The Motorsport Careers Podcast by Fluid Jobs

Want to work in Formula E? How Childhood Dreams Became Engineering Reality

Scott Mansell

In this episode of Driver 61, Scott Mansell sits down with Cristina, Head of Performance and Simulation at Nissan Formula E, to explore her remarkable journey from watching Formula One with her father in Spain to leading engineering teams in electric motorsport.

Cristina shares how her childhood fascination with the people working on F1 cars led her from general engineering studies in Spain to specialised automotive engineering at Cranfield University in the UK. 

She reveals how a volunteer marshalling opportunity at a Formula E race became the unexpected gateway to her motorsport career, starting as a simulator development engineer at Campos before progressing through performance engineering roles at Jaguar and ultimately to her current leadership position at Nissan.

The conversation covers the realities of working in Formula E, from the intense race weekend schedules and quick turnarounds between sessions to the unique challenges of racing on temporary street circuits. 

Cristina provides insights into the interconnected roles of performance and simulation engineering, the importance of efficient data processing in small teams, and how she carved out her own niche by developing tools the team needed.

Whether you're an aspiring motorsport engineer or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes world of Formula E, this episode offers valuable insights into building a successful engineering career in motorsport while maintaining passion for the sport that started it all.