Q&A: Chris Tagnon, Formula 1 Technology Transfer Engineering Associate

Why did you become interested in science and engineering?

I started watching Formula One races with my dad and my whole family when I was about three years old. That was my first interaction with an industry that relies on engineering and can be considered as the biggest engineering competition in the world.

Completely separate from my interest to Formula One, I realised I really enjoyed figuring out how things worked. As a kid, when something broke down in the house, I liked to try and fix it. That interest and that curiosity for how things work and how things get built, as well as that separate passion for Formula One, joined up around high school. I really enjoyed maths and physics. So when I was trying to figure out what I would go and study, engineering made the most sense.

How did you get to where you are now?

Curiosity was a big one. Throughout my studies, I tried to learn about a lot of different things. I went into my engineering degree with Formula One in the back of my mind, but also did research in EV (electric vehicle) batteries. I did some projects on hydrogen. Generally, I worked on a variety of things that allowed me to grow my network and adaptability as an engineer, as well as my fundamental understanding of first principles.

I’ve been fortunate that a lot of people gave me a chance along the way and then it was more a question of delivering on those opportunities and getting to the next step.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

That’s a tough one, but I think it was being able to have my first experience in motorsport: my placement at Red Bull. I got to do a lot of things that I dreamed of as a child. I got to go karting with racing drivers Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda. (My colleague and I were in first and second for a lot of the race, but towards the end I got caught up by Hadjar and Tsunoda, and ended up fourth.)

And with the technical rigour and engineering excellence that surrounds that environment, being able to thrive – that was also something I’m quite proud of. My role involved a lot of data analysis and mathematical modelling, as well as working with the simulator and sometimes driving (in real life and in the simulator) to test some iterations of new vehicle models that the team developed. I love racing, so it’s definitely an environment that was nice to be in.

What is your favourite thing about being an engineer?

I think it’s the creativity that’s involved in engineering and the breadth of topics you can work in as well. It’s being able to imagine what doesn’t yet exist and bringing it to fruition, through engineering first principles and good design.

There’s the rigour and science behind it, but there’s also that element of creativity where you have to be able to dream the future a little bit. And I think it’s a very cool frontier to be on.

What does a typical day involve for you?

I’m about to start a new role, so I’m not sure yet, but I’m expecting it’ll be similar to how it’s been so far.

At uni, I worked on two different research projects this year including my dissertation, on applying quantum reinforcement learning – hybridising classical algorithms with quantum computers – to Formula One race strategy. And I’ve been working on spinning out a startup. This was my third-year project when I studied mechanical engineering at UCL: designing a sustainable, reliable power generation system that could support off-grid humanitarian missions for the UN World Food Programme. I designed a containerised solar power system, with an integrated battery pack. It has a deployment system, meaning you can drop the container wherever, pull the panels out, and in less than an hour, it will be readily available for whatever mission is planned. It’s been a busy year!

For this role specifically, I’m not expecting to have a consistent typical day. The aim is to build up Aston Martin’s special projects division. It’s going to be doing a bit of everything to ensure the business thrives, and thinking about what industries we want to go into, which projects we want to do and with which partners, but also looking at which technologies we want to develop capability in, and how we operate as a business to ensure we deliver excellent, leading-edge engineering.

What would be your advice to young people looking to pursue a career in engineering?

I’d definitely say go for it. There can be a lot of opacity around what engineers do. I think the Academy does an amazing job at trying to make it more clear and accessible, but be curious, ask questions, and try and meet people. Engineers are some of the most passionate people about what they do, and will be more than happy to tell you about it if you prompt them.

It's a question of figuring out what you want to engineer, which industry you want to go into. And there’s no better way than talking with people who have gone through those steps, had those experiences, to get a good view of what you need to do next.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be starting a role as engineering associate to the managing director at Aston Martin F1’s special projects division, AMPT (Aston Martin Performance Technologies). It’s essentially a division in the F1 team that doesn’t actually work on the F1 car but works to take the technologies and intellectual property that’s developed, including processes and know-how, and bring it to other industries.

The aim is to partner with organisations across a wide range of sectors, from energy or automotive companies to those in the aerospace or defence sectors, that can benefit from the high-performance engineering expertise developed in Formula 1. The goal being to commercialise those technologies and bring them to the world, which could even include working with deep-tech startups.

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Chris Tagnon was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Mission 44 MSc Motorsport Scholarship in November 2024.

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🏎️ More from motorsports

• Amjad Saeed is studying for a part-time masters in motorsports engineering, supported by a MSc Motorsport Scholarship
• Read all about Caroline Hargrove FREng, Chris' engineering inspiration who developed some of the first simulators at McLaren