The global competition, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, is the world’s largest student motorsport event and challenges student engineers to design, build and race a single seat racing car in one year.
Dozens of Formula Student alumni have progressed to Formula 1, and hundreds more are now working at the world’s largest automotive firms helping to design and engineer the cars of tomorrow.
Ross Brawn, former team principal of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, returns as competition patron and will meet students at the opening ceremony. Ambassadors this year include Paddy Lowe, executive director of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, Willem Toet, former head of aerodynamics at Sauber F1, David Brabham, former Formula 1 driver, and BBC science presenter Dallas Campbell.
Richard Folkson, president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Students who compete in Formula Student are highly valued in all sectors of industry, not just in automotive engineering.
The cars are judged on their speed, acceleration, handling and endurance in a series of time-trial races, while the teams are tested on their design, costing and business presentation skills.
Folkson continued: “The benefits of the competition are in teaching them teamwork, delivering challenging technical targets on time and within a tight budget and pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible while showing the judges they understand the science behind their ideas.”
Formula Student will take place in Silverstone from 14 to 17 July.
