Renault and Altran launch the Altran Engineering Academy 2010

Renault F1 Team and Altran are launching today the seventh edition of a unique competition, which has clearly proven its usefulness: bringing young engineering talents to F1 through the Altran Engineering Academy.

It is, for talented young engineers eager to pursue a career at the pinnacles of motorsport, a mystery as old as the sport itself: how to land a job in Formula 1? Since 2004, the Renault F1 Team and Altran have provided the answer: the Altran Engineering Academy, a competition aimed at identifying and rewarding technical excellence (at a graduate-level education). The prize is a six-month internship within the Research and Development department of the Renault F1 Team – a real opportunity to start a career and continue it at the highest level of global motorsport.

This year, Renault F1 Team and Altran are offering two internship positions to the winners of the final event. The first will be welcomed into the chassis development workshop in Enstone (UK) and the second into the engine development center in Viry-Châtillon (France). They will then undertake a six-month internship, potentially opening the door to a long career in F1. The conditions offered include a remuneration of €6,500 for the duration of the internship, a Renault company car (plus a corporate fuel provisioning card), and studio accommodation. Additionally, all finalists will receive a special edition souvenir engraved with the brand new Renault Pilot watch, specially designed by the team’s partner, TW Steel.

Students in their final year or recent graduates from a university or a grande école, specializing in science or technology, will be eligible to compete. To apply, a 500-word essay must be submitted, describing a technological innovation in one of the eight sectors related to F1 development: aerodynamics, electronic control systems, design and analysis, performance engineering, powertrain energy utilization, materials research and development, sensors and testing technologies, or vehicle dynamics. The aim of the presentation is to demonstrate how the innovation in question can improve vehicle performance, and how the student plans to lead the project during the six-month internship.

The registration period extends from March 22 to May 28, 2010, and the names of the candidates admitted to the final will be announced on June 14 on the official competition website. The Altran Engineering Academy will have representatives from 18 countries, reflecting Altran’s positioning and international reach. There are 11 global regions, and each will provide a finalist. These 11 finalists will present their projects to a jury of experts chaired by Robin Tuluie, R&D Director of the Renault F1 Team, on July 13, 2010, at the team’s headquarters in Enstone. The winning finalists will begin their internships in September 2010.

The Altran Engineering Academy has proven to be an incredible career-launching platform in F1. The 2004 winner, Mark Caldwell, still works with the team as a CAD engineer. Other winners and finalists continue to work with the Team, both on tracks and in the factory. Helen Makey won the 2009 Academy award with a presentation on optimizing energy efficiency through movable aerodynamic elements. As the first woman to win this competition, she recently received a contract extension allowing her to continue working within the Team’s Performance department.

How to respond to changes in engine regulations? How to improve the aerodynamic performance of chassis? This requires high-level expertise in numerous domains. Since 2002, Altran has been providing the Renault F1 Team with consulting services from talented engineers specializing in a wide range of fields: computation, information technology, electronics, logistics, quality control, and simulation. The Group contributes its expertise to the activities of the chassis development site in Enstone, (UK), and the engine development site in Viry-Châtillon (near Paris). Altran’s experts are motivated by the human and sporting adventure as much as the technological challenge tested every fortnight on the tracks during the Grand Prix.

Altran is the European leader in innovation and advanced technology consulting. The group’s 17,149 consultants worldwide cover all engineering professions: electronics, information technology, quality, organization… They support companies throughout their innovation process, from technology watch, applied fundamental research, management consulting, to industrialization preparation and information systems, across most sectors: automotive, aeronautics, space, telecommunications… Founded in 1982, the Altran group is present in 26 key countries. It generated a revenue of 1,403.7 million euros in 2009.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team