During stable regulations in most open competitions, design, operation and strategy converge as understanding increases. However, IMechE’s Formula Student (FS) is a contest that defies this logic. The technical rules accept various technologies, but the competition itself has been very similar for a long time. Over the years, teams have won the numerous parts of the competition, running diverse technological approaches to realise the FS car. The 2022 Formula Student competition at Silverstone, UK, which took place on 9-10 July, was no different.
Following the Covid pandemic, Formula Student UK was back to full strength this year. The 2022 competition sported some new elements, notably the mandatory inclusion of the expanded Lap Time Simulation event, which will encourage teams to develop vehicle dynamics in a virtual environment.
Powertrain overview
Oxford Brookes Racing (OBR) picked up no fewer than seven awards for the team’s FS and FS-AI squads, including the prestigious Formula Student Engineering Design and the Lap Time Simulation (Formula Student Class) awards for their electric FS race car.
OBR has an impressive history at Formula Student at Silverstone, finishing as a top team on seven occasions and holding the record for the most top three finishes of any UK team.
OBR team leader, Ole Ramming, a masters student in Motorsport Engineering, comments: ‘Bringing back some silverware is a great reward for all the work our team members have invested in the past nine months. In particular, winning the Engineering Design Award gives us a brilliant foundation to work on for the coming seasons.
‘Building an electric car is a very complex challenge compared to a combustion-powered vehicle. The combination of advanced control strategies with our four-wheel-drive system gave OBR’s design an edge, standing out from its competitors.’
