Top UK Formula Student Team Races to Success

You may be aware of Formula Student, a wonderful innovation that allows the next generation of engineering talent to showcase and to develop their talent. It is a European competition for teams of engineering students from across the world to design, engineer and manufacture racing models, and is valued both within academia and within the motorsports industry (and its patron is Ross Brawn, no less). More details about it can be read here.

And I was delighted to hear that the engineering students at the University of Hertfordshire have defended their title as the best UK Formula Student team for the fourth year running at the Formula Student Germany competition in Hockenheim between 31 July and 4 August.

The successful University of Hertfordshire team

UH Racing's Formula Student team, part of the School of Engineering and Technology, came away from the 2013 International Formula Student Germany competition in 10th place overall out of over 100 world-wide competitors. The next UK team came 20th. UH Racing is currently ranked 23rd in the world out of more than 500 teams.

Dr Howard Ash, senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, said: 'It is a great achievement for the students to say they are the highest ranking UK team. I give merit to everyone involved, it really is a true testament to the excellent work we do here and showcases the best of UK student talent.'

The competition started with the static events, wherein the team finished 14th in cost, 17th in design and 35th in business. In the dynamic events, the team finished 13th in skid pad, 3rd in acceleration and 11th in the sprint event. Finally, the team finished 10th place in the endurance event which equated to 40% of the overall points, but this was with some drama as the car had to leave the track after hitting a cone and it overheated as it crossed the finish line.

UH Racing this year entered a single combustion car in both the 2013 Formula Student and Formula Student Germany competitions.

For further information visit the University of Hertfordshire's UH Racing website: www.racing.herts.ac.uk.