What is Formula Student?

A quest to encourage automotive engineering talent is now well established

As the title suggests, youngsters from around the world pit their single-seater racers against one another. The first competition was held 20 years ago at the MIRA proving ground, the technology centre in Warwickshire, with three teams from the US facing four UK counterparts.

Two decades and four host venues – MIRA, NEC, Bruntingthorpe and Silverstone – later, there’s now over 100 entrants from around the globe. Overall wins are decided by judges, taking into account design, cost, manufacturing and business model, plus dynamic tests on skid pans and so forth. Historically, honours have gone mostly to American and German institutions. The trophy was won by a British team for the first time last year, thanks to Cardiff Racing’s ‘Gwyneth’ (pictured in action above). The victory was a shock: Cardiff had never won even the UK award.

The 2018 award was won by Monash University from Australia.