Glasgow Caledonian University last night captured the spirit of motorsport with the unveiling of the GCU Racing team’s 2025 Formula Student car.
The event brought together industry sponsors, alumni, academic staff and students to witness the culmination of months of engineering design, development and collaboration.
With support from the GCU Foundation, the team will once again compete in Formula Student 2025, Europe’s premier educational motorsport competition organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Launched in 1998 in partnership with the Society of Automotive Engineers in the United States, the competition moved to the iconic Silverstone Circuit in 2007, allowing university teams to operate from the same pit garages used by Formula One teams. Today, more than 100 university teams from around the world participate in this internationally renowned event.
The competition challenges students to design, build and race a single-seater car, developing not only their technical capabilities but also critical meta-skills such as leadership, communication and problem-solving − skills essential for success in the engineering industry.
This year’s car is the product of months of collaborative effort by the 77 GCU Racing team members, drawn from all three academic Schools across the University. Organised into specialist sub-teams − Brakes, Chassis, Electrical, Powertrain, Suspension, and Non-Technical − the students bring together diverse expertise to create a high-performance racing machine.
Since making their debut in 2023, GCU Racing has made strides, rising from 54th to 48th place in 2024. With continued support and growing experience, the team is aiming even higher this year.
Professor Tuleen Boutaleb, Vice-Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said: “The programme is more than a competition − it’s a career springboard. Alumni such as TJ Scott, who joined Mercedes after showcasing his work at Formula Student, demonstrate the powerful career impact of the experience.
“Crucially, thanks to the support of sponsors and donors, students from all backgrounds have been able to participate in the programme without financial barriers.”
Extracted from GCU website, read more here