Glasgow Caledonian students secure top-20 finish and sustainability award at Formula Student

Students from Glasgow Caledonian University's GCU Racing team celebrated their best-ever Formula Student campaign after securing a top-20 finish and winning a sustainability award at the UK's premier student motorsport competition.

Competing against 64 university teams at Silverstone, GCU Racing finished 20th overall, a significant improvement on last year's 54th-place finish. The team also won the Coryton Sustainable Fuel Award after recording the best fuel efficiency among the internal combustion engine entries.

However, the team had to overcome a series of technical challenges to complete every stage of scrutineering and qualify for the competition's dynamic events.

After successfully passing the Safety, Chassis, Technical, Noise and Tilt inspections, GCU Racing looked set to complete scrutineering before a brake calliper failed immediately after the car had passed the brake test. Rather than seeing their competition end there, the students regrouped, manufactured replacement parts, re-entered scrutineering, regained approval, passed the brake test for a second time and went on to compete in both the Sprint and Endurance events.

Lucy Rigby KC MP, Chief Secretary to HM Treasury, also met the Glasgow Caledonian students to hear about their experiences of designing, manufacturing and competing with the University's Formula Student car.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which organises Formula Student, filmed the team during the event, highlighting both the current students and Glasgow Caledonian alumnus TJ Scott, whose career with Mercedes since graduating demonstrates the opportunities created through Formula Student.

Formula Student is Europe's largest educational motorsport competition, challenging university teams to design, build and race single-seater racing cars while developing the technical, project management and teamwork skills sought by employers across the engineering sector.

Now in its fourth year, GCU Racing brings together students from across the University to work in specialist areas including Brakes, Chassis, Electrical, Powertrain, Suspension and Non-Technical Operations, applying their academic learning in a real-world engineering environment.

Murray Thomson, Technical Director for GCU Racing, said: “This has been a landmark year for GCU Racing. Finishing in the top 20 and winning the Coryton Sustainable Fuel Award are fantastic achievements, but what makes us proudest is the resilience shown throughout the competition.”

Rhys Miller, Manufacturing Director for GCU Racing, said: “When the brake calliper failed after the initial brake test, the team could easily have seen months of work come to an end. Instead, we worked together to manufacture replacement parts, returned to scrutineering, regained approval and went on to compete. That determination and professionalism embody everything Formula Student is about.”

Professor Tuleen Boutaleb, Vice-Dean of the School of Science and Engineering, said: “This is an outstanding achievement for GCU Racing and demonstrates just how far the team has progressed.

“To improve from 54th to 20th place while also winning a national award for sustainable engineering is a remarkable accomplishment. The students have demonstrated exceptional resilience, creativity and teamwork throughout the competition, applying the knowledge they've gained at Glasgow Caledonian in a real-world engineering environment. We couldn't be more proud of what they have achieved.”