Leicester teams lead the podium in Formula 1 aerodynamics race

Two teams from the University's Department of Engineering took the top two positions on the podium in the second race of the UniFi Motorsport competition.

The two teams, Team Hill and Team Mansell, from the University are competing against teams from the UK, Portugal and Italy to design top performing Formula 1 car bodies which are tested in a virtual wind tunnel.

Team Hill, made up of Philip S. Noble (team leader), Parthil Patel, Georgeous Gabriel, Michael Brooker, Jamie Gollins, has won the first two races of the five-race season.

Team Mansell has taken third and second place in the first two races of the championship. Their team is made up of team leader, James Thresh, Nicholas J. Watts, Eeva Karner, Kyle G.M. Nicholls, Tendai T. Kachale, and Shane Perera.

This means that Team Hill leads the championship, followed by Team Mansell, who share second place with Team Fangio from Italy.

Kyle Nicholls from Team Mansell, said: “The project has enhanced my personal student learning through allowing time for independent research and implementation of that research on engineering software such as SolidWorks, a personal interest of mine.

“I have developed teamwork skills through collaborating with team members from different backgrounds, something industry and potential employers will require."

The UniFi Motorsport activity at the University of Leicester is supported by a Visiting Professor award from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The next race in the championship is on Friday 17 March 2017, followed by 17 May and 23 June.