Tyres.co.uk, the UK online tyre retailer, has partnered with Cardiff Racing, Cardiff University’s student-led Formula Student team, to support its electric race car programme for the season ahead.
The agreement will fund the team’s tyre requirements, helping cover one of the largest annual costs involved in competing in Formula Student. With teams typically using multiple sets of dry and wet tyres during testing and events, the contribution will allow students to direct more of their available budget towards developing the car.
Organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Formula Student sees university teams take on the challenge of designing, building and racing a single-seat vehicle. Alongside track performance, teams are assessed on their engineering decisions, costs and the commercial case for their designs.
Cardiff University’s team brings together students from across the School of Engineering. They design components using digital tools, manufacture them in university workshops and put their work through testing over the course of the year. The experience also develops practical skills in teamwork, budgeting and meeting demanding deadlines.
Tyres play a vital role in a race car’s performance, influencing braking capability, cornering speed and grip in wet conditions.
Connor Wendt, Deputy Technical Director at Cardiff Racing, said: “Tyres are one of the biggest things we spend money on each season, and they make a massive difference to how the car performs. Having Tyres.co.uk on board takes some of that pressure off and means we can focus on making the car as good as it can be.”
Vithurs, Co-Founder of Tyres.co.uk, said: “Tyres are what we do every day, helping drivers find the right tyres for their car and get them fitted locally. We’re a young business ourselves, so we know what it takes to build something from scratch. Seeing a group of students design and build a race car is genuinely impressive, and supporting the part of the car we know best felt like the natural thing to do. We’ll be following their season closely.”
The Cardiff Racing team will use the coming months to complete and test its electric race car ahead of competing at Silverstone next summer. Progress and team news will be published on its website and social media channels throughout the season.
