NEWS
Teams from MTU and UCD among international line-up for 2026 Formula Student Race at Silverstone
Teams from Munster Technological University and University College Dublin are among a 50-strong international field taking part in this year’s IMechE Formula Student competition. Now in its 28th year, Formula Student, backed by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), is Europe’s most established educational engineering competition. The programme invites university teams from around the world to design, build and race a single-seater racing car from scratch, giving third-level engineering teams real-world experience of the challenges and demands of motor racing. RS, a global provider of industrial and electronic
solutions, sponsors the EV category within the Formula Student Class, which also includes categories for internal combustion vehicles (CV) as well as hybrid vehicles. Other classes in the competition include FS-AI (artificial intelligence) and the Concept Class. RS also supports the initiative through its hugely popular
Formula Student Build Fund. The fund offers teams from around the world the opportunity to build their cars and develop their engineering skills with £1,000 (approx. €1,110) worth of products from their local RS outlet. This year’s Formula Student Build Fund saw the largest response since RS established the fund six years ago, with 137 applications from 33 countries. Of the total number of applicants, 50 teams were selected to receive funding from RS including two Irish teams representing UCD and MTU who will pit their skills against teams from the UK, USA, Germany, Mexico, Singapore and many other countries.
PRODUCT, TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM RS IRELAND
Thanks to the Formula Student Build Fund, both Irish teams were able to design and build their racing cars with the help of €1,100 worth of products from RS Ireland. The students from UCD and MTU also had access to RS’s technical resources and engineering support network,
providing valuable assistance with product selection, troubleshooting and prototype development. “We know that designing and building a Formula
Student racing car is an expensive challenge, so we’re delighted to have been able to help the teams from UCD and MTU to bring their visions to life,” said Gary Bradley, Country Manager at RS Ireland. “Of course, there’s more to Formula Student than just the engineering element,” Mr Bradley said. “Teams also compete in areas like design, cost, presentation and project management, all while adhering to strict guidelines that require real multidisciplinary team collaboration. It’s one of the most prestigious student engineering competitions in the world and we can’t wait for the action to start this weekend.”
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN ENGINEERING DESIGN
Harry Stevens of University College Dublin’s Formula Student team says: “The project brings together mechanical, electrical, powertrain, business and operations students, giving the team hands-on experience in real engineering design, manufacturing, testing and competition. “Our latest car, E135, has been designed around a simple and reliable electric concept, with a strong focus on endurance completion, low build risk and predictable handling.”
Alan O’Sullivan of Munster Technological University
says: “MTU Formula Student is competing in Formula Student UK for the third time but the first time in the Formula Student Combustion class. This year, the team made the decision to switch to a combustion engine over electric which has been a huge challenge after two years of EV development, but the team has worked hard all
6 July/August 2026 Irish Manufacturing
year long and are looking forward to bringing the car to competition.” Since the Formula Student Build Fund was launched
in 2021, RS has supported 54 different Formula Student teams across Ireland and the UK, providing 125 individual funding awards in the process. This year, the fund awarded £50,000 worth of RS products to the teams that will be competing at Silverstone or other international Formula Student competitions.
SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS (SBCS) POWERING AUTONOMOUS RACING CARS
This year’s Formula Student programme has seen a number of striking trends, including: •
•
Increasing adoption of SBCs by teams competing in the Autonomous category to support high- performance computational requirements
Continued reliance on microcontrollers (many of which are available within the RS portfolio) due to their capability to handle real-time and safety-critical function: key considerations in Formula Student vehicle design
•
Use of sensors to support Formula Student car monitoring and performance.
“From a strategic perspective, the RS product portfolio
is well positioned to support these teams in building systems that are both safe and compliant with industry standards.” Said Elvis Tinago, Education Community Engineer with RS Group.
https://uk.rs-online.com
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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