Formula Student x Salford Racing

Formula Student 2022 is quickly approaching, and we couldn’t be more excited at Salford Racing. Salford Racing is Salford University’s racing team (I’ll do another post soon on Salford Racing and my role within the team) and let me assure you that our fantastic team of engineers are working super hard in preparation for the competition. BUT what is Formula student?

Formula Student is an annual university student only, engineering competition that sees students from around the world design, build, test and run a single seater racing car. The competition enthuses students to demonstrate their engineering design and manufacturing skills but also gives the next generation of mechanical engineers the opportunity to work in professional environments where time management, teamwork, budgeting, and project management is needed – great skills they will need for their future careers as engineers.

This year the event is held on 6th-10th July 2022 at Silverstone Race Circuit.

University teams are tasked with producing a prototype for a single-seat race car for autocross or sprint racing to then present it to a hypothetical manufacturing firm.

MAIN AIMS FOR THE RACE CAR

· Low in cost

· Easy to maintain

· Reliable

· High performing acceleration, braking and handling

What Happens next?

Each university racing team has to undergo a meticulous testing process judged by industry experts that are broken down into two events – static and dynamic.

What happens in each event?

STATIC EVENTS:

· Design, Cost and Sustainability

· Business presentation

· Technical and Safety Scrutineering

· Tilt Test

· Brake and Noise Test

DYNAMIC EVENTS:

· Skid Pad

· Sprint

· Acceleration

· Endurance

· Fuel Economy

That sounds slightly daunting doesn’t it but it’s a brilliant platform for engineers in the making to build on essential skills and offers them a real-world class experience to set them up for their career after university. Not only is this event great for the engineers but also for the majority of people seeking a job in the motorsport world. For instance, people aiming for jobs in motorsport media will get the opportunity to film, present, photograph and create general media projects to add to their portfolio or CV – more experience!

Here's what an F1 engineer has to say:

“I always thought that Formula Student would be helpful in pursuing a career in Formula 1 but in hindsight it is even better than what I thought. It gives you the base you need to work in the industry and really set me up for my career in Formula 1. - Carlos Sanchez, Aston Martin F1 Structure Engineer.

SALFORD RACING

As previously mentioned, our team are working extremely hard on the car they will present at Formula Student 22. Head to our socials (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok etc) @SalfordRacing to see behind the scenes action and keep up to date with what we’re getting up to. We have lots of exciting content planned so keep your eyes peeled.

Here's what a few of our committee members have to say:

“My goal for, for Salford Racing, is to pass scrutineering for the first time in the history of the team!” – Ollie Parsons, Team Director.

“My aim for this year is to score higher in the static events and improve the operations at the team.” – Hubert Kasinski, Treasurer.