April 2026...

	Sim Racing We recently completed an Engineering Challenge (test and reward Race Engineering skills outside of the main racing) and Round 6 in which we finished 9th and 17th respectively, bringing a total of 71.8 points! This should bring us into the top 25 out of 73 teams, with one more Challenge and the final race taking place at Williams F1 in July! Races have various features and specifications with this round and round 7 having a special format, yet to be released.
	Aero Work has ramped up on the manufacturing side, with a focus on developing moulds, refining the production process, and beginning work on a carbon fibre steering wheel. The handles will be cored using CNC’d Rohacell foam, supplied by EMKAY, to improve stiffness while keeping weight to a minimum. A new mould-making system has been introduced which is significantly quicker and delivers a much higher quality surface finish than our previous method. Alongside this, we’ve started printing our largest mould to date for the nosecone, and completed an initial test fit of the floor as we continue progressing towards full aero package production.
	Powertrain The past month has seen the Powertrain team turn their attention from the drivetrain to intake and exhaust designs. Building on previous work, a new intake has been modelled and is undergoing CFD assessment, in conjunction with Realis WAVE software to determine optimal runner lengths to target a higher powerband, as the electric motor fills in the torque dip in the lower RPM ranges. The team is looking forward to receiving their parts back from the machine shop to begin assembly of the drivetrain, and to finally begin testing the hybrid system as a cohesive unit.
	Electrical April was a massive month for the electrical team, anchored by the on-time submission of the highly critical Hybrid Safety Form (HSF). Hitting this competition milestone meant locking down our entire electrical architecture, from the 58V hybrid tractive system schematics down to the car's 12V nervous system and structural safety calculations. On the manufacturing front, we’ve nailed down the final "Mark 3" design for our custom cell-welding tooling alongside our partners. To keep momentum high, we're running production in parallel - getting the aluminium battery box laser-cut and structurally validated while we prep the copper busbars for the final weld. Procurement is also in the home stretch; after a lot of hard-fought back-and-forth, we’ve officially locked in our new ECU using our Formula Student Finance Award funds, alongside essential gear like deciding on our hybrid charger. With May bringing the heavy grind of final dissertations and exams, full-scale testing will take a brief backseat, but we’re keeping our heads down and aggressively pushing the build forward through the academic crunch.
	Mechanical April has seen the complete welding of the chassis along with substantial progress with the manufacturing of suspension and steering components. The team is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to begin assembly of the car and are focused on ensuring all necessary components are present to streamline this process. Other areas of focus include integration of the mechanical components with all areas of the car to maintain safe and effective systems.
	Vehicle Dynamics This month, we’ve been spending more time working with IPG CarMaker to develop our lap time simulation model, and we’re starting to see some solid progress. At the same time, we’ve continued working with our Vector software to get the data logging setup fully up and running and behaving reliably. We’ve also now locked in the placement of all our logging components within the car, which is a big step forward. This should help ensure we get clean, reliable data while keeping everything neatly integrated and working within the space we have available.
	Corporate During April, we have been working on hosting various socials including Go Karting to help decide our 4 drivers for competition and also team building fun in Brighton! In collaboration with the University of Sussex, we hosted 2 schools for a STEM event where they took part in various activities across mechanical and electrical. We announced our Financial Award from the iMechE which we are really proud and grateful to have this year. Focusing on May, we are into the final run towards our launch event and we are looking forward to hosting our team, family, friends and sponsors.

The Sussex Racing team have been busy preparing for the SR26 competition. This is a summary of what we've been up to.

Open Days & Welcome Week

As part of our recruitment and outreach efforts, we also supported the School by demonstrating our technologies to prospective students, helping to highlight the practical, hands-on engineering opportunities available within the programme.

Students were able to engage with our virtual driving simulation, giving them an immersive insight into vehicle dynamics, driver feedback, and the software systems used within the team.

