History

Formula Student is the biggest and best of its kind in Europe. Run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), in partnership with various well known companies in the industry, it promotes careers and excellence in engineering, by challenging university students to design, build, develop, market and compete as a team with a small single seater racing car.

Formula Student attracts entries from universities all over the World, from the UK, mainland Europe and from the Americas, Asia and Australasia. For the universities, Formula Student represents a valuable project that blends academic work and learning with the development of practical engineering skills. They are increasingly using it to attract school leavers to their degree programmes, and to forge closer links with local industry.

1981 : The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States started running its Formula SAE programme.

1998 : Two US cars and two UK cars competed in a demonstration UK Event, which was held at the MIRA Proving Ground. IMechE accepted management of the European venture, in a partnership with SAE, and the competition has taken place at the end of each academic year since then.

2002 : The first Driver Training Event took place at The Sisters near Wiggan, which was open to all teams who had finished building their FS cars and wanted to practise on the track before the main event in July.

2005 : Approved by the Learning Grid, an initiative set up by the DTI and funded by the industry body, Motorsport Development UK, to promote engineering and encourage students to choose a career in the industry. The annual programme of FS events expanded. The first Learn to Win event was held at Silverstone in October '05, incorporating one day seminars for new teams to learn how to build their car and perform well at the end of the year, as well as driver training to give the teams a chance to get their previous year's cars on the circuit.

2006 : Ross Brawn, former Scuderia Ferrari Technical Director, became Patron of Formula Student. Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering at Renault F1, gave the welcome speech to students at the main event.

2007 : July '07 saw the event move to Silverstone. The students worked on their cars in the pit garages used by the Grand Prix teams just a week before! The competition's dynamic events were then held on the famous track.

2008 : The Class 1(A) category is introduced. This exciting new category, sponsored by Flybrid Systems and supported by EEMS, favours the low CO2 nature of the fuels and the smaller engine capacity.