The FSF is also a way of highlighting the engineers who will be shaping the world of tomorrow. Today, discover the portrait of Noëllie Da Silva , a student at SIGMA Clermont and President of the Sigma Racing Team.
1. A quick introduction
Hello, my name is Noëllie Da Silva, I’m 22 years old, I’m a student in the second year of the advanced mechanical engineering cycle at SIGMA Clermont and I’ve been President of the Sigma Racing team and the Formula Student project since March.
2. Why did you go to engineering school? Did you want to be an engineer when you were young, or did you take this direction later?
I decided to go to engineering school when I finished high school. At the time I was hesitating between astrophysics research and engineering. I was doing my baccalauréat S, so I wanted to continue my studies in the sciences, but in the end I decided to go to engineering school so that I could design and manufacture systems. During my preparatory course, I started to follow F1 and that was a revelation! I wanted to design, yes, but only high-performance cars. I joined SIGMA Clermont to study advanced mechanics.
3. Why did you join the Sigma Racing Team?
After my studies, I wanted to become a motor sport engineer. I decided to join the team to find out about vehicle design, apply my knowledge of 1A and 2A and discover the world of competition.
4. Were you already interested in the world of industry and cars?
A little bit, as part of my family works in the automotive sector. I became interested in racing much later when I discovered Formula 1.
5. Why did you become President of Sigma Racing Team?
The project interested me a lot, given the career path I want to follow. I also like challenges and managing projects, so taking over the association seemed like an excellent way of combining the two.
6. Have you taken part in any other SF?
Not yet, but this was the very first one for our stable!
7. What is your fondest memory of the FSF 2023?
My fondest memory of the FSF was seeing the whole team at the competition venue, but the most memorable was winning the Business Plan in the concept class. We really weren’t expecting that for our first participation!
8. What do you think of the position of women in the world of industry?
I think it’s changing. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet women engineers in the motorsport sector, but I actively follow the LinkedIn page of “Woman in motorsports”, which doesn’t hesitate to put them forward. You can also see that this is the case with companies like McLaren F1, which include young women like Bianca Bustamante in their academy. I think that’s really good and very encouraging for future female engineers.
9. What message would you like to pass on to young girls who would like to become engineers?
Don’t hesitate! At first sight, it can be scary, especially in the very male-dominated field of mechanical engineering. In preparatory classes, there were very few girls and in engineering school too, but that didn’t close any doors for me, I didn’t encounter any prejudices or difficulties in finding a work placement etc. On the contrary, the association helped me to find a job. On the contrary, the association enabled me to meet new people, like a family.
10. Is SIGMA ready for the next FSF?
Not yet, but we’re spending a lot of time on it ! Things are progressing on the design side, but we’re optimistic that we’ll have everything ready in time for the next FSF.