Overview
Imperial Formula Racing is a flagship interdisciplinary teaching endeavour of Imperial College London. We take part in the Formula Student UK Competition, which involves students designing, manufacturing, testing and racing a high-performance vehicle. In 2025, we acheived out best ever finish in FSUK 2025, completing all dynamic events and finishing 6th overall. Coming into the 2025-2026 season, our aim was to break into the top 5.
Car Development and Testing
This year, we optimised our FSUK 2025 entry vehicle while simultaneously beginning the development of our 2027 entry vehicle which will have a brand new chassis - something our team has not had in several years.
Vehicle development combined iterative CAD modeling and full-car aerodynamic simulations with physical subsystem validation. Aerodynamic upgrades focused on optimized bodywork, sidepods, and an undertray floor. In powertrain and chassis, we engineered custom intake, exhaust, pedal assembly, shifter, and front anti-roll bar, alongside an Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. Some systems were carried over, including the chassis, steering rack, brake calipers and fuel regulator in order to control costs.
Electronics saw substantial innovation, featuring custom telemetry, datalogger, PDB, custom flywheel, and an upgraded BSPD V4 paired with a dedicated LiPO4 battery and enclosure. Drivetrain packaging integrated a redesigned carriage, tensioner, CV boots, and a scatter shield.
Our team brings together around 200 students from different courses, year groups, and backgrounds across Imperial College London. Building a race car requires input from many different subjects:
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Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering: Design the chassis, aerodynamics, suspension, and engine systems using CAD and simulations.
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Electrical & Electronic Engineering: Build the wiring, sensors, power distribution, and safety circuits like the BSPD and electronic throttle.
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Computing & Software: Handle live telemetry, data logging, and lap-time simulations.
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Materials & Chemical Engineering: Work on carbon fibre bodywork, safety shields, and fuel/cooling fluids.
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Business & Operations: Manage our budget, sponsors, timeline, and the business presentation event.
Regular team meetings help all these different groups work together smoothly, while ensuring that work conducted by all members are fully integrated into the final vehicle.
As a team, we also place focus on developing the skills and experiences of our members, allowing all members to gain experience in areas outside their university course, while also gaining leadership experience through taking on specific roles within Imperial Formula Racing.
Lessons Learnt
This year, we learnt the importance of testing and validating our design through real-world runs, on the dyno in our garage and on track tests held by the team. These have revealed issues which would not have been noticed in simulation or in theory, and allowed us to diagnose problems and develop solutions to overcome these. These also allowed our members to gain first hand experience in this area of engineering.
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