Holly Watson Nall is an engineering leader specialising in motorsport and autonomous vehicle technology. After earning a Master’s in motorsport engineering from Oxford Brookes University, she pivoted her career from Formula 1 to focus on autonomous technologies. Holly currently works at Oxa, where she is involved in the development and deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies, driving innovations that aim to transform how people interact with transport worldwide.
“We believe that every single vehicle on the planet can be autonomous, and this can bring real value to people.”
From motorsport to autonomous vehicles
My career began in the high-speed world of Formula 1, working with Manor F1, which was an exciting and dynamic experience. However, I’ve always had a passion for technology with purpose — technology that serves real people — and this passion led me towards autonomous vehicles.
During my time at university, I was fascinated by the potential of autonomous technology, and I knew it was the direction I wanted to go. That’s why I pivoted my career to join StreetDrone, a tech start-up in Oxford, where I could work at the cutting edge of autonomous systems. Today, I’m at Oxa, developing autonomous technology for real-world use, and it’s been an incredible journey transitioning from motorsport into this emerging space.
Pioneering universal autonomy
Oxa, a spin-out from Oxford University, is on a mission to unlock the benefits of self-driving technology to every person and organisation on the planet and make “universal autonomy” a reality. Our vision for Universal Autonomy® means we believe that every vehicle, no matter its type, can become autonomous and provide significant value to people.
As a product developer and engineer at Oxa, I work on bringing our vision to life by combining technical expertise with commercial know-how. We’re now deploying autonomous vehicle software worldwide, putting real products into the hands of real customers. It’s an exciting time as we have recently celebrated Oxa’s 10th anniversary and continue to push towards our goal of transforming transport across the globe.
A day in my life at Oxa
One of the things I love most about my role at Oxa is the variety. Some days, I’m hands-on with vehicles, developing and testing software to ensure everything functions before it reaches the customer. Other days, I speak directly with our customers — ranging from industrial companies to those interested in passenger transport solutions — helping them see the value that autonomous vehicles can bring to their operations.
I also spend time internally, working across teams to ensure we’re aligned on our goals and ready to deploy products in the real world. What’s so fascinating about this technology is how broadly it can be applied, from logistics vehicles to passenger shuttles and beyond. The potential is limitless, and that’s what excites me every day.
Motorsport as a foundation for autonomy
I didn’t originally set out to work in autonomous driving, but my background in motorsport turned out to be an excellent foundation. Motorsport, with its intense pace and high-stakes environment, is a fantastic proving ground for autonomous technology.
I’ve always been involved in autonomous motorsport, and I helped co-found the Formula Student driverless competition in the UK. At Roborace, we even pushed autonomous vehicles to speeds of up to 250 kph! As you can imagine, this presented unique challenges, but it also helped me see the seamless integration between motorsport and autonomous technologies.
The skills I gained in motorsport have been invaluable as I work on solving some of the toughest engineering challenges in autonomous driving today.
Advancing the future of autonomous vehicles
Looking ahead, I’m optimistic about the future of autonomous vehicles. Over the next 10 to 15 years, I hope they’ll become something people see in their everyday lives. We’re starting with low-speed environments, which make sense because they’re safer and help build trust with the public.
Autonomous technology is still new to a lot of people, and our goal is to introduce it gradually, starting in controlled environments, so that people become more comfortable with it. Once the public starts to trust and get excited about these vehicles, we can expand their use to other areas. This is what I’m hoping to see, especially here in the UK.
Advice for aspiring engineers
For anyone looking to join the autonomous vehicle industry, my first piece of advice is to learn to code. It doesn’t matter which programming language you start with — the key is learning the principles and discovering what you enjoy. There are so many free coding courses available, so jump in!
Building your network is equally important. Most of my career opportunities have come from people I know in my network. It’s never too early to start building your LinkedIn profile and connecting with people in the industry. My other advice is to stay curious and always be willing to learn — those qualities will serve you well in this rapidly growing field.
Coming up next
In the next few weeks and months, I’m excited to launch the bus service I’ve been working on. It will be amazing to see real passengers use some of our services for the first time here in the UK. We’re going to learn a lot from this, and I can’t wait to see the results.
Outside of work, I’m also getting married in less than six months, which is super exciting! I’m loving the wedding planning at the moment, although we’re relying on family and friends to help out because both my fiancé and I are so busy with our jobs — he works in Formula One too. I can’t wait for the big day to arrive. Fun times ahead both in work and beyond!
