Irish teams at 2026 Silverstone Formula Student race this week

Teams from Munster Technological University (MTU) and University College Dublin (UCD) are among a 50-strong international field taking part in this year’s IMechE Formula Student competition, which takes place at the iconic UK racetrack Silverstone (July 15-19).

Silverstone Formula Student race this week

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 leading 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. What makes E135 special is its clear design philosophy: every major choice is made to support reliability, drivability, and consistent performance.”

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 year long and are looking forward to bringing the car to competition. RS has been vital in the building of this year’s car as they have provided many key components for our electrical system and safety systems on the car.”

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.

“Overall, we find that teams are selecting our products due to their industrial-grade quality, certification, and reliability,” said Elvis Tinago, Education Community Engineer with

RS Group.

“In addition, many students are designing and manufacturing custom circuit boards using our soldering and prototyping tools,” said Mr Tinago. “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. Furthermore, for teams developing autonomous vehicles, our SBC offerings enable effective testing and iteration of advanced software and algorithms.”

About RS

RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably.

We operate in 36 markets, stock over 830,000 industrial and specialist products and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it’s our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet and profit.

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2025 reported revenue of £2,904 million.

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