Menu
Menu
Click here to find out.
Not at all. We accept students from all courses at the University of Manchester. All we ask is that you have a genuine interest in working to develop new ideas into reality and helping the team to improve year on year. We have a need for all skillsets to make our team function and while the biggest portion of members work on the technical side of things, you don’t necessarily have to get involved in the technical to be a part of the team.
We do not require any previous experience working on cars or anything technical for that matter. That being said, our applications process is competitive and we do ask if you have any relevant experience on your application form. Please don’t let this put you off applying though – we are far more impressed by someone who engages well in our application challenges.
While we wish we could let everyone get involved in the team, we are massively oversubscribed each year and so must have a process for whittling down numbers. We have a number of rounds in our application process where we assess applicants qualities in a number of areas and decide on their suitability for joining the team. The first step is filling in the form at the bottom of this page.
Definitely not. Applications are open to all students at UoM – both undergraduate and postgraduate.
Formula Student is an excellent way to meet new people from your course and beyond. Everyone who commits to FS is united by a shared interest and common goal and the environment can foster some really great friendships. Active involvement in a Formula Student team is recognised by companies around the world and developing the car brings so many excellent opportunities to your university experience allowing you to expand both technical and soft skills.
Our team is broken down into a number of subteams which are responsible for each of the design areas of the car. Because in each year, the design goals of the Internal Combustion and Electric Vehicle divisions differ, we have 2 subteams (an IC & EV subteam) for both Chassis & Vehicle Dynamics who complete similar work but specific to the goals of the car they are working on
The aerodynamics subteam is definitely an interesting one in the Stinger Motorsport team. We are responsible for decreasing the drag of the car by using various parts and techniques, and in the previous years, increasing the downforce, which helps with the total performance of the car. This year as the internal combustion engine car will be in development, we aim to grasp a bigger understanding of the air that flows around what we have already built, learn how to connect pieces of an aerodynamic package into a singular working assembly, and study proper simulation techniques using the software provided by our sponsors, with validation provided by a data acquisition system project that is being started this year. In all the subteam focuses on theoretical work, simulations and design, with introductions to working with composites. If you are passionate about Motorsport, want to learn how to use the different software solutions Ansys provides for simulations, and want to make the car look and perform outstandingly this is the place for you.
The chassis is the largest piece of the car, yet often the most overlooked. Yes the wings are flashy, yes the engine makes the fun noises, and yes the tires squealing is what lets you know someone is actually driving fast, but the one component that brings all of those together, is the chassis of the car. The chassis of the car provides a strong a rigid foundation upon which the rest of the subteams can build, and its critical for the safety of the driver and the overall performance of the vehicle. Alongside the complex design and manufacture of the car’s frame, the chassis subteams also deal with the other aspects of the driver’s safety and comfort, such as the front impact structure, firewall, seat, and seat belt arrangement. While working on the chassis subteams, you get a good feel for the entire vehicle, as you tackle challenges on parts of the car you won’t be familiar with.
The Electronics Sub-team focuses on developing the critical hardware that powers our Electric Vehicle (EV) racecar. We specialize in designing, building, and testing the electronic circuits that ensure the car’s smooth and safe operation. This includes crafting PCBs for key systems like the Shutdown Circuit, Inertia Switch, BSPD, Pre-charge Circuit, and the Tractive System Active Light (TSAL).
Our work involves hands-on experience with tools like KiCad for PCB design and LTspice for circuit simulation. You’ll master soldering, prototyping, and rigorous testing of these circuits to meet the demanding standards of race conditions. Joining our team will give you practical skills in electronics, from initial design to final implementation.
If you’re passionate about electronics and want to play a vital role in pushing the boundaries of EV technology, this is the team for you!
The IC electrics sub-team at Manchester Stinger Motorsports is responsible for developing all the electronic systems within the internal combustion car. In addition to maintaining and upgrading physical components – such as the wiring loom – we develop software and manage data acquisition from the various sensors. Throughout the year there will also be different tasks which overlap with other subteams; this will provide you with the opportunity to learn much about other aspects of building race cars on top of the electrics, and the relationship these areas have to the system electronics. Last year, our main project was designing and fabricating a custom electrical loom for the car. This task involved routing wires, organising packaging, and lots of troubleshooting. This year, our aim is to improve the overall design of the electrical system by considering upgrading the loom with additional sensors, optimising car set up using telemetry data and acting upon judges’ feedback from last year’s competition. You will use software such as Solidworks (3D modelling) and Altium (PCBs) for designing new and improved components. Whether you’re an electrical engineer, computer scientist, or someone that wants to get hands on with motorsport electronics, the electrics sub-team is the one for you.
