Ahead of the new racing season, former island-based engineering student Frankie Stennett is working on Alpine Formula 1 team’s newest car.

For the past year Frankie, who studied at University College Isle of Man (UCM), has been working for the team, learning to operate and programme various Mazak machinery, and producing a large variety of components directly for the cars, test rigs, and bespoke pit equipment.

He has been working at the Alpine factory in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

The cars Frankie is working on the cars which are driven by BWT Alpine teammates Esteban Ocon, who is entering his fourth season with the team, and Pierre Gasly, entering his first season with Alpine, after moving from Alpha Tauri.

During his time at UCM, Frankie studied at the William Kennish Engineering Centre and Hills Meadow Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC).

The centre’s two realistic working environments include modern workshops with world-class equipment that allow students to understand and work with industry standard machinery.

Frankie said: ‘I always enjoyed the hands-on manufacturing side of things while at UCM and think this is what sparked my interest in programming and one of the reasons I’m now working in F1.

‘The Formula 1 industry is fast paced and constantly changing which keeps it very interesting, especially during the new car builds in the winter months where we manufacture the components for next year’s car to the new regulations or updates from the company’s design department.’

apprenticeships

A key component of Frankie’s studies involved undertaking industry apprenticeships which he completed with Ronaldsway Aircraft Company and Triumph Actuation Systems in Onchan.

‘The knowledge and experience I gained at these companies has really stuck with me and I continue to utilise it now for the position I am in, especially as some of the components I currently work with are for the hydraulic systems on cars, like the steering racks for example, something which I have manufactured and assembled similarly while at Triumph.’

Juan Kinnish, assistant programme manager for engineering at University College Isle of Man, said: ‘Before becoming a teacher, I worked in aircraft engineering which I enjoyed greatly, so it’s brilliant to see so many of our former students pursuing careers in industries they have a genuine passion for.

‘We are all really proud of Frankie’s achievement and look forward to seeing where his career takes him.

‘Studying engineering can open up doors to so many exciting opportunities, so I hope Frankie’s success can inspire more young people to consider engineering as a potential career path.’