Respectable finish in competition debut
University staff and students secured a solid finish as they participated in an international engineering competition for the first time last week.
The GCURacing team took part in Formula Student, one of Europe's most renowned educational engineering competitions, at the prestigious Silverstone race circuit from July 19 to 23.
Comprised of 15 talented Glasgow Caledonian students and staff, the team successfully manufactured a race car at the University's workshop, fully prepared to compete against other universities from across the globe. They finished 54th out of 63 participants.
Formula Student is supported by industry experts and esteemed engineers, including patron Ross Brawn OBE, and aims to nurture enterprising and innovative young engineers, while also inspiring more individuals to pursue a career in engineering.
Typically forming an integral part of a degree-level project, the event is regarded by the motorsport industry as the benchmark for engineering graduates, seamlessly transitioning them from university life to the professional workplace. It proudly serves as a kite-mark for real-world engineering experience, effectively blending hands-on technical expertise with essential soft skills, such as business planning and project management.
Every year, Formula Student attracts more than 100 university teams from around the world, all making a pilgrimage to Silverstone to compete in a series of static and dynamic events that thoroughly test their preparation and hard work.
Professor Carl Schaschke, Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: “This was the first entry by Glasgow Caledonian to the Formula Student competition in which our students designed and fabricated a racing car according to the stringent rules of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
“Last week, a team of students headed for Silverstone and presented their car along with many other universities from around the world. Their car was assessed and scrutinised by experts from the world of motorsport, such as by the technical directors from McLaren. As a first-time entry, I am absolutely delighted that our team came a respectable 54th overall and ahead of many established teams including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. My thanks to the many people who made this possible, including safety officers and technicians for their support and assistance. Well done to our students.”
Professor Patricia Munoz-Escalona, faculty lead for Formula Student, said: “Giving our students the opportunity to be involved in the competition has provided them with an exciting hands-on, real-life engineering and problem-solving experience. The team took every opportunity to learn from experienced teams, judges and scrutineers, expanding not only their knowledge but their network. It was great to see how the tasks were distributed between the team members and the enthusiasm, commitment and perseverance to complete each of these tasks till the end.”
TJ Scott, GCURacing Technical Director, said: “Our first time at the Formula Student event was a fantastic experience for the whole team. While the result of 54th out of 63 may not sound like the best, it still places us above several complete and finished cars, compared to what we could accomplish in the space of five weeks. We look forward to taking what we have learned and applying towards next year’s event.”
The following students attended the competition: CAME Students: Jacob Bamsey, TJ Scott, Adam Pancechowski, Robbie Hamish McGregor. Mechanical Engineering: Adam Laird, Stuart Whyte, Joseph Abbot, Christopher Jackson, Sarah Williamson and Huzefa Liaqat. Computer Science: Arron Weir and Niamh Templeton. Electrical & Electronic Engineering: Pablo de Melchor Mateos and Daniel Kean. Build and Services: Robert L Tonner. Marketing: Douglas Mitchell. LLB Law: Faiza Khan