Romanian to Oxford Brookes — Need Support for Year 1

From a Small Town in Romania to the Edge of Formula 1 — Seeking Support to Start My First Year at Oxford Brookes

Hi everyone,

My name is David-Stefan Sulea, I’m 19, from Piatra Neamț, Romania, and I’ve been chasing one dream since childhood:

To become a car designer in F1.

This year, I was accepted into Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes — a top motorsport university whose alumni work in F1.

But now I face a difficult reality:

As an EU student, I’m not eligible for UK loans or home fees.

Even after applying for scholarships and searching since February, I still don’t have the funds to cover my first-year tuition.

That hasn’t stopped me from fighting for a chance.

I built a long-range FPV drone from scratch.

I studied physics and chemistry with private tutors and read How to Build a Car and Introduction to Flight.

I changed high schools to learn from better science teachers.

I took part in university-level chemistry labs and workshops.

This summer, I went to Austria — not for vacation, but to take one last shot.

️ I bought a Thursday pit lane walk ticket at the Austrian GP — one of the cheapest ways to get close to the teams. Minutes before my grandstand was allowed in, Lewis Hamilton came out to meet fans. By the time I got to the pit lane, he was gone.

I had written him a personal letter — and I wasn’t ready to give up.

For two hours, I stood in the rain trying to convince Ferrari crew to take the letter. I even held up my phone with a message in Italian.

They didn’t take it — they laughed.

As security cleared the area, I asked VIPs and staff for help — no one answered.

Just as guards reached me, I saw a Williams engineer on the pit wall. I rushed over and asked him to pass the letter to Lewis.

He looked at me, took it gently, and said:

"I’ll try to pass it to him."

That moment of kindness gave me hope.

But as of today, I haven’t received a reply.

I also wrote to Adrian Newey, inspired by the story in his book where he once wrote to Gordon Murray. I tried reaching him via contacts, family, and Aston Martin’s HR and PR — no response yet.

⏳ Time is running out. So now I’m turning to you:

If you can help — financially, through connections, or by sharing this post — it could help me begin this journey.

All I need is a place on the grid.

Once I’m there, I’ll race the rest of the way.

Thank you for reading,

Thank you for caring,

And thank you for helping a young engineer take his shot.

With respect and hope,

David-Stefan Sulea