From the University of Trento to Ferrari Formula 1

Ferrari meets students from the Department of Industrial Engineering: the F1 Engineering Academy presents itself to industrial engineers in search of new talents

“This is my dream,” Marco, an industrial engineering student, answered the question “why are you here?”.

Marco then continued: “Since I was a child, when I used to watch Formula 1 Grands Prix with my father, my dream was to be there on the track as well. But not as a spectator, nor as a driver, but as an engineer. I have always been fascinated by the organic nature of a Formula 1 car, where every component, mechanical and electronic, must function correctly, but above all coordinate with the others. This is the spirit of teamwork that has always fascinated me.”

Like Marco, nearly 200 students from the Department of Industrial Engineering gathered on March 23rd 2026 at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento to attend the presentation of the F1 Engineering Academy 2026, a project aimed at selecting the best industrial engineers to join Scuderia Ferrari HP, the team competing in the Formula 1 World Championship.

But how do you actually get into one of the most iconic and competitive teams in the world? What skills are required, and what kind of people is Ferrari looking for?

Ferrari representatives took the students on an iconic journey into the world of racing, during a morning of guidance, technology, and storytelling.

The first part of the meeting featured Chiara Gotra, Employer Branding & University Relations at Ferrari, who is responsible for recruitment and university relations. With a background in psychology, she now works closely with young engineers who dream of joining Ferrari, particularly through the F1 Engineering Academy program, one of the main entry paths into the Formula 1 team.

The F1 Engineering Academy is a program dedicated to graduates with a Master’s degree in industrial engineering. It includes an initial six-month internship at the Maranello headquarters and, for the most promising profiles, the possibility of continuing with a professional career within the Scuderia.

As emphasized during the meeting, technical skills alone are not enough: Ferrari looks for people who can work in teams, tackle complex problems, adapt quickly, and continue learning in an environment where everything changes rapidly and where every detail can make the difference between winning and losing.

The second part of the meeting brought students even closer to the track, thanks to the tech talk by Matteo Pelosi, who works in performance analytics at Scuderia Ferrari. His talk showed how Formula 1 today is also—and above all—a world of data, simulations, mathematical models, and performance analysis. Every sensor on the car generates data, every lap produces information, and the engineers’ job is to turn these numbers into decisions: how to improve the car, how to optimize strategy, how to gain even just a few thousandths of a second.

The event concluded with many questions from students, eager to understand which paths to choose, which skills to develop, and how to prepare to enter such a competitive environment.

Beyond the appeal of Formula 1, the meeting highlighted something very concrete: the increasingly close link between universities and the world of work, and the importance for students of combining academic study with practical skills, teamwork, and flexibility. Because, as the speakers explained, working in Formula 1 does not only mean being brilliant engineers, but also knowing how to work under pressure, engage and collaborate with international and multidisciplinary teams to continuously improve, being humble yet at the same time courageous and confident, and above all being curious and always willing to learn and grow.

And for some of the students sitting in the room, that dream called Ferrari may be closer than it seems. Marco, the student we interviewed, will certainly apply for the selection, and we hope he will be called so that he can pursue the realization of his dream.

ph. Credits: Luca Benedetti, DII –  authorized reproduction