Infiniti Engineering Academy Crowns 2018 U.S. Winner

November 6, 2018 by Infiniti

•INFINITI names Sabré Cook, a Mechanical Engineering student from Colorado School of MINES as the 2018 USA winner of its acclaimed INFINITI Engineering Academy

•She will begin her 12-month placement with INFINITI and Renault Sport Formula One™ Team in January 2019

•Cook was chosen by an esteemed panel of judges from INFINITI, Renault Sport Formula One™ Team and Harvard University

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Mechanical Engineering student Sabré Cook recently earned her title as the USA Final winner of the INFINITI Engineering Academy 2018, securing a highly-coveted and exclusive opportunity to work in automotive and Formula One™ with INFINITI and Renault Sport Formula One™ Team.

The 24-year-old Colorado School of MINES student from Grand Junction, Colorado, was selected from thousands of applications.

Tommaso Volpe, Director, INFINITI Global Motorsport and Performance Projects, said: 'The INFINITI Engineering Academy has grown every year, and now in our fifth year, competition for our limited number of slots is intense. Our partners at Renault Sport Formula One™ Team and Harvard University have helped us select the brightest engineering students from around the globe who will contribute to the future of the sport and the automotive industry.'

The INFINITI Engineering Academy is INFINITI's global search for bright engineering talent to work across automotive and Formula One™. It is the only recruitment program of its kind in the world, bringing an array of young, diverse and fresh thinking engineering talent who will gain first-hand knowledge and experience working alongside seasoned automotive and racetrack engineers in the exciting world of Formula One™.

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport Racing, also commented: 'Attracting top new talent is crucial for success in Formula One™, so we want to make sure that together with INFINITI we select the best engineers to work for this program. Each one of these young engineers brings fresh perspectives and new ideas to the race team, which are vital.

Competing against nine other finalists from around the USA, Cook demonstrated to be a worthy winner as she tackled the numerous tests involved in the final event, including an engineering exam, one-to-one interviews with the judges, a dragster car build, challenges especially designed for the occasion by a team from Harvard University and by Renault Sport Formula One™ Team, and facing the media in a tough Q&A session where journalists from different industries evaluated her communication skills.

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'When I met the other candidates, I was aware how smart they were and the passion they had for engineering, so I knew that was going to be very difficult to win! I am absolutely delighted to have won and I'm really thankful to INFINITI for this opportunity,' said Cook.

Cook will relocate to the U.K. in January 2019 and be provided with a competitive salary, an INFINITI company car, travel and accommodations for one year. She will spend six months working at the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team's Technical Center in the U.K. (Enstone) and six months at INFINITI's European Technical Center (Cranfield). She will play a key role in the ongoing transfer of technical knowledge and expertise between Renault Sport Formula One™ Team and INFINITI.

For the 2018 edition of the Academy, INFINITI has partnered with Harvard University Professor Dr. Julia Minson, who specializes in decision science. Dr. Minson is working with the INFINITI Engineering Academy to conduct ground-breaking research into decision making in engineering, and how the very best engineers perform under pressure to make decisions when faced with vast amounts of complex data. The learnings from the research will then be incorporated by both the INFINITI engineering and motorsport teams to optimize their decision-making processes.

For more information on the INFINITI Engineering Academy, please visit academy.infiniti.com.