Formula Student
What we were struck by is the amazing foyer area, itself both a study area and a museum showcasing their previous competitions entries. Framed photos from the team’s many years of competing line the walls, together with car bodies hanging on the mezzanine floor that show how the car has evolved over the years and is a great reminder of how far they have come. However, the centrepiece of the display is the fibreglass mould of their 2015 car which was been turned into a stunning piece of art by world renowned artist Mia Ines Aguirre, who was commissioned to produce the design for the 2015 car as part of the celebrations to celebrate the School's 50th anniversary. The team then organised a 3D scan of the artwork and turned her work into a wrap for the 2015 car – expect to see it at this year’s paddock display of former cars!
Sitting down with the team, Class 1 Team Leader Ash Gilliver explained how the team has a relatively small number of members, with 11 Class 1 and 12 Class 2 members spread across both teams. “While it does mean that each member has more work to do, the advantage is that we all get a better impression of how all the parts interact and we are ultimately more responsible for the car” he explained. This also plays into the team’s strategy for knowledge transfer, by having 3rd year students working on the Class 2 project who then work closely with their counterparts in Class 1. This has been further enhanced by having a small number of 2nd year Compliance Officers who assist with areas of the build alongside both the Class 1 and Class 2 teams. By organising it this way, when they eventually graduate into the Class 1 team in the 4th year of their degree, the incoming members will have the knowledge they need to work with the University effectively and carry on the project.
Furthermore, as the Formula Student project comprises of up to 3 course units towards their final year credit, the team doesn’t have to deal with problems with member attrition that other University teams may have. “It’s a good balance, as most of the coursework is just after the summer during the design phases of the car” outlined Rahul Mohan, the team’s Chief Engineer, “this means that we have more time for the manufacturing and building before exams. Ultimately though, we go to University to learn engineering theory, but Formula Student gives us an opportunity to develop our practical skills and implement true interdisciplinary project management.”
It’s this idea of practical skills that underpins the team’s strategy for the 2018 car: “strong engineering fundamentals and reliability” said Rahul “A grounded design approach to the car will allow us to perform effectively through all the events.” Given their well-rounded team and a good car that’s going for solid performance rather than flashy, exotic extras that don’t work on the day, they are aiming for a top 25 place for UK teams this year.
As for how they are doing it, it’s a back to basics approach to put this year’s entry, together with plenty of straightforward improvements. After eight years of using the same power unit, Mobil 1 Sussex Racing have changed their power unit for a single cylinder KTM 450 SX-F, which has instantly given them a 50% weight reduction in this area. “It’s great to have an instant benefit like that” explained Joe Burrowes, head of the Powertrain team “but it does put us really out of our comfort zone and we’ve had to learn how to work with a totally new engine in a short amount of time.” Despite only having a few months to get used to it, the team are confident with their current set up. “The power to weight ratio is really impressive, and we’ve been tuning the torque curve so we’re happy that we’re getting the most performance out of it” added Joe. As for wiring, all that’s down to Will Riordan, who drew the short straw out of a team comprised of solely mechanical engineers to make sure the current wiring loom is up to the task and that any amends need to be made. However, he doesn’t see this as a bad thing: “this has allowed me to expand my engineering skills into electrical engineering and I’ve enjoyed the challenge”.
Progress on other areas of their new car is going well, with new designs for the impact attenuator from team member Tim Falk having recently been tested and are ready to be added to the car (check out their YouTube playlist from this year’s testing). Dapo Oyelami, the team’s Head of Vehicle Integration, has been overseeing the vehicle chassis manufacture whilst also being hard at work on the aero package design to increase downforce and improve vehicle. Other plans include a better bolt strategy – literally identifying which bolts in the car need to withstand larger forces and change the types for those that don’t. It is little things like this that help reduce costs and more importantly weight. Comprised of lots of steel components, their 2017 car weighed over 260kg, but with these and multiple other improvements, the team are hoping to reduce their car’s weight significantly and add to their overall competitiveness.
One of the unique things about the team is their STEM outreach work, something we featured in the run up to last year’s competition. Initially organised as a few workshops with local Schools, the team have now been contracted to run 10 sessions comprised of around two dozen key-stage 3 students. These session have been broken down into two different subject areas; “Making Engineering Choices” and “Design a Race Car”, each entailing different activities. “They are great fun for us to run and the students really enjoy the tasks we set them” says James Bratt, who works on the Vehicle Dynamics team and organises the classes. “At that age most seem to be able to grasp instinctively what engineering is, but when we give them these examples to work on something seems to click”. Examples of activities range from teaching the use of CAD to replicate the wheel hubs designed for this year’s car, to an Aero Challenge with toy cars that uses a student made wind tunnel, to studies about tyre treads and how they work to improve grip. “We love getting involved with the schools and it’s good to have an extra project to work on during the year” added Ash.
The team are grateful for the continued support of long standing sponsorship relationships, as well as newly established relationships to get their car on the track, not least of which their title sponsor Mobil 1 and financial support from Santander. Based near to the team’s campus, Assystem Technologies have offered the team consultation support as well as promoting their graduate programme, so much so that many of the team have applied for their postgraduate programme in the summer. Marston Motorsport Cooling have been supporting the team with the design and manufacture of their cooling system to work with their new engine, while cooling of a different kind for their 2018 launch party has been provided by BrewDog. Local company Surrey Satellites Technology often provide design expertise and assistance with the team’s aero package, as have RS Components who supported the team with a various components. Lastly, their sponsorship with local Karting circuit Q Leisure will enable the team to book time to test this year’s car when it gets assembled over the next four weeks, providing much needed time to tune and modify the car ready for Silverstone.
The team are also grateful for the support they receive from the University of Sussex as they play a significant part in getting the car put together. “We do also get a lot of support from technicians and University staff” admitted Ash. “It’s great that extra help is always on hand when the final assembly comes together and of course they all enjoy getting together for the car launch party and seeing the final assembly.”
Will 2018 be the year for Mobil 1 Sussex Racing? We hope that their back-to-fundamentals approach pays off when they get to Silverstone. In the meantime, catch up with all the latest news from the team on their website as well as on their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels.