Kingston University Formula Student team gears up for summer of racing at Silverstone

Kingston University’s Formula Student team are ramping up preparations ahead of a busy summer of racing, including competing at the iconic Silverstone racetrack. 

Formula Student sees a team of engineering students design, build and race their own single seater car, while having to adhere to strict regulations. The teams are subject to a rigorous scrutineering process before being allowed to drive around the racetrack.

Last year the team competed in European competitions for the first time and will return to Silverstone for Formula Student UK this summer. 

Third year automotive engineering student Ryan Moore is the chassis lead for the team, and he explained more about the competition and how he has found the experience. “We’re building on the car we had success with last year and myself and the team have been working hard to make improvements to try and get a top ten finish,” he said. “The hands-on experience you get as being part of the team gives you the experience that employers are looking for in industries like F1.

“Personally, being part of the team for the last couple of years has been the highlight of my time at Kingston, it has been great going to other countries and taking part in competitions.”

Why Formula Student is important for our students

The Formula Student team, known as Kingston Racing, has been operating in its current guise since 2020 and this year includes students from a number of courses. This year for the first time it includes a management team which is made up of a majority of female students. 

Automotive subject lead and senior lecturer Patrick Sheen is the academic lead for the team and spoke of the good progress the students are making this year. “Formula Student is in large part a project management exercise and we have a really organised group this year,” he said. “We’re on track to be able to test the car well in advance of competition and the continuity from last year has been really helpful for us. The support we get from the faculty and University as a whole has been great and we have seen increased sponsorship this year.”

Kingston Racing’s sponsors include Get It Made Ltd who provide high quality CNC machined parts for the team. Other sponsors include: Loctite, Kulite, Teng Tools, ANSYS, LogoMeUp, EasyComposites, Huel and Motul. 

The team are now working full steam ahead to prepare for Formula Student UK in July.

• Find out more about studying mechanical engineering at Kingston University
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