On the 17th-22nd of July, Queen Mary Formula Student competed in the IMechE-organised Formula Student UK (FSUK) competition for the 8th year running. They submitted an Internal Combustion car, which scored 31st out of a total of 56 teams, and 11th from the teams who were not able to complete all scrutineering checks. The Internal Combustion and Electric Vehicle concept class teams - who present innovative designs for future competitions - placed 6th and 8th respectively, making QMUL the highest-positioned London-based university within the concept rankings. QMUL was the only university to enter three teams, able to do so due to the extensive team of over 100 students spanning across all university years, with 40 of such members attending the competition last week.

The vehicle submission improved dramatically for 2024, passing 164 of the 166 scrutineering checks (only 58 of these were passed in 2023). Designs improved to the point of producing a driving vehicle, which has been tested and tuned prior to the competition (a first in QMFS history). Our lap time simulation team was greatly successful in its first-ever year, gaining 36 valuable points. The Internal Combustion Concept scored our best-ever result in the design, placing 5th, an indicator of the work to come in next year’s manufacturing year. The Electrical Vehicle design continues to improve from their first-ever design last year, considering brand new concepts and building conviction for a future EV build.

The students who attend FSUK gain a plethora of skills, including but not limited to practical work on the vehicle, professional skills in design and cost presentations, networking with industry partners, problem-solving and learning engineering fundamentals. This does not include skills gained throughout the academic year as part of the team, which provides networking opportunities with other students and external speakers.

Students work from August to July on the vehicle submissions and are looking forward to getting started on the 2025 car as soon as they have debriefed on this year’s submission. If you would like to get involved with a passionate and dedicated team, reach out to a.ogilvie@se22.qmul.ac.uk, the Team Principal for 2025.