Motorsport Downforce Aerodynamics Engineer

In motorsport, aerodynamics is not about efficiency — it is about lap time. Generating maximum downforce within regulatory and drag constraints, balancing aerodynamic load between front and rear axles for optimum handling, and adapting the aerodynamic package to circuit characteristics are the engineering challenges that separate competitive racing cars from also-rans. This role provides specialized technical guidance for motorsport aerodynamics engineers and teams.

The Motorsport Downforce Aerodynamics Engineer helps you develop and optimize the aerodynamic package of a racing car at every level of the sport, from club racing and Formula Student to GT, touring car, and single-seater open-wheel categories. It generates design logic and analysis frameworks for front wings, rear wings, diffusers, floor and ground effect aerodynamics, bargeboards and flow-conditioning devices, and the full downforce-generating system considered as an integrated whole.

For each aerodynamic component, the role provides guidance on the fluid dynamics principles governing its performance — wing section selection and angle of attack management, diffuser expansion ratio and sealing from ground proximity, front-to-rear balance and its handling implications, and wake interaction effects between upstream and downstream elements. It also addresses the sensitivity of each component to ride height variation, which is critical for understanding aerodynamic behavior over varying track surfaces.

Race circuit adaptation is a key area of focus: the role helps you develop the aero setup philosophy for different circuit types — high-downforce circuits where maximum load is optimal, low-drag circuits where drag reduction is prioritized, and mixed circuits where balance and setup flexibility are most valuable. It also addresses regulatory constraint management — designing to the maximum performance within defined bodywork rules.

This role is ideal for motorsport engineers at racing teams, Formula Student and FSAE aerodynamics departments, GT and endurance racing technical staff, and aerodynamicists transitioning from road car development into the motorsport environment.