Graduate Profile: Zac Young - Motorsport Engineering

We caught up with Zac to reflect on how studying Engineering at University of Staffordshire enabled him to succeed in his career, from becoming a valued member of the Formula 1 Mercedes AMG Petronas team, to working with his childhood hero, Jenson Button.

Hi Zac, could you describe what you currently do for work?  

I am now a part of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team where I am a Build Component Logistics Coordinator and occasionally Race Team Spares Coordinator. 

How did completing your Engineering studies at Staffs help you pursue your career in Formula 1?

The course at Staffs really laid the foundation for my future career in motorsport, especially being able to take what I learnt in lectures and workshops and then implement this into the Formula Student project.  Going on to win the class with the team in 2021 was something that was a big discussion point in future interviews for years to come. Staffs also put me in contact with the first professional motorsport team I worked with in Slidesports.  This was a team where races and championships were won and gave me a great insight to the demands of working in motorsport both at base and trackside.  This is something I have carried over to my work in Formula 1. 

How would you describe your journey from starting the course to now?

It has certainly been a journey and not without its challenges.  I remember formally enrolling at the LRV, meeting my course mates and attending my first Formula Student Team Meeting. The next 3 years were a whirlwind of meeting new people, studying, building race cars and most importantly, racing.

When I graduated, I joined a Formula 1 team based in Woking as a Graduate Intern. From there I was very much dropped in the deep end. I became one of the first Interns at the company to be extended and I would continue to develop and grow until I was lucky enough to be offered a full-time opportunity at Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team.

From there it has been a whirlwind, adapting to a new team in my first year, to travelling with the test team in my second year and finally attending races in an official capacity in my third year at the team. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of the eventful life working and racing in Formula 1 has on offer. 

How prepared did you feel stepping into the world of work after graduating?

When I first started in Formula 1, I was naturally a mix of excitement and trepidation. After all, it was my dream and there are a lot of very talented, driven and plenty of highly successful and influential people who work in Formula 1, so for someone starting with no experience at the peak of motorsport it can be daunting.

However, I felt that through Staffs and all the experience I had gained - whether that be in the lecture theatre, the workshop or working in the Formula Student team and my experience in professional motorsport - that had me at a good foundation to build on for an Intern.  Mix that with the soft skills and personal enthusiasm and will to succeed, I don’t think I could have been in a better position to start my career in Formula 1. 

I think a great example of skills learned on the course being implemented into the workplace was when the team [Mercedes AMG Petronas] introduced a rather large upgrade package for the car in 2023, which covered multiple areas.  The initial target set by the principal engineers was to have 2 sets of this trackside for the designated introduction event, which would leave the team with no spares in case anything was lost on track.  With the prioritisation and communications skills that I developed at my time at Staffs, we were able to get a third set to the circuit, exceeding all expectations on the department.

How relevant was the course content to real-world work?

There were plenty of relevant practical experiences that continue to make a difference in my work, big and small.  Some examples are technology based such as using CAD and interpreting engineering drawings. Some are physical such as how to work in a garage environment safely, or how to use tools.

While others are more technical such as my data analysis module.  One of my responsibilities trackside is to accurately life the car from the mileage it does on track. From this I continuously analyse and question the data in front of me to ensure each component receives the exact amount of distance it ran so lifing engineers and designers can ensure the part is adequately serviced or removed from the parts pool if it has reached its designed life.

What are you most proud of achieving since graduating? 

Making it to Formula 1 in the first place!  That was always the dream for as long as I can remember, but along the way - there are so many events and small accomplishments, which looking back on it now are things that I look back on with a sense of pride.

Getting this year’s W17 to the track on time for its shakedown was a monumental achievement for the team. With everything being new in Formula 1 in 2026 it was the biggest challenge of this generation, and everyone should be proud of achieving this, the levels of dedication, passion and teamwork throughout the business was incredible to see, everyone really took on the team’s message of “all it takes is all of us”.

There are also some personal memories and milestones which stick out, namely, working for my childhood hero in Jenson Button and his GT Team.  My first win in Formula 1 with Daniel Ricciardo at Monza in 2021 (where Martin Dunn from the automotive/Motorsport Workshop was in the MTC Factory, while I was in “Mission Control”); my first race, again at Monza in 2024 with Mercedes; my first podium Trackside in Brazil 2025 with Kimi Antonelli and first win trackside in Australia this year. 

Thanks for your time Zac!  All the best for the coming season!