Aerodynamicist

Fédération Internationale De L'Automobile; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Fédération Internationale De L'Automobile in London invites an Aerodynamicist to shape the aero landscape of Formula 1 and single-seater motorsport. You will drive CFD and CAD activities focused on whole-car architecture, wake dynamics, and regulatory foundations, including exploration toward new regulations across the pyramid of racing series.

The role combines hands-on CFD, wind tunnel awareness, and cloud HPC usage, with occasional travel to race events and factory visits to support

Qualifications

• Advanced CFD and wind tunnel understanding with practical experience.
• Experience planning and synthesizing aerodynamic campaigns.
• Familiarity with current Formula 1 regulations and ATR advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop whole-car aerodynamic concepts and multi-car interactions.
• Specify development conditions, physics models and methodologies.
• Analyse results, report findings to FIA leadership and teams.
• Attend race/test events to support scrutineering and trackside needs.
• Collaborate on CAD geometry generation using Siemens NX.

Skills

CFD analysis

Wind tunnel testing

CAD modelling

Python programming

regulatory interpretation

Education

Master’s degree in Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

CFD software

Job description

Join the FIA and play a key role in shaping the aerodynamic landscape and technical future of Formula 1 and premier single-seater racing.

As an Aerodynamicist within the FIA Single Seater Technical Department, you will apply advanced CFD and CAD toolsets with a focus on whole-car concept architecture and macro-aerodynamic behaviour. In this role, your engineering expertise will directly contribute to defining the technical regulations and aerodynamic foundations of the sport. You will evaluate whole-car aerodynamics, wake dynamics, and sporting equity across current cars and clean-sheet future generations—including exploratory research towards the new regulations and the wider single-seater pyramid (Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula Regional, and Formula 4) and Formula E-

Based in London, this newly created role requires working within a lean, multidisciplinary engineering team and includes occasional travel to Formula 1 race and test events (approximately 2 to 3 events per year), occasional visits to team factories, and visits to the FIA office in Geneva.

The role is structured around three core operational pillars:

Aerodynamic Concept & Whole-Car Development (~50–60%)

• Whole-Car & Multi-Car Aerodynamic Behaviour: Develop a detailed understanding of whole-car and multi-car aerodynamic behaviour through hands-on use of advanced CFD analysis techniques, directly investigating wake interactions to foster close, competitive racing.
• Fundamental Architecture of Future Generations: Contribute to developing methodologies to determine the fundamental architecture and aerodynamic concepts of future single-seater Formula cars (F1, F2, F3, FRegional, and F4)
• Development Conditions & Methodologies: Specify the aerodynamic development conditions, calculation methodologies, and physics models to ensure robust and representative aerodynamic solutions, leveraging cloud-based HPC infrastructure.
• CAD Scheming & Geometry Generation: Hands-on use of CAD (Siemens NX) and coordination with the FIA’s surface designers to generate geometries and concept models to meet agreed performance objectives, scheme rapid design iterations, and eliminate development bottlenecks.
• Aerodynamic Analysis & Reporting: Analyse, report, and present aerodynamic results to internal and external audiences, including FIA colleagues, the commercial rights holder, and the technical leadership of the Formula 1 teams.

Technical Regulations (~20–25%)

• Formulation of Technical Regulations: Assist in the formulation of the Technical Regulations to capture the desired characteristics, safety targets, and sporting objectives of future Formula 1 cars.
• Legality Interpretations & Team Queries: Review and comment on Formula 1 team legality interpretations, evaluating unconventional competitor proposals and design queries against the published regulations.
• CAD-Based Legality Assessment: Participate in CAD-based legality assessments and compliance audits of current Formula 1 cars against the published Technical Regulations.
• Trackside & Scrutineering Support: Attend 2 to 3 race/test events as required to provide general support for scrutineering activities (for which the successful candidate will be trained.

Advanced Technology & Tools Exploration (~15–20%)

• Aero Testing Restrictions (ATR) Evolution: Remain abreast of the latest Wind Tunnel (WT) and CFD technologies to help steer the future direction of Technical and Operational Regulations relating to Aero Testing Restrictions.
• Emerging Tech & Startup Engagement: Collaborate with external technology providers, simulation startups, and research institutions to trial emerging aerodynamic and simulation tools
• Internal Tool Development: Develop, automate, and maintain internal aerodynamic post-processing tools, simulation scripts, and data analysis pipelines to continually enhance departmental workflow efficiency.

PROFILE :

• University Degree (Master’s or equivalent preferred) in Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of hands-on aerodynamic development experience within Formula 1, World Endurance Championship (WEC), or high-level single-seater racing.
• In-depth understanding of aerodynamic development workflows, along with practical knowledge of the strengths, limitations, and correlation of both CFD and Wind Tunnel testing.
• Demonstrated experience in planning, running, analyzing, and synthesizing complex aerodynamic campaigns with rigorous attention to detail and schedule autonomy.
• Detailed knowledge of the current Formula 1 Technical Regulations and Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions (ATR) is a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with cloud-based simulation environments (HPC), data pipelines, and scientific programming languages (ideally Python) is desirable.
• Strong collaborative mindset, autonomy under tight deadlines, and the ability to adapt technical presentations for a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
• Native or fluent proficiency in written and spoken English, including the ability to draft clear, concise technical and regulatory documentation.

Deadline to Apply: October 14th, 2026

The FIA is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates.