Engineering should feel possible
Formula 1 captures children’s imaginations. I Can Be An F1 Engineer uses that excitement as a doorway into engineering, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving.
Why this project exists
Children are natural engineers: they ask why, build things, test ideas and try again. But engineering careers can still feel abstract or inaccessible. This project uses a world that children already find exciting to show how broad engineering really is—and that there is room in it for them.
Meet Hannah
My name is Hannah, and I am an ex-Formula 1 engineer with more than ten years of experience in STEM outreach.
My outreach work began while I was a student. After a year as an ambassador, I was hired by my university to run its Bloodhound LSR engineering outreach programme for two years. I organised teams of student ambassadors who visited schools and events to deliver energetic engineering shows and workshops.
Long before that, I had spent several years working with children as an after-school drama teacher and an au pair. More recently, I have volunteered as a team lead and play co-ordinator at my local Child Contact Centre. Since graduating, I have continued to deliver STEM outreach voluntarily, including online engineering talks for children around the UK through ExpertEdLive and engineering talks and workshops at Oundle School and surrounding state schools.
Professionally, I began in automotive design engineering, then moved into aerospace simulation. I later spent three years working as an engineer in Formula 1, including fluid-dynamics simulation for the cars, race-support work on race weekends and STEM outreach in my spare time. I subsequently worked in renewable energy and have more recently taken a career break, allowing me to dedicate my time to this project.
Across all of those experiences, one thing has remained strikingly consistent: when I talk to children about engineering, it is my time in Formula 1 that captures their imaginations most quickly. I Can Be An F1 Engineer grew from that observation—and from a belief that excitement can be the beginning of genuine confidence and curiosity.