Chase Pelletier’s life is approaching high speed after graduating from UOIT’s automotive engineering program last year.
The 22-year-old will spend next year working in England with two of the largest companies involved in Formula 1 racing under the umbrella of the Infiniti Engineering Academy (IEA).
In January, Pelletier will spend six months at the Renault Formula 1 team’s technical centre in Enstone, England. After that he will spend the following six months at the INFINITI European technical centre in Cranfield, England.
Pelletier is one of seven people from around the world selected for the IEA. He was chosen out of 10 Canadian finalists through an automotive engineering competition.
“I’m a pretty confident person and I was feeling confident,” the Brampton resident says, “but seeing the competition that was there …they were a very competitive group and everyone was also on their game, so to be selected out of that really elite group was incredible.”
Pelletier has a lot of experience with cars. He started racing at the age of 12 and was pursuing a racing career while studying at UOIT.
“Having a practical side, being at the track and also the theoretical side of motor sport engineering and auto engineering at UOIT … kind of went hand in hand,” he says.
Pelletier grew up watching racing from a young age and was regularly in the garage as his father fixed cars. So it’s no surprise he has chosen a road that led to the IEA.
“Honestly, it’s incredible, still a bit hard to imagine,” he says. “To go to Formula 1 right from university is incredible. It’s the pinnacle of motor sports … it’s an incredible opportunity.”
Pelletier says he is excited for 2019, but doesn’t yet know what he will be doing. He says once all the finalists from around the world are selected, they will position them in the best division based on their skills.
For engineering students inspired by Pelletier’s story, he says “definitely apply to the academy. It’s a simple application that could really become a life changing opportunity.”
“It only took me a couple minutes to fill out the application and send in my resume and now it’s led to me moving to England for a year and getting to work with two very accomplished and very prominent companies within both the automotive and motor sport industries. It’s such a great way to really launch my career as a young engineer,” says Pelletier.
