September 3 2026
Just weeks after completing his MITO automotive apprenticeship, Oscar Donderwinkel was boarding a flight to Europe.
Days after arriving in the Netherlands, he had secured paid work with a race team and was preparing for a test in Barcelona and a trip to the F1 Dutch Grand Prix to work on F1 Academy cars.
For the 20-year-old, it was the next step towards a goal that had been years in the making.
His passion for motorsport started early.
“My interest in motorsport was heavily influenced by my Dad,” Oscar says.
Oscar’s father worked on race cars in Europe more than 25 years ago, and motorsport was a regular fixture in the Donderwinkel household. Weekends often revolved around watching motorsport, sparking a fascination that would eventually become a career ambition.
After finishing Year 12, Oscar started an automotive apprenticeship with Baigent Motors in Matamata, focusing on building his skills and industry experience.
About a year into his apprenticeship, he decided he wanted to find a way into the motorsport world.
With support from Baigent Motors, Oscar began attending race meetings with his boss, Justin Scelly, and gaining experience in motorsport, including scrutineering.
At his second race meeting, the Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship in Taupō, one conversation changed everything.
Oscar began talking with someone who turned out to own a racing team. Oscar asked if he could volunteer for a day’s work at Hampton Downs in Waikato and they agreed.
Oscar kept the race team owner’s phone number for the next time they came to New Zealand, a year later. He then applied for a job with the team, working as the number two automotive technician for all five New Zealand rounds of the championship.
He was successful and his boss from Baigent Motors allowed him to take five weeks of leave to do this.
Following his first season with the team, Oscar was invited to join its international programme overseas, where he was able to gain experience working alongside crews from around the world.
He progressed to the role of lead automotive technician, working directly with engineers, drivers, and another technician.
“The overseas experience opened up a lot of doors,” he says. “Going over there, you’re meeting people from all over the world. Now I have friends in France, Spain, and other places, and I understand more about how everything works internationally.”
The move into a lead role also brought new challenges and opportunities to grow.
“It’s definitely a high-pressure environment,” he says. “The turnaround between races is very short. If something breaks, you have to find the problem and fix it quickly because people are there to race.”
During his apprenticeship, Oscar completed the New Zealand Certificate in Light Automotive Engineering (Levels 3 and 4) through MITO.
He says the knowledge gained throughout his apprenticeship gave him a strong advantage in motorsport.
“For a race car, the principles work about the same as a normal car,” he says.
“My apprenticeship gave me a really good understanding of how and why things work on a car,” he says. “That’s been useful in motorsport because it helps when you’re diagnosing problems and trying to find solutions quickly.”
One example came when a race car developed an alternator fault.
“I’d just completed the MITO theory work on alternators, so I was able to figure out why it wasn’t charging. We fixed it, and the car could go back out and race.”
Oscar is quick to acknowledge the support of Justin and the team at Baigent Motors throughout his apprenticeship. The business backed his motorsport ambitions, including allowing him to take around 20 weeks of leave last year to travel overseas for racing commitments.
“Without the support of my boss and the workplace, it wouldn’t have been possible,” he says.
Completing his apprenticeship marked the end of a busy period that saw Oscar balance his training with motorsport commitments in New Zealand and overseas.
“Finishing my apprenticeship opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” he says. “As soon as I was able to do that, I could book my ticket. Looking back on it, I’m definitely proud of finishing it and getting everything done.”
Shortly after arriving in Europe, Oscar secured work with a team in Spain where he prepared for testing in Barcelona, eventually working on F1 Academy cars at the F1 Dutch Grand Prix.
Looking ahead, Oscar is focused on building his experience in European motorsport. Formula One remains the ultimate goal, but for now he’s focused on learning and continuing to progress through the ranks.
“I just have to get over there and figure it out,” he says.
