University of Limerick

Students from the University of Limerick Racing and Motoring (ULRM) team are competing in this year’s Formula Student competition in Silverstone.  Formula Student is an educational motorsport competition, which challenges students both from an engineering and business perspective.  25 UL students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering are currently designing and building a single-seat racing car before competing in a number of dynamic events.

UL Formula Student team captain and Aeronautical Engineering student, Sean Sweeney, commented on the project and its future, “Brian Commons, Andrew Sexton and I have been working on this car for some time now, but serious progress was not made until we were joined by the current 2^nd year engineering students, a year ago.  With the chassis near completion and the foundations set we are now moving to our carbon fibre body and our custom innovations that will set us apart from the rest and hopefully secure us a position in the top 20.  Our team is achieving significant engineering innovations and developments.”

Dr. Christy Gillick, Course Director, Bachelor of Engineering Science, UL, commented on the challenge and rewards for UL students, “Essentially, the students are required to produce a prototype car to the standard at which a manufacturing firm would expect.  Formula student increases students’ skills across several key areas including technical, management, marketing and teamwork.  So as well as a sense of achievement, this gives students an ideal opportunity to demonstrate and improve their capabilities to deliver a complex and demanding product in a competitive environment and can instil a creativity in young engineers that will be absolutely crucial to them throughout their careers”.

The UL formula student team met their title sponsor Motorsport Ireland recently.  President of Motorsport Ireland, Joe Corcoran,  said, “Motorsport Ireland are very excited to be a part of this project and we hope that with our assistance this team will achieve success at the event, while promoting Ireland as a resource for engineers to the motorsport industry.”  Kostal Ireland GmbH and the Department of Science and Engineering, at UL, are also sponsoring the UL formula student team.

Formula Student will be held in Silverstone on 14^th – 17^th July.  Last year, 124 teams from 34 countries and over 2,000 students took part in the competition in Silverstone.  This year 110 teams are competing and acceptance was based on a financial business plan.  The Formula Student competition is run by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and is the most established of its kind in Europe. 

For further information go to http://www3.ul.ie/formulastudents/