Renault F1 launches the 2010 Altran Engineering Academy

The Renault F1 Team and Altran today launched the seventh season of a unique competition with a proven track record of bringing young engineering talent into F1: the Altran Engineering Academy.

It’s an age-old conundrum for talented young engineers aiming for a career at the pinnacle of motorsport: “How can I get a job in Formula 1?” Since 2004, the Renault F1 Team and Altran have been providing the answer through the Altran Engineering Academy, a competition that identifies and rewards technical excellence at graduate level. The prize takes the form of a six-month internship in the Research and Development department of the Renault F1 Team – a genuine opportunity to launch and pursue a career at the highest level of world motorsport.

For 2010, the Renault F1 Team will offer not one but two internships to the winning finalists. The first will be at the team’s chassis development facility in Enstone, UK; the second at its engine development centre in Viry-Châtillon, France. In both cases, the winning student will join the team for a six-month placement that could open the door to a long career in F1. Included in the package is a six-month salary of €6,500, a Renault pool vehicle with a business fuel card and accommodation in a one-bedroom flat. What’s more, every finalist will receive a special engraved edition of the recently launched Pilot Watch from Renault F1 Team partner TW Steel to commemorate their achievement.

In order to enter the competition, applicants must be final-year students or recent graduates of a university or prestigious school, who have specialised in science or technology. Entry to the competition takes the form of a 500-word submission describing a technological innovation in one of eight areas related to F1 development: aerodynamics, control systems and electronics, design and analysis, performance engineering, power train energy recovery, materials research and development, transducers and test technology or vehicle dynamics. The focus of the presentation is on how this innovation can improve car performance, and how the student plans to conduct the project over the six-month internship.

The entry period lasts from March 22 to May 28 2010, with the finalists to be announced on June 14. The 2010 Altran Academy will feature representatives from 18 countries that reflect Altran’s positioning and international reach. They are organised into 11 global regions, and each region will provide one finalist in the competition. These 11 finalists will present their projects to an expert jury chaired by Robin Tuluie, Head of R&D at the Renault F1 Team, on July 13 2010 at the team’s Enstone headquarters. The winning finalists will begin their placements in September 2010.

The Altran Engineering Academy has a proven track record as the launching pad for a career in F1. 2004 winner Mark Caldwell continues to work with the team as a CAD engineer, while other winners and finalists have worked with the team in trackside and factory roles, and continue to do so. The 2009 Academy winner, Helen Makey, triumphed with a presentation on enhancing energy efficiency through moveable aerodynamics. She was the competition’s first female winner, and recently had her contract extended to continue working in the team’s performance department.

For more information on the 2010 Altran Academy, and for complete details of how to enter the competition, visit the official website at: www.altran-academy.com.

Altran - Renault F1 Team technological partnership

How do we respond to changes in engine regulations? How do we improve the chassis’ aerodynamic performance? High-level expertise is required in so many different fields. Altran has been supporting the Renault F1 Team since 2002, providing talented engineers in a variety of specialities, including computation, information technology, electronics, logistics, quality control and simulation. They contribute their skills to chassis in Enstone, UK, and to engines in Viry-Châtillon, near Paris. The Altran experts are driven not only by the human and sporting adventure, but by the technological challenge as well.

About Altran

Altran is the European leader in innovation consulting and high technology. The Group’s 17,149 employees, operating worldwide, cover the entire range of engineering specialties, including electronics, information technology, quality and organization. Altran offers its client’s ongoing support throughout the innovation cycle, from technology watch, applied basic research and management consulting to industrial systems engineering and information systems. The Group provides services to most industries, including the automotive, aeronautics, space and telecommunications sectors. Founded in 1982, Altran operates in 20 priority countries. In 2009, it generated a turnover of €1,403.7 million