In July 2026, a team of eight SRC students studying on the BEng Top-Up Degree and Foundation Degree programmes took part in the prestigious Formula Student competition at Silverstone Race Circuit, competing alongside more than 100 universities representing 30 countries.
Formula Student challenges university teams to design and build a racing car, providing students with an opportunity to put their engineering knowledge into practice in a highly competitive, real-world environment. The competition aims to develop enterprising and innovative young engineers while inspiring more young people to pursue careers in engineering.
Forming part of a degree-level project, Formula Student is highly regarded within the motorsport industry and is recognised as an important benchmark for engineering graduates as they transition from university into the workplace. The competition provides invaluable real-world engineering experience, combining technical and practical skills with key professional capabilities such as business planning, project management, budgeting and presentation skills.
Top 10 Finish in Inaugural Year
For its inaugural year in 2026, SRC Racing entered the Concept Class and achieved an impressive 10th-place finish out of 31 universities competing in the category.
Throughout the week-long competition, the students were challenged to demonstrate not only the strength of their engineering concepts but also the commercial thinking behind them.
The team presented and defended its design decisions before industry judges, delivered a business plan to a panel of experts, and completed a cost and manufacturing presentation. This element of the competition evaluates each team's ability to balance engineering design decisions with realistic budgeting, standardised manufacturing processes and economic efficiency for a limited production run.
The experience gave the SRC Racing team the opportunity to apply their academic learning in a demanding industry-focused environment while developing the technical, commercial and professional skills required by today's engineering sector.
Looking Ahead to Formula Student 2027
Following the success of their first year, SRC Racing is already looking towards the next challenge.
The Team would like to thank all the sponsors that helped make this successful event happen. The generosity and support from local companies was crucial in enabling the team to take part in the competition.
The team plans to progress to the full Formula Student class in 2027, building on the experience and success gained during its inaugural competition.
SRC Racing looks forward to returning in 2027 and continuing to build on this exciting first chapter for the team.
