Sooner or later most race mechanics and engineers face the same question: keep freelancing race weekends, or take the full-time job? There isn't one right answer. There is a right answer for you this season, and it's easier to find once you compare the options properly.
The four kinds of motorsport work
Freelance. Paid by the day for a race weekend, a test or a busy build week. You choose your dates and you can work for several teams in a season.
Contract. A set period, often a season or a programme, usually paid by the day or the month. More security than one-off weekends, with an end date agreed up front.
Part-time. Ongoing work for a few days a week, often in a workshop or for a team with a lighter calendar.
Full-time. A permanent job with a salary, holiday and a place on the team, usually with a notice period on both sides.
Comparing a day rate with a salary
A day rate always looks bigger than a salary divided by 365, because it has to cover things a salary quietly includes. To compare fairly, work it out both ways:
- Count the days you actually expect to work. Not the days you'd like to work. Look back at last season and be honest.
- Take off what an employer would normally cover. Holiday pay, pension contributions, kit, and any travel or hotels the job doesn't include.
- Allow for the quiet months. Winter can be busy with builds or very quiet, depending on the series.
- Remember tax works differently. If you're self-employed you'll handle your own tax and National Insurance. It's worth a short chat with an accountant before you decide.
If the day-rate total still comes out ahead after all that, freelancing is paying you for the flexibility. If it doesn't, the salary is worth more than it looks.
What each one is really like
Freelance suits you if you like variety, you're good at keeping your calendar full, and you're happy to sort your own tax, insurance and kit. The best freelancers treat it like a small business: they answer quickly, turn up early and get asked back.
A contract suits you if you want one programme to focus on for a season, with a clear end date and a known income.
Full-time suits you if you want to grow inside one team, move towards a chief mechanic or engineering role, and have steady pay through the winter.
Part-time suits you if you've got other commitments, or you're building towards full-time without giving up everything else.
Keep both doors open
You don't have to decide once and for all. Plenty of people take a full-time role and freelance the odd weekend their team isn't racing, where their contract allows it. Others freelance while they wait for the right permanent job.
On Racefolk you choose every kind of work you're open to: freelance, contract, part-time and full-time. You only get job alerts for those, and teams searching for full-time people can see that you're interested. If you're in a job now, add your notice period so teams know when you can start.
Before you say yes to a full-time job
- Ask what the job looks like in the winter, not just on race weekends.
- Check the travel, the hours and how time off works across a season.
- Ask who you'd report to and how people have moved up in the team.
- Get the salary range in writing, along with what's included.
Find your next move
Make your free crew profile, tick the kinds of work you want, and see what's open on the job board. Full-time roles always show the salary range before you reply.
Find your next race job
Racefolk is free for crew, always. Add the work you've done and the days you're free, and teams hiring for those dates will find you.
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