Please introduce yourself.
I’m Neill Anderson, the Head Design Judge, which is one of the static events and quite separate from the dynamic events, mainly as there is no influence from a driver. I’ve been involved in Formula Student since 2001 and I’ve been the Head Design Judge since 2003 having been introduced to the event by David Atton of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers many years ago. I have a practical engineering background and I like to keep a balance on the design event between the esoteric Formula One side and the mass production industry side.
How has the Learn To Win event changed since you started judging?
Learn To Win is aimed fairly and squarely at newer teams and members, though we do see returning teams quite often as well. Students have to endure lectures all year as part of their course, so it’s our job to make it more interesting for them in the one to one sessions, once we’ve set the scene during the morning’s presentations. It has become much more interactive than just a lecture over recent years, though the interactivity element does require two parties to work well, so teams who stand up and bring their questions tend to get more out of the day.
What key area in your judging category is often overlooked?
Start with the rules first and build your strategy around that – don’t start with the project just because your faculty head, dean or the previous team said so. Once you start with the rules, you can find out the questions you need to ask and consider the options open to you before you start designing. It’s good to be able to identify and work within your limitations as it makes all the difference when you get to the track.
What one piece of advice would you give teams for this season?
That there is no correct answer to design challenges and Formula Student forces you to design something that suits your team’s individual resources – time, skills, experience, budget and so on. Formula Student is by no means a level playing field, which is great because it provides a very real environment to work in, so you have to do the best with what resources you have. Learn To Win is great for this as it allows you to understand, in advance, how to get the most out of your limited resources and put the best car you can out there.
What can teams look forward to at Learn To Win?
It’s the first brave step on the road to the new season that will help you consider all the important decisions and to recognise and review any concerns before Christmas – rather than during the last few weeks before Learn To Win Live or even Silverstone!
What do you enjoy about Learn To Win?
I would like to say it’s nice to give something back but I have a better reason. The reality of some engineering courses is that students don’t get a chance for practical work experience, so any opportunity to actually make something is very important for their development as engineers and something I’m keen to encourage. Getting off to a good start through Learn To Win means that they can design and create the best car they can within their resources and yet still exceed their own expectations and so make the most of the Formula Student season.
Neill is one of over a dozen judges who will be advising teams taking part in Learn To Win on 14 October 2016 at the Institution's London HQ. Book your team to join Learn to Win and understand how to maximise your points in the competition.