Corporate
  • Capabilities
      • Electrification
      • Performance
      • Digitalisation
      • Full vehicle programmes
      • Case studies
      • Battery
      • Motor
      • Hybrid solutions
      • Manufacturing
      • Testing & development
      • Engineering consultancy
      • Aerospace UAV
      • Pistons
      • Management & control
      • Consultancy
      • Software management
      • AliveDrive
      • PDR software
      • Platform master control
      • Battery systems
      • Testing & development
      • BTCC hybrid system
      • Catalytic generator
      • Production manufacturing
      • Prototype manufacturing
      • Technology
      • Quality
      • Motorsport pistons
      • Classic pistons
      • Aerospace pistons
      • OEM pistons
      • MMC pistons
      • Technical partnerships
      • Products
      • Diablo
      • Toolbox
      • Concept studies (WEJO)
        • Component manufacture
  • Careers
      • Careers at Cosworth
      • Current opportunities
  • News
  • Products
    • All products
    • Race products
  • Customer support
    • Support forum
    • Porsche motorsport
    • Returns
    • PDR software
    • Toolbox license
  • Contact
  • Capabilities
    • Electrification
      • Electrification home
      • Battery
        • Battery home
        • Battery systems
        • Testing & development
      • Motor
      • Hybrid Solutions
        • Hybrid solutions home
        • BTCC Hybrid System
        • Catalytic Generator
    • Performance
      • Performance home
      • Manufacturing
        • Manufacturing home
        • Production manufacturing
        • Prototype manufacturing
        • Technology
        • Quality
      • Testing & development
      • Engineering consultancy
      • Aerospace UAV
      • Pistons
    • Digitalisation
      • Digitalisation home
      • Management & control
        • Management & control home
        • Technical partnerships
        • Products
      • Consultancy
      • Software management
        • Software management home
        • Diablo
        • Cosworth Toolbox
      • AliveDrive
      • PDR
    • Full vehicle programmes
      • Full vehicle programmes
      • Platform Master Control
    • Case studies
  • Careers
    • Careers at Cosworth
    • Current opportunities
  • News
  • Products
    • All products
    • Race products
  • Customer support
    • Support forum
    • Porsche motorsport
    • Returns
    • PDR software
    • Toolbox license
  • Contact
  • Staff Portal
HomeNews
Cosworth
  INSPIRED ENGINEERING WITH
NEAL BATEMAN

May 19, 2020

Cosworth Electronics’ Head of Support, Neal Bateman, has seen his childhood dreams become a reality over 16 years working with our company.

Neal keeps a track record – quite literally – of all the motorsport circuits he has visited in his life, both personally and professionally. With over one hundred on the list from around the world, including Indianapolis where he spent time working, he is one of our most travelled employees.

Neal’s passion for electronics has seen him carve out a unique career, one that plays a relevant and pivotal role in today’s automotive landscape.

How has your role at Cosworth evolved over the years?

I’ve been with the company for 16 years, starting out initially as a Technical Support engineer for our Formula Ford and karting customers. Over that time, I have been very lucky to have been involved in many different race series and working on some exciting vehicles. Since 2013, I have been in more of a managerial role and now have global responsibility for our electronics product support.

What academic path did you follow to end up at Cosworth?

I studied automotive engineering at Loughborough. I completed a year in industry as part of my course and spent this working for electronic sensor companies. This really started me down the path of understanding the technology involved in measuring critical parameters on vehicles. I used this experience in my project work at university, performing practical aerodynamic tests of bicycles, using a basic data logger and interpreting the data. From there, I ultimately started working at Pi Research, which would become Cosworth Electronics.

Was motorsport always on the agenda for you?

Yes! Right from a very early age I was introduced to cars and motorsport by my parents. I remember going to all sorts of different motorsport events in my childhood and amassing an impressive collection of die-cast models. As I got older, from the amount of time I had spent watching different cars on circuits, I noticed that they all moved differently on track; I started to recognise the variances between the cars at the front and those at the back. I think from that realisation it was inevitable that I would look to progress those observations. With Cosworth’s reputation in the world of electronic data and control systems, it was a natural fit.

What have been some of the standout motorsport moments in your career?

I was given the opportunity, with Cosworth, to live and work in the USA for a period of time. One of the highlights of the year for me was arriving at the track for the Indy 500 and feeling the atmosphere and build-up to the start of the race. The sense of occasion that is generated for that day will always stick with me.

How has Cosworth changed in your time with the company?

The world of motorsport is ever-changing; if you stand still then you are instantly behind. Cosworth has naturally adapted to the changes in the motorsport world. One of the big changes I have noticed is the shift in our customer base from teams to race series, as electronics has become a popular area to mandate. The number of professional racing classes where the teams decide the major electronic parts is now very small. This has meant a change in the way we approach business. We have been successful in BTCC, LMP2 and IndyCar, among others, as well as with many major OEMs.

What makes Cosworth so unique in the market?

Cosworth is able offer a complete powertrain and electronics solution to our customers. We have such a depth of knowledge and experience that we can fully integrate engine and chassis electronics. Our capabilities can manage all the powertrain requirements, supply electronic hardware to control the electronic power systems, record the vehicle data, design and manufacture the wiring looms, calibrate the whole car, as well as transport the data via telemetry to be viewed in data analysis software.

What is the future of motorsport in your opinion?

Motorsport is facing a critical time. While the sound of high revving internal combustion engines will always be enjoyed for many years to come by fans, to stay relevant the sport must embrace the new technology designed to be more environmentally friendly. High-cost hybrid and electric vehicles have started to be introduced at the technically advanced end of motorsport. The TOCA hybrid system, in which we are playing a leading role, will demonstrate that Hybrid integration can be achieved for a much lower budget. There is still a need for motorsport to make changes at an operational level to reduce its carbon footprint, and also plenty that can be embraced at grassroots with alternative fuels rather than traditional petrol and diesel options.

