the opportunity to work with students from different cultural and educational backgrounds. And I am sure this experience will be helpful to me in the future. Finally, interacting with suppliers on a daily basis has given me an insight into the Motorsport Industry. Indeed, this course has given me much more than textbook knowledge.

Brunel University provides an ideal atmosphere for learning. The location of the University is such that one can concentrate on studies throughout the week and then enjoy the weekend in Central London which is easily accessible from the University. The campus itself is a fantastic place to be, with a Café, Bar and Nightclub located at the centre of the campus. Some of the facilities on campus are extraordinary, like the massive Sports Arena and the numerous halls of residences, which provide excellent housing facilities.

Although the popularity of Motorsports is rising in India, it is not yet fully developed to the extent of providing education in the field of Motorsport Engineering. This meant I had to look at studying abroad as a possible option. A little internet research quickly confirmed to me that UK was the best place to do a postgraduate course in Motorsport Engineering, because of the facilities available for international students. The fact that almost 8 out of 10 Formula One teams are based in the UK establishes that the UK is indeed the hub for Motorsports. So far, it has been only about a year that I have been in this country, but I have learnt so much already about the Motorsport industry here. I have been to track days with friends and been to a couple of races on famous circuits like Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

One of the most difficult things for an international student is to settle down into a rhythm to focus on studies. At Brunel, everything was made to seem easy right from the very beginning. The arrival packs from the International Centre provided useful guidance about the neighbourhood and things like shopping, eating and travelling and the staff in Brunel are always willing to help. It really amazed me that they had thought of almost every aspect relating to the needs of an international student, trying their best to make students like me feel completely at home. Indeed, the long experience of dealing with students shows. I am glad that I chose to continue my higher education at Brunel University, because in addition to being one of the top ranked Engineering Universities in the country, it is also one of the friendliest!

Brunel Masters Motorsports is the Formula Student team of Brunel University. Being in its third year, the team is comprised of 21 students from different countries all over the world, who work in unison to achieve the ultimate objective of building a Formula Student race car. Being Team Principal of the BMM team, it is my responsibility to motivate and guide the team to achieve its objective of successfully building a race car in the given time. Given that the team is formed in October every year, it is a remarkable feat that the entire car is designed and built in eight short months. My duties include the co-ordination of different groups within the team (such as the Powertrain, Chassis, Driver Controls, and Suspension groups) to ensure effective communication during designing and manufacturing. Apart from this, I have also designed the entire intake and exhaust systems on the car to optimise performance from the engine. In addition, I have to liaise with suppliers to ensure that the manufacturing gets completed in time with minimum possible delays.

My final project, as part of the course, was carried out at Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Germany over a period of seven months. The project dealt with developing and testing race strategies for the Panasonic-Toyota Formula 1 team. Following this, I landed a full-time job at Toyota Motorsport GmbH, Germany to work for the Panasonic Toyota Formula 1 Team as Race Strategy/Performance Engineer within the Race and Test Track Engineering Deptartment.

This course has helped me live a part of my dream, and the time has come now to translate this dream into a reality. I believe I possess the right attitude and the right combination of reality and optimism to work in an environment where the focus is not just on meeting deadlines, but beating them.

To summarise, I would encourage aspiring Automotive/Motorsport Engineers to study at Brunel because the course teaches you to be independent and responsible. It teaches you the practicalities of building a race car through the Formula Student competition, which in my view is much more important than textbook knowledge. All in all, I think studying at Brunel was a fantastic experience for me, and has prepared me to face the challenges of pursuing a career in the Motorsport Industry.