Français
Deutsch
Español
At the wheel
Five drivers, one car
They are all team members: they drive the car they helped design and build.
The 2026-2027 season
The drivers
In Formula Student, the driver is not hired from outside: it is a student from the team, who spends the year in the workshop before spending a few minutes on track.
No. 2
Driver
No. 3
Driver
No. 4
Driver
No. 5
Driver
The rules
Who is allowed to drive
Four conditions, set by the Formula Student UK 2026 rules. They apply to every driver, for every event.
- 01
Student
Enrolled on a degree course, bachelor's, master's or equivalent (A4.2.4).
- 02
Aged 18 or over
Every team member must be at least 18 (A4.2.6).
- 03
Valid licence
Photo car driving licence, or a karting or motorsport licence recognised by a federation (A4.2.7).
- 04
Amateur
A driver who has raced for a professional team, in a national or international championship, may not drive (A4.2.8).
Source: Formula Student 2026 Rules, IMechE, article A4.2.
The cockpit
A car built to fit them
The #17's cockpit was sized for the real height of the team's drivers, not for a theoretical template. Every control was chosen to be operated with gloves on and the harness tight.
- Driver height
- 1.78 to 1.84 m
- Seat
- Glass-fibre karting bucket seat
- Steering wheel
- Ø 230 mm, flat-bottomed, aluminium and printed PLA
- Gear selection
- Motorcycle shifter, linkage and push-pull cable
- Clutch
- Hydraulic, original KTM
Source: 2026 Design Specification Sheet of the #17.
At scrutineering
Getting out of the car in five seconds
In a fire or an accident, the driver must be able to get out of the car alone, and quickly. The rules therefore require every driver to take an egress test during scrutineering: until they pass it, they are not allowed to drive.
- 01
Seated as in a race
Seated, harness tightened by three team members, helmet, gloves and suit on, hands on the fitted steering wheel.
- 02
The clock starts
The time is taken from this position, the driver ready to get out.
- 03
Out to the side
The driver unbuckles and gets out alone, over the side of the car.
- 04
Both feet on the ground
The clock stops when both feet touch the ground. It must stay under five seconds.
What the times tell us
The limit is the same for everyone: five seconds. In 2026, the five fastest drivers at Formula Student UK all got out in 3.2 seconds or less. The best, a Staffordshire Uni Racing driver, took 2.64 seconds, almost half the limit.
This time depends as much on the cockpit design (the opening, the steering wheel position, the harness buckle) as on the driver's training. That is why the #17's cockpit is sized for our real drivers, and why each of the five must pass the test.
The test takes place after the Safety, Chassis and Technical checks. The tallest driver goes first, so that the car can move on to the next tests; the others take it once the whole inspection has been passed. At the same time, the scrutineers check, for each driver, the clearance above the helmet and the harness adjustment.
The five best times at Formula Student UK 2026, against the 5 s limit
Regulatory limit: 5.00 s
5 sLimit for each driver
2.64 sBest time, FSUK 2026
5#17 drivers to be validated
Sources: Formula Student 2026 rules (IMechE), articles T4.11 and IN13; FSUK Stats, five best egress times at Formula Student UK 2026 (the letter identifies the driver within the team).
Join us
The seat is earned in the workshop
Drivers are chosen from among the team members. To earn a place in the seat, you first join a department.