As a first year engineering student in the Claverton Scholarship Programme, I was encouraged to take part in some work experience at the start of the summer of 2026, to help me gain some real-world experience. I ended up spending a week with the British Touring Car Racing team Power Maxed Racing and I wanted to share my experience, and the skills I developed during my week.
Adjusting to a New Environment
Not long after I arrived at the Power Maxed garage, I was told I would be helping to prepare the four touring cars for an upcoming race weekend. This involved work that was quite a bit different from the engineering theory I was used to - I would be getting hands on fixing, attaching and moving parts throughout the week, helping to transform these four cars from disassembled vehicles to race-ready machines.
I spent most of my first day cleaning car panels and removing melted rubber from the underside of the car - I quickly realised the high standards I was expected to maintain, with every surface needing to be absolutely spotless and smooth for stickers and vinyl wraps to later be applied.
After getting my bearings, the next couple days involved helping to assemble and fit parts, most of which I had never handled or worked on before: I found myself carrying around outer panels, clutch plates, bumper frames, radiator pieces, and everything in-between. This was brilliant experience for quickly learning the fundamentals of motorsports.
Developing My Professional Skills
Despite the nature of working in a garage, I still improved in skills that I will be using in more professional environments in the future.
Often, I found myself unsure of exactly how to do something, or wanted to check with someone as I worked to make sure I was doing everything right. Usually, I'm not the type of person to be proactive in asking for this help, but over the course of my experience week, I found myself becoming much more comfortable in asking questions, seeking guidance, and even suggesting possible solutions to discuss with the team at Power Maxed.
One experience that stands out as valuable for my professional development happened on the third day, where I was asked to remove some foam padding strips around an air intake piece for the front of the car. I asked where I could find some adhesive remover, found a thin metal shim to help me pry off the foam, and got to work.
After removing all the foam, and cleaning the surface, I was pretty quickly told that only one piece of foam (on the top edge) needed to be removed, not every piece as I had done. This error came from a lack of clear communication - looking back, I should have specified exactly what needs to be removed - after this, I always made sure to be clear and specific in my communication, so that I knew exactly what work to do and how to do it. I would definitely say that I left my experience week with much better communication and collaborative skills than I entered with.
What I Learnt from My Time at Power Maxed Racing
The week of work experience I took part in was prompted by the team at the Claverton Scholarship - I don't imagine I would have began searching for opportunities without their help, and the confidence I've gained during my work experience has been brilliant for helping me seek out more opportunities.
As an engineering student, the practical work I did was a big change to the type of work I am used to, with the theory I'm currently learning being applied constantly to solve problems. It was especially valuable to gain insight into the operation of a real racing team, and my time really helped me to gain a wider appreciation for the motorsports industry and how my studies can be applied in new and exciting ways.
Overall, even though I had to adjust and learn quickly on the job, I had a great time working on the touring cars, and talking to the team at Power Maxed about the field of motorsports and racing. The interpersonal skills I've developed will be hugely useful in my future, and I'll be on the lookout for other similarly valuable opportunities throughout my time at Bath.
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