How has electronics evolved over the past three decades?

When I started at Cosworth the desire was always for more data. Going back 30 years, there was effectively one data point per lap from the stopwatch on the pit wall. These days, it is now in the millions. We now also have hundreds of thousands of data points via telemetry links to update the pit crew on the vehicle live. Demand for faster rates and larger storage capacity used to be the targets and this was satisfied by the advances in computer technology over the last 15 years. The challenge now – and going forward – is in developing systems to process the vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently so that our customers can make the right decisions immediately, in some cases using the telemetry data before the car has even stopped in pit lane to plan the next engineering or strategic change.

What do you think of recent growth of esports?

Esports has massively increased the accessibility of motorsport. There are now platforms where you can find yourself sharing the circuit with F1 stars and competing on a level playing field. It has a place in motorsport, and it will be interesting to see how esports drivers transfer their skills into the real world. It also gives series and drivers the opportunity to continue fan engagement during the off-season by hosting esport events, adding a new audience for team sponsors and drivers to promote themselves.

What would you advise young people interested in pursuing a career in engineering or STEM?

Get involved! It is really encouraging to see the number of STEM-based extra-curricular activities available at the moment. There is something very satisfying about being set a technical challenge and having the freedom to form your own thoughts and ideas to then develop into a solution and test them with others. When recruiting for our support team we really look out for candidates that have experience of logical problem solving and a technical curiosity to understand how and why things work.

Related articles

Private: Inspired Engineering with Emily Birch

Read more

Inspired Engineering with Pete Hennessy

Read more

Private: Inspired Engineering with Tom Brown

Read more

Bruce Wood – MD (Powertrain)

Read more

Case studies

  • ANSIBLE MOTION

    OVERVIEW Over the last two decades an increasing number of race teams have invested in using driver-in-loop simulation as a... MORE >

  • AMPLIFII-2 PROGRAMME

    AMPLiFII came from the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles in 2017 and was granted £9.98 million of funding for the... MORE >

  • CAT GEN – FILLING THE VOID

    We recognise the role we play in tackling current environmental issues; our work in delivering emissions compliant propulsion solutions... MORE >

  • DIABLO GUEST DAQ SYSTEM

    In the majority of wind tunnel test facilities, you will find our Diablo software as the main SCADA... MORE >

  • MATERION MMC PISTIONS

    The never-ending pursuit for performance and efficiency within the automotive industry necessitates... MORE >

  • ME ENGINE – MAXIMISING EFFICIENCY

    With current demands on the automotive industry including climate change and changing consumer trends... MORE >

Follow

We understand that the #future of our industry is in the hands of the next generation and it's our duty to #inspire them! This is why we are proudly one of the partners in @ourmotorsportuk's new #education programme, follow the link to learn more:

https://www.motorsportuk.org/the-sport/schools-education-programme/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=&utmcontent=schoolseducationprogramme

To celebrate this year’s #INWED22, we took the time to speak with two of our PDR validation engineers, Bianca and Swati. They spoke to us about their routes into #engineering and the challenges that they faced along the way. https://www.cosworth.com/news/international-women-in-engineering-day-2022/

Follow
To celebrate this year’s International Women in To celebrate this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, we took the time to speak with two of our PDR (Performance Data Recorder) validation engineers, Bianca and Swati. They spoke to us about their routes into engineering and the challenges that they had to overcome to get to where they are now. 

Read about their experiences and roles at Cosworth in our special Inspired Engineering feature on our website. #linkinbio

#Cosworth #INWED22 #engineering #womeninengineering #wesupportwomen #femaleempowerment #electronics #automotive #engineer #Inspiration
Even though there’s been no track action today, Even though there’s been no track action today, work at Le Mans has been very much in full swing.

Our support engineers have been up and down the pit lane all day, working with teams and engineers, to make final adjustments on their electronics packages ahead of the gruelling 24 hour race tomorrow. 

#LeMans24 #CosworthElectronics #endurance #FIAWEC #wec #engineering #electronics
That’s a wrap for FP1, now the hard work begins That’s a wrap for FP1, now the hard work begins to ensure all of our products are performing optimally.

#LeMans24 #CosworthElectronics #wec #FIAWEC #enduranceracing
We’re out in France for the @fiawec_official 24h We’re out in France for the @fiawec_official 24hrs of Le Mans. We’ll be out here for the duration of the event, so follow along with us to see what we get up to through the days and into the night!

#LeMans #LeMans24 #CosworthElectronics #Cosworth #FIAWEC #WEC #enduranceracing

COLLABORATING WITH

CAPABILITIES
  • Electrification
  • Performance
  • Digitalisation
  • Case studies
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
  • Support forum
  • Porsche Motorsport
  • Returns
  • Toolbox support
PEOPLE
  • Careers at Cosworth
  • Apprenticeships
  • Graduates
  • Current opportunities
INFORMATION
  • Corporate
  • News
  • Products
  • Covid-19
  • Contact
  • Legal policies
CAPABILITES
  • Electrification
  • Performance
  • Digitalisation
  • Case studies
INFORMATION
  • Corporate
  • News
  • Products
  • Covid-19
  • Contact
  • Legal policies
SUPPORT
  • Support forum
  • Porsche motorsport
  • Returns
  • Toolbox support
PEOPLE
  • Careers at Cosworth
  • Apprenticeships
  • Graduates
  • Current opportunities
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
© Copyright 2022 Cosworth. All rights reserved.   Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery
This site uses cookies. Visit our cookie policy to find out more about our use of cookies and how to opt out. By clicking "Accept all", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT