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Two Newry students are among a team of Southern Regional College engineering students preparing to compete at Silverstone next month, after qualifying for the Concept Class of the Formula Student finals. Guilherme Passos and Fearghal Murphy, both from Newry, are part of the eight strong SRC team set to take part in the competition from 15 to 19 July 2026.
The SRC team has become the first from the Further Education sector to take part in Formula Student, organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The competition challenges students to design, build, test and race a single seat racing car while demonstrating expertise in engineering, project management, finance and business planning. More than 100 teams from over 30 countries are expected to compete at Silverstone, with many participants viewing the competition as a launchpad into careers in motorsport, advanced manufacturing and high performance engineering.
As first time entrants, the SRC team will compete in the Concept Class, where they will be judged on design, materials, manufacturing process, cost rationale and the overall viability of the car. Success at this stage is vital to securing a place on the starting line at the 2027 event.
Alongside Passos and Murphy, the team includes Lewis Deards from Ballygowan, Ross Graham from Banbridge, Richard Livingstone from Armagh, Aleyah Peniero from Banbridge, Rebecca Dickson from Banbridge and Sean Treanor from Monaghan. The students began work on the project in September 2025, spending months designing, building and refining their vehicle plans while balancing studies for their Engineering BEng Degree (Top Up) or Engineering (Mechatronics) Level 5 Foundation Degree, alongside employment and personal commitments. Throughout the process, the team has met a series of technical and administrative milestones required to qualify for the finals, often working late into the evening on tasks.
None of the students enrolled at SRC expecting to join a Formula Student team, with the opportunity instead created during their time at the College. Each student has played a key role in developing the vehicle, with support provided by a number of external sponsors including Exact Group, SMD Methods, TRED, RM Autoparts, Brownlow Radiators, EM & SM Construction Ltd, Blackwater Graphics, RJ Smyth Engineering, Flurry Fabrication, CCL Group and Regen Robotics, along with several sponsors who wished to remain unnamed. The project has been supported throughout by Engineering Lecturer and Course Coordinator Seán MacDiarmada.
Speaking on the team's achievement, Seán MacDiarmada said: "SRC Racing, a team of eight engineering students drawn from the Level 5 Foundation Degree and Level 6 Bachelor of Engineering Higher Level Apprenticeship programmes have set an historic milestone by qualifying for and developing an entry for the UK finals of the Formula Student Concept Class competition. In doing so, the team from Southern Regional College have firmly reserved a place to showcase their engineering talent and prowess alongside a lineup of major universities such as Imperial College and Oxford-Brooks, institutes known for their engineering and motorsport heritage and who have traditionally dominated this, the largest engineering degree programme competition in the world."
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, said qualifying for the competition was a remarkable achievement. "Qualifying for one of the world's most prestigious engineering competitions is a remarkable achievement and reflects the talent, determination and professionalism of our students. As the first team from the Further Education sector to compete in Formula Student, they are breaking new ground and demonstrating that innovation and engineering excellence can thrive at every level of education. Their success demonstrates the strength of the engineering programmes at Southern Regional College and the dedication of our staff in preparing students for high-value careers in advanced manufacturing, motorsport and emerging technologies. We wish the team every success at Silverstone and look forward to seeing them represent both the College and Northern Ireland on an international stage."