The heart and soul of the IC car. The E&D subteam is responsible for the maintenance and development of crucial subsystems including the differential, fuel and oil systems as well as anything in the engine block ensuring they are efficient, durable and up to spec. Each challenge requires research to identify innovative but simple solutions which are then developed in CAD with a focus on manufacturability so they can be physically prototyped, and test fitted. This year we’re working on a fuel tank redesign, a new gear shift mechanism among many more.
Whether you’re just starting out or already know a bit about engines, this field offers plenty of opportunities to dive in and apply what you’ve learn. So if you enjoy getting your hands dirty, Engine and Drivetrain could be the one for you. All of this may seem very serious and challenging, it sounds a lot harder than it actually is!
The intake and cooling subteam work closely with many other subteams to bring the IC powertrain together. We work to develop air intake systems for induction to the engine, an effective cooling loop to ensure the IC car can continue to perform within the parameters of the competition and finally we are responsible for shifting all the heat and exhaust gas away from the car, preferably without melting anything important. There is a lot of research and simulations required to make the intake and cooling systems work together effectively but it’s great to be able to work on the interaction points with so many other subsystems of the car and make a real difference to performance.
The powertrain sub-team is at the heart of our EV team and is essentially responsible for designing and manufacturing everything that makes our car move – easier said than done! Our work spans a wide range of components, including the battery, inverter, motor, cooling system, and drivetrain. This opens doors for students from all sorts of engineering backgrounds and passions, both mechanical and electrical. However, we are not just looking for ambitious engineers; what we value most is passion and drive. Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or completely new to this field, all we ask is that you bring a strong willingness to learn. Although it might help to have prior knowledge of EV powertrains it is not at all a requirement. We may expect some hard graft at times, but I promise joining our team will be very rewarding and help is never far. Consider applying to the EV Powertrain team if you have a passion for motorsport engineering and want to work in a team of engineers to create the driving system of a high performance EV race car.
The EV Software subteam is focused on developing software that integrates closely with hardware, ranging from low-level firmware on microcontrollers to high-level software that logs and streams telemetry data on a Raspberry Pi. For those interested in low-level programming, the focus will be on developing microcontrollers that interface with sensors and communicate with other microcontrollers in the car using the CAN protocol, a standard in the automotive industry. You’ll gain hands-on experience with STM32 microcontrollers, programming in STM32CubeIDE, and implementing FreeRTOS, a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). Proficiency in C/C++ is highly beneficial for this role. A significant portion of the work will involve rigorous testing of the firmware, as it must be flawless and incorporate extensive fault handling to ensure system reliability. If you’re more inclined towards higher-level software, the sub-team offers opportunities to create GUI tools for monitoring and debugging the CAN bus, as well as troubleshooting car components. The final product will include data logging, telemetry, and live data plotting from the vehicle. Being adaptable and willing to learn new libraries or frameworks is essential. While Python is preferred for rapid development, other languages are also welcome for achieving higher performance.
In simple terms, Vehicle Dynamics concerns the motion and handling of the car. These subteams oversee several categories such as suspension, tyres, braking & pedal box, steering, wheel hub and lap time simulation. A good suspension geometry is vital to the performance of a formula student car, we use SusProg3D to analyse and improve our suspension design. Some mathematics is involved in the calculation of loads and other parameters but none of which is too complicated. VD revolves around how the car communicates to the driver that it will respond as intended to the driver’s input. The driver should feel that the car will turn with the steering wheel and not against it. The driver should feel that his brakes are working and so a suspension that is too stiff may be advised against. VD also focuses on maximising how much of the tyre is in contact with the track by controlling features like static chamber. It’s important to remember that we are all here to learn and we all will make mistakes. All we ask is for an interest in learning more about this area within motorsport and if that’s the case, Vehicle Dynamics is the subteam for you.