Rob Thomas, now chief operating officer of the
Mercedes‑AMG Petronas Formula One Team, has followed an unconventional engineering career path that has taken him from Coventry’s automotive heartland to oil rigs in the North Sea and ultimately to the pinnacle of international motorsport. Born into a Coventry family immersed in the city’s car industry, he began his career as an apprentice before studying mechanical engineering at Coventry University, a decision that broadened his horizons and shaped the direction of his professional life.
Mr Thomas left school at 16 to begin an apprenticeship before progressing to a degree programme at
Coventry University,, where he graduated in 1990. The course gave him experience across multiple engineering disciplines and encouraged him to look beyond the traditional automotive career routes available in the region.
He said: “Coventry was the centre of the car industry back then and my father worked at Jaguar so an apprenticeship was the normal path to follow. So, I left school at 16 and really enjoyed learning on the job. I did two years of the apprenticeship and then had the chance of doing a degree at Coventry University which has always had a good reputation for engineering, and I wanted to do something quite broad that touched on lots of different areas.”
Following graduation, he chose not to return to Jaguar, instead moving into the oil industry in Aberdeen and later joined Shell in the Netherlands. His mechanical engineering background proved valuable during his time offshore, where he worked long shifts and carried significant responsibility at a young age.
Mr Thomas continued: “The degree gave me experience in lots of different things, so I decided to leave Jaguar and joined an oil business in Aberdeen, and from there it was on to Shell in Holland. I would not have got to that point without the breadth of engineering knowledge that I had gained at Coventry University.
Strong backgroundHe continued: “That strong background even helped me when working on oil rigs in the middle of the ocean. Shell trained me for a year in all aspects of drilling and when you went to the rig you were responsible for quite a lot of people at quite a young age, working 12 hours on, 12 hours off — I loved the experience, the teamwork, the camaraderie.”
After five years offshore, Rob returned to the UK for family reasons and moved back into the automotive sector with Rover, later taking on project management roles with Rover‑BMW and senior operational positions within the aerospace industry. A chance telephone call then steered him toward F1, where his broad engineering background and experience outside motorsport were seen as strengths.
He added: “I got a telephone call asking if I watched F1 — they were looking for someone with a range of experience outside of F1 as the sport has often been a closed business and full of ‘F1 people’. But I stepped into the industry and I am still here 20 years later. Helping to build up the organisation, introducing new structures and processes, first on the power unit side and then ultimately on the chassis side, has been the focus for the last 20 years.”
He describes his modern-day responsibilities as ensuring the team manufactures, builds and tests race cars capable of winning championships. His leadership has contributed to an era of unprecedented success for Mercedes, including eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships and seven drivers’ titles. Reflecting on his career, he emphasises the importance of finding roles that offer challenge and engagement rather than chasing status.
Mr Thomas concluded: “The challenge has always been what has interested me, not chasing the job or position. Look for something that is interesting to you and something you will enjoy, and go into that with lots of passion and commitment, as well as working with people you enjoy working alongside. In my experience if you are lucky enough to find a role that covers these points the rest takes care of itself.”