If driven teen Hukarere O Te Hahi Ratana Kahui-Ariki-Wairua has her way, she’ll one day proudly fly the New Zealand flag in Formula 1’s prestigious pitlane.
The 17-year-old is studying towards an automotive engineering apprenticeship.
And she says it would be an “absolute dream” to one day work in
Most New Zealand motorsport focus is on driver Liam Lawson - who was in the F1 points again on Monday, finishing seventh in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
But there is also plenty of other Kiwi flavour elsewhere among F1 teams, including young Kiwi Eloise Beattie, who has just started as a graduate controls engineer with Red Bull.
Other Kiwis work for the McLaren F1 team; the team which late Kiwi great Bruce McLaren formed and who have already clinched the 2026 Constructors’ championship.
With a year left on her studies, Huka has set her sights on joining them.
“That would be an absolute dream,” Huka said.
“To get to see the McLaren team would be a dream come true. If I ever got that opportunity, I would take it in a heartbeat.”
The Tuakau College student - who has five sisters and a brother - has completed the Level 1 and Level 2 Automotive Engineering programme at Manukau Institute of Technology Trades Academy.
Huka (Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Whātua, Te Parawhau, Ngai Tahuhu, Te Roroa) followed her brother, who had completed a welding course at MIT.
“I hadn’t been interested in cars because I never got my hands dirty,” Huka said.
“But when my brother did a welding course, there was an opening for the automotive engineering course.
“I thought I would give it a go and see how I got on. I loved it and found I really liked working on cars.”
She would eventually like to open her own mechanic shop.
“I’ll hopefully get an apprenticeship from an employer who is looking for someone like me.
“I really want to be a good, qualified mechanic and maybe start a business with high voltage systems, as we are leading towards more electronics in the future.”
That now included the “absolute dream” of one day working at McLaren.
The team was established in the UK in 1963 by Bruce McLaren.
The Bruce McLaren Trust supports scholarships and internships for young Kiwis in engineering and motorsport.
These highly competitive awards offer a study and research placement at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK.
Huka has already been accepted into the Automotive Engineering (Level 3) February 2026 intake at MIT.
For next year’s student intake, MIT has more than 1600 expressions of interest for the 862 student placements.
These are students at risk of disengaging from secondary school or those who are more tertiary focused and keen to move into apprenticeships, further training, or employment.
Over the last 10 years MIT has given 6570 learners from 46 high schools trade training - including 61% who are of Māori and or Pacific heritage - as they progress to apprenticeships and the wider workforce.
MIT courses include automotive engineering, building construction and allied trades (BCATS), electrical engineering, workplace business administration, digital technologies, hospitality, bakery and tourism.
Automotive engineering and electrical are the most popular courses.
Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and before joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.