Inside HQ: Introducing Dan Salamon
In Inside HQ we talk to members of our team to learn about their own stories, values, and how they’ve come to represent excellence at the heart of innovation. Next up we chat with Dan Salamon, a Mechanical Design Engineer in our Motorsport division.
Who are you and what do you do at Hooper Quinn?
My name’s Dan and I'm a mechanical design engineer in Hooper Quinn's Motorsport division. My job is to design and engineer powertrain-related parts. At the minute we are working with a Formula 1 power unit manufacturer, and in my opinion, are achieving great success delivering complex projects to the client.
Tell us a little about your career to date and how you arrived at Hooper Quinn?
From as far back as I can remember I wanted to be an engineer. It’s why I started studying Mechanical Engineering back home in Malaga, Spain in 2012.
Over time, I built a strong passion for motorsport, and particularly F1, so I moved to Oxford in 2018 to study for a Masters in Motorsport Engineering. I then started working for Mercedes F1 as a mechanical design engineer where I spent four years working in three different departments, building a solid knowledge in design and engineering.
In March this year I began a new journey focusing on powertrain design and I took an opportunity to work with Greg and the team at Hooper Quinn. After six months I'm really loving it. The work we do is really interesting and the team is full of great engineers.
What do you love about your job?
I like the fact that almost every day is a new challenge and as an engineer we are forever learning. I also like the responsibility of creating physical components from things that start life as an idea in our heads.
What is something that usually surprises people about you?
Normally it's simply the fact that I'm an F1 engineer which is always seen as a great achievement!
Do you have any other hobbies?
In my free time I like to play some sports and keep fit, such as powerlifting. I like to try new things as well; my friends have just got into enduro motorbiking so I’m currently trying to get my license to join them. I know Greg is also into motorbiking so hopefully we can ride together in the future.
Good engineering is...
It’s about pushing things to the absolute limit in every area, whether that’s performance, weight, cost, manufacturability or time.
