Students have the right formula for racing improvements

The University of Wolverhampton Racing team (UWR) recently took part in the world’s largest student motorsport design, build & test competition – achieving a top ten place for the first time after only their third year entering the event.

The team came ninth out of 48 UK University teams and were placed thirteenth overall of the 128 teams entered.

Formula Student, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IMechE, is an annual global competition which takes place at the Silverstone Circuit, which in 2017 saw more than 2,000 students from 24 countries in attendance.

Students on the race team in the Faculty of Science & Engineering spent the last academic year planning, designing, building and testing their Formula Student race car at the Telford Innovation Campus as part of their degree studies.

At the competition, teams are judged on their car’s speed, acceleration, handling and endurance in a series of time-trial races, however unlike a typical motorsport event, the teams are also tested on their designs, costings and business presentation skills as part of the competition.

Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said:

“In our third year in taking part in this prestigious competition, students really chased a top 10 place making a massive improvement on last year’s performance where the team achieved 27th place overall.

“The team did really well in the individual tests, coming first out of 128 teams to pass all aspects of scrutineering as well as picking up some shortlisted awards for performance and design innovation.  Overall the team worked well together and produced some really good results – showing their dedication and commitment to continuous improvement.”

Aidan Silsby, third year Motorsport Engineering student, said: “Formula Student was an amazing experience and I’m really pleased that my exhaust system design made such a valuable contribution to the improvement in performance compared with last year.

“Competitions like this really give students hands-on experience of motorsport handling and design which will certainly give us the edge when we start to apply for jobs in the industry.”

Highlights of the competition were as follows:

• The team was shortlisted from 128 to 6 teams for the Jaguar Landrover, JLR, Art of Performance Award (design, 3D printed parts and car performance, in particular, exhaust system and uprights)
• The team was shortlisted from 128 to 4 teams for the EXXonMobil Innovation Award for the exhaust system – Aidan Silsby, who designed and made the exhaust won a tour of the Red Bull F1 Factory.
• The team was shortlisted from 128 to 2 teams for the Effective Communications Award – judging the UWR Social Media pages and other engineering focused events that the team had been involved with
• The team was presented with a 2008 BMW Sauber F1 Bargeboard by Willem Toet, Sauber F1 chief aerodynamicist and a chief judge of Formula Student as well as an ambassador of Formula Student with over 30 years’ experience in the aerodynamics industry.  This was recognition by the judges of the teamwork and step-up in design, performance and attitude
• Formula student Deputy Team Leader, Tom Hill, won the Most Entertaining Driver Award for his confidence on track during the sprint, endurance and fastest lap events.

For anyone who already has their results, applications for courses can be started now through our Clearing website.  Call the Clearing Hotline on 01902 518585 or contact us through our Social Media channels Twitter@wlv_uni or Facebook/uniwolverhampton. 

Anyone applying for a course through Clearing can register their interest and arrange a phone call with the University on results day, Thursday 17th August. Visit our next Open Day on Saturday 19^th August for more information.

ENDS

For more information please contact the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736 or 01902 518647.

Date Issued: 18th August 2017