Meet the 22-year-old on a rollercoaster journey towards his dream job at Formula 1

Liam Leyland, from Haresfinch, made the courageous decision to move to Milton Keynes aged just 18 to work in the motorsport industry.

Explaining that "education wasn't for me", the 22-year-old left De La Salle High School with just two GCSEs and subsequently dropped out of an engineering course at St Helens College.

With a lifelong interest in cars nurtured by his uncle who works in the industry, Liam embarked on a one-way, 158 mile journey to Milton Keynes once an opportunity arose at Prodrive - an engineering company which designs and manufactures vehicles across the automotive, motorsport, aerospace and marine sectors.

Liam has already worked for a number of companies in the motorsport industry

Training as a trimmer fitter, and working on assembling the structural and carbon fibre components of Formula 1 race cars, this has seen Liam travel to work in seven different places in four years, including a spell in the Czech Republic.

Frequently working on self-employed contracts, he has worked for mega companies such as McClaren, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce, before settling into his current role at Red Bull Racing.

It has not always been plain sailing for the former De La Salle student, however, who initially struggled after moving so far away from home at such a young age.

In the years that have passed, Liam said he has now really grown and "blossomed" into what he feels is his "dream job".

Liam said: "It was tough at times, moving away on my own. But in these times, I stuck a printed picture of Formula 1 on my wall to remind myself this is what I really want, to follow my dream job.

He added: "As I've worked in the industry, I've worked with some of the best people. I just take in knowledge from everyone and I couldn't ask for better people to be around."

Liam in his De La Salle days pictured with an expensive sports car

With the motorsport industry predominantly based in the south of the country, Liam's story is all the more remarkable as he explains - as far as he is aware - he is the only person in his field from the North at his age, describing himself as the "youngest person working by about eight years".

Although he has really missed his family, friends and the "good people" of St Helens, Liam is determined to reach his ultimate goal of working pit side with the race team in Formula 1.

With encouraging feedback from his colleagues telling him he can go all the way to the top, it surely won't be long until the young racing fan is travelling the globe in one of the most fast-paced and lucrative industries in the world.

Working as a trimmer fitter, Liam is following his dream to work pit side for the race team in Formula 1