Overview
For the first time in five years and contrary to the slogan proudly displayed on our 2025 rear wing, the University of Nottingham Racing went racing at FSUK 2026!
Alongside completing the endurance event (in a record holding 1+ hours), we secured 15th place overall and progressed to the Cost and Manufacturing Event Final. Seeing the efforts everyone put into the car translate into results at Silverstone was an incredibly rewarding moment for the whole team.
How the RS Build Fund Helped Get Us on Track
Support from the RS Build Fund was instrumental in getting the car to this point. The funding allowed us to source essential components for our accumulator and electrical systems, while providing additional high-voltage PPE so that multiple team members could safely work on the car’s HV systems simultaneously.
For a Formula Student team, these purchases have an impact far beyond simply having the right components on the shelf. Increasing the number of team members able to safely work on the high-voltage system helped remove bottlenecks during the build, while reliable electrical components gave us greater confidence in the car as we moved into testing.
Ultimately, this meant more time with a running car and more opportunities to identify and resolve problems before competition. That additional testing, combined with the robust components purchased through the fund, played an important part in getting #99 onto the track and, crucially, keeping it there for the full Endurance event.
The benefits will continue beyond FSUK 2026. The equipment purchased through the fund will support future cars, while the track data gathered at Silverstone is already helping to inform the development of our next-generation accumulator and gearbox.
Refining a Proven Drivetrain
While the FS26 car retains the proven 2WD gearbox architecture used on previous Nottingham cars, the team has continued to refine the design year on year. For 2026, our focus was not simply on redesigning components for the sake of it, but on addressing known weaknesses and making the assembly more robust and easier to work with.
One key change was a redesigned sun gear, which addressed concentricity and design-for-assembly issues. Rather than locating from milled features, the new design locates using turned surfaces. A tapered drive nut was also introduced to reduce stress on the main hex drive and prolong the life of the titanium motor shafts.
Building on 2026
Crossing the Endurance finish line at Silverstone represented much more to us than the completion of a single event, it showed us a clear path for the team in the future and the ability to win FSUK. Our car “Perry” is a reliable platform for us to learn from. With real track data aiding in the development of upgrading our accumulator and gearboxes in the coming years.
The support provided by RS played an important role in making that possible. From the components that went into the car to the PPE that allowed us to work on it safely and efficiently, the Build Fund helped give us the resources and testing time needed to fix any issues with the car and allow it to perform on track.
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