World’s largest student motorsport event to be held at Silverstone
06 July 2012
Over 130 student racing teams from 34 countries will race single seat racing cars built from scratch at Formula Student 2012, to be held at Silverstone on 12-15 July. Teams from South Africa, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan, India, Thailand and Europe will join teams from 50 UK universities in the Silverstone paddocks as they attempt to take the Formula Student title from the University of Stuttgart, who have won three of the last four competitions.
Formula Student, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, challenges universities from across the world to design, build and race a single-seat racing car in one year. The cars are then judged on their speed, acceleration and endurance, while the teams are tested on their design, costing and business presentation skills.
This year alternative fuel cars will be pitted directly against the petrol cars for the first time. 20 electric cars, as well as one hydrogen-powered racer and one powered by jojoba oil from Ain Shams University, Cairo, will line up in the paddocks.
Formula Student is seen as one of the world’s best training grounds for young engineers and is supported by over 250 volunteer judges from motorsport and the wider engineering industry. Formula Student alumni now occupy senior positions at nearly every Formula One team. This year’s event will be attended by Ross Brawn, Team Principal of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Formula Student patron, as well as James Allison, Technical Director of Lotus F1.
Shown above is the University of Hertfordshire’s UH Racing team, the highest placed UK Formula Student team for two years running, achieving a record third place in the 2011 competition.
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