The University of Hull’s Electric Racing Team is going head-to-head with some of the world’s best teams in an international simulated racing championship.
The Hull Electric Racing Team is competing in an IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers) simulated racing competition which takes place across eight rounds.
Each round has two races, and the competition runs across the length of an Academic Year.
The Hull team recently finished 6th and 10th in round four of the championships, out of 32 teams, with a highest finish so far of 2nd in round one.
They are competing using new state-of-the-art racing simulators which were unveiled at the University of Hull last year.
Hazem Zaki, one of the drivers who competed in the competition, said: “Having a top-end simulator with these capabilities helps us tremendously in simulating the track details. It also expresses all the car’s behaviours very accurately hence improving our consistency and reliability during a race.
“So far, we have had a rather interesting season with lots of ups and downs which makes the experience quiet challenging and demanding for all people involved, but overall, very enjoyable.
“Our best result so far was a 2nd place after a carnage filled race in round one.”
The last round of the competition will be held in Silverstone, the home of British motor racing, this July, where all teams participating will be racing against each other in person.
Leading up to a race weekend, the team set up the University’s simulator and begin to familiarise themselves with track layouts while preparing race strategies and car setups for the race.
Hazem said: “At this point it’s all about improving the driver’s race pace and getting as much speed as you can out of the car, while keeping within the limits and familiarising yourself with them to ensure smooth performance in the race. The main goal being improving the team’s standing in the championship.
“Personally, what makes this competition very enjoyable is the experience you share with your teammates while preparing for a race weekend. The more time and hard work each member invest into the preparation, the better the outcome and results will become.
“Sharing that racing passion with a great group of people definitely helps when tough and challenging times arise at any point during the competition and make the wins feel that much better.”
Jasmine Tolson, Team Principal of the Hull Electric Racing Team, said: “I’m proud of the team for the amount of effort and dedication they have put into training and learning about how they can achieve the best position in the race, which will be a great skill they can transfer across to the full build of the electric vehicle in 2023.”
The drivers taking part in the Championship are:
- Hazem Zaki
- Mateusz Serwatka
- Harry Parkes
- Wilbur Howard
The University has underlined its support of the Hull Electric Racing Team with the arrival of two cutting-edge simulators.
The technology in the Formula Simulators was developed to train fighter pilots, and has been used by several Formula One teams on a global stage.
Students can programme in the circuits they will be racing on, try out different scenarios and then apply this to their own Formula vehicle.
Professor Ben Hughes, Head of Department of Engineering at the University, said: “This investment is a real statement of intent from the University, both in terms of its Hull Electric Racing Team and the Mechanical Engineering department as a whole.
“It will provide our students with the very latest technology, used by Formula One teams at the very top of the industry, to hone their skills and test out their work in a simulated environment, before hitting the race track.
Follow Hull Electric Racing Team (HERT) on Facebook and Instagram.
