Students are on the fast track to success after recording their best-ever performance in the world’s biggest student motorsport competition.
The DMU Racing team finished in the top 15 UK teams and completed the third fastest time in the acceleration event of any UK university team in Formula Student last weekend – 0-62mph in 3.75 seconds.
It is the first time a team from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has built a car that has passed all its pre-racing checks and been able to complete the race on the famous Formula One Silverstone track.
This year saw thousands of students from all over the world compete. More than 130 teams from 30 countries in the event, organised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
To enter Formula Student, teams have to design, build and race a single-seater racing car over one year. DMU’s team of 19 started work at the beginning of the academic year working with technician lead Paul Dean and began testing the car last month.
It is a crucial event for anyone wanting a career in Formula One. Entrants have the opportunity to demonstrate their engineering skills and work with industry professionals.
Team leader Henry Spencer, who studies Electronic Engineering, has been involved with Formula Student for three years.
He said: “This is the best we have ever done. It’s a huge leap up the rankings for us and the whole team has dedicated so much time to this. For a lot of professional motorsport companies, saying you have competed in Formula Student is an instant step up against those who have not.
“It’s important for us that the students get involved in making everything so we focus on student input as much as possible. There are some teams where they buy in the majority of components but with us, you get to sit in a car that’s actually built by students.”
The team worked with Demand Engineering to design an exhaust system and in keeping with the ethos of DMU Racing, got involved in fabricating, fitting and welding it too. Northampton Motorsport also let them use their rolling road to map the engine.
Cars are judged on factors including speed, acceleration, endurance and efficiency, design and sustainability, as well as business and cost presentation skills. DMU’s team were Engineering students with one from Business and Law who helped prepare and present the business presentation.
Richard Bull, interim head of school at DMU’s School of Engineering, said DMU had been entering teams for the past four years and this was the best ever result a team had achieved.
He said: “This was a fantastic achievement for everyone concerned.
“We will continue to invest in this valuable student enhancement activity and have a two year strategy to develop an electric vehicle submission, alongside exploring #DMUglobal links with automotive companies.”
Posted on Wednesday 27 July 2016