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- McLaren is actively hiring a Senior Test Driver based in Woking.
- The role demands strict track consistency and elite motorsport racing experience.
- Drivers will spend over 75 per cent of their time off-site.
- Responsibilities include tuning aerodynamics, suspension systems, and electronic stability controls.
- Applicants need extensive backgrounds in GT3, DTM, or WRC2 racing.
Every weekend, track enthusiasts think they have the skills to develop a supercar. If you think you have what it takes, McLaren Automotive just published a job listing that proves otherwise. The British marque is currently hiring a Senior Test Driver to join its development team in Woking, revealing exactly what it takes to engineer a high-performance vehicle before it ever reaches a showroom.
Getting paid to slide development mules around international circuits sounds like a dream “job,” but in reality, it requires a level of technical precision that completely replaces the glitz and glamour of supercar ownership with the science of tyre degradation, data collection, and chassis tuning. Successful candidates will report directly to the Chief Test Driver, Kenny Bräck, to push unreleased prototypes to their absolute limits.
It’s true, as you can imagine, that getting the keys to development mules for future models like the McLaren 750S or the new McLaren W1 requires serious credentials. The automaker is specifically looking for individuals with an extensive motorsport background, explicitly calling out GT3, DTM, WRC2, or higher racing categories. Although the driving is mainly asphalt-focused, McLaren notes that ice and gravel experience is highly valuable. Despite requiring these international racing credentials, the LinkedIn job ad humorously shows that 30 per cent of current applicants classify themselves as “Entry-level.” These applicants must possess a deep mechanical understanding, with a formal Mechanical Degree explicitly listed as beneficial. Let’s take a closer look!
It might be surprising to find out that this isn’t a case of “fastest is best.” McLaren expects drivers to operate at the edge of grip while maintaining strict lap-to-lap consistency.
Drivers must deliver identical laps using the exact same racing line and driving style every single time. This consistency allows engineers to accurately measure tyre degradation and engine wear without the variable of human error. The brand strictly requires a fixed driving style, which basically means the driver must force the car to reveal its inherent flaws so engineers can correct them, rather than adapting their technique to mask the vehicle’s shortcomings.
The job description specifically demands feedforward control. Feedback control means reacting to a slide or instability after it happens. Feedforward control requires the driver to anticipate exactly what the car will do before it loses traction, adjusting steering and throttle inputs proactively. According to the listing, feedback control is permitted only to recover from car instability. This highly technical skill separates professional development drivers from your average punter, like we mere automotive journalists.
The role is officially based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. However, the successful applicant will spend more than 75 per cent of their working hours off-site at various international test circuits and proving grounds.
Required track knowledge for the role reads like a motorsport bucket list. Drivers need intimate familiarity with well-known circuits, including the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone, and the Nardo Ring in Italy. Applicants must also master Castelloli, Alcarras, Hockenheim, Paul Ricard, and all possible Pure McLaren event tracks.
The position requires a deep understanding of automotive mechanics. Test drivers tune specific dynamic attributes that define a vehicle’s character. This includes calibrating the shock absorbers, spring rates, roll bars, and active aerodynamics. They also work closely with drivetrain engineers to dial in the anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability controls. The job also requires a genuine interest in the “whole product” and demands rigorous NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) evaluation and quality testing. Beyond track tuning, drivers are strictly responsible for press car preparation, running vehicle shakedowns, validating FOKs (First Off-Kits), obtaining A & B driving permits, and driving at customer-facing Pure McLaren events.
If getting paid to slide prototypes around Castelloli sounds like hard work, McLaren softens the blow with a comprehensive benefits package. This includes 25 days of annual leave with the option to buy or sell five days, an enhanced company pension scheme, a discretionary annual bonus, private medical insurance, generous parental leave, and free financial and mortgage advice, alongside a one-year sabbatical option after two years of service.
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