This interactive experience helped bring the project to life and showcased how theoretical knowledge is applied in a real-world motorsport environment.

At the beginning of the academic year, the team showcased our SR25 car during Welcome Week to students joining the University.

This provided an opportunity for students from all years and disciplines to speak directly with team leads, learn more about the project, and discover how they could get involved.

It allowed the team to highlight the practical skills, teamwork, and industry-relevant experience students can gain through participation in Formula Student.

Learn To Win

Learn to Win is a pre-season event designed to kickstart the Formula Student year, bringing together teams, judges, event organisers, and industry partners ahead of the competition season.

The event provides valuable opportunities to ask questions, clarify regulations, and gain a deeper understanding of judging criteria and expectations across all areas of the competition.

During the event, we gained a number of insightful perspectives from IMechE team members, particularly around best practices, common pitfalls, and what distinguishes a strong entry from an average one. These insights will be invaluable as reference points throughout the season, helping to guide our technical decisions, project planning, and overall competition strategy.

Sussex and Surrey IoT Launch

The Sussex Racing team were invited to the launch of the new Sussex and Surrey IoT Building at Crawley College to showcase our SR25 car to sponsors, members of the media, and the wider public.

The event provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the team’s technical capabilities and highlight the innovative engineering behind the car.

Team members engaged with attendees to explain key design features, technologies, and the multidisciplinary nature of the project, helping to communicate the real-world applications of the skills developed through Formula Student.

The showcase also strengthened relationships with existing partners and helped raise the profile of both Sussex Racing and the University within the regional engineering and education community.  

Design Review

A key component of any engineering project is a rigorous design review process. The team presented their proposed designs for the SR26 car to senior members of the School of Engineering and Informatics, providing a comprehensive overview of technical concepts, costings, risk assessments, and project planning considerations.

Throughout the review, team members were challenged on their technical decisions, assumptions, and justifications, encouraging critical evaluation of each subsystem.

This process established a clear milestone for the team to work towards and helped ensure that designs were thoroughly scrutinised before entering the manufacturing phase. The feedback received allowed potential challenges to be identified and addressed early, reducing risk and improving the overall quality of the final car. 

Workshops

Alongside formal design reviews, the team placed a strong emphasis on practical skills development through a series of hands-on workshops held within the Sussex Racing building. These sessions were delivered by lead technicians and experienced team members, providing structured training across a range of key manufacturing and safety areas.


Workshops included welding training, suspension design and setup sessions, carbon fibre manufacturing techniques, and both high- and low-voltage electrical safety training.

These workshops ensured that team members were appropriately trained before working on the car, while also building confidence and competence in using specialist tools, materials, and processes. This technical training helps maintain high standards of safety and workmanship across the team and contributes to the development of the SR26 car.

McLaren Visit

We were fortunate to organise a visit from a McLaren automotive personnel who bought his McLaren Artura to visit our workshop. The team were able to ask for advice and insight from an industry professional and take on the feedback into the design of our car. 

Our mission is to build a lasting legacy of excellence within Sussex Racing by establishing quality processes and strong business principles that elevate our engineering and performance standards year after year. We strive to apply our skills to real-world engineering challenges while fostering a professional and collaborative team culture. Through innovation, dedication, and unity, we aim to achieve the most cohesive design and the most successful season in Sussex Racing’s history.  

Want to collaborate with us? Contact us at sussexfs@gmail.com 

You can also donate to our 2026 Nose Cone Club! Find out more and how to donate here.

Alongside our technical work, the Sussex Racing team also puts great emphasis on social events and shared experiences that help strengthen team culture and build friendships across all year groups. Throughout the year we watch Formula 1 races together, creating a relaxed and enthusiastic environment for team members to bond over the sport that inspires much of our work and to enjoy the unfolding season together. Beyond the screen, we’ve organised go karting outings and other group activities, giving everyone the chance to enjoy some adrenaline-fuelled fun and get to know their teammates off the tools and CAD screens.