BYAILEEN MURPHY
When 20-year-old Fiona McCrea, from Drumcrin in Kesh along with her team mates Robbie, James and Findhan, all from Queen's University in Belfast, came across an advert for the Red Bull Soap Box Race at Stormont taking place later this month, they contacted Red Bull.
They wanted to know if they could build a soapbox and speed test it down the famous hill outside Stormont Building. Of course, Red Bull not only obliged but offered the mechanical and aerospace engineering and product design students some tips from the very top – and invited them over to Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes.
Together with their lecturer, Dr Geoffrey Cunningham, the team picked the brains of Red Bull Technology's chief designer, Rob Marshall and Red Bull Racing's team principal, Christian Horner.
Fiona, an ex-Collegiate Grammar, Enniskillen student, is in second year Product Design in Queen's, and, as she put it: 'I would really love to actually practise Product Design when I leave, perhaps starting up my own business after I have gained enough experience'.
"When I heard about this project I was really excited as projects like this don't tend to be available to students in 2nd year studies. I knew this was an opportunity I wouldn't ever get the chance to take part in again. We were warned it would take up a lot of our spare time, though I can't say we really realised how much!
"The last few weeks especially have been hectic. We have found ourselves in over weekends and late into week nights to make headway, and then going home to do some of our own coursework," Fiona explained".
So did their day at the Milton Keynes factory help in their preparations?: "I can definitely say the work we have so far poured into this project paid off when we visited the Red Bull factory. It was so inspiring.
"I haven't really shown much interest in F1 until I got involved in all of this, and I was amazed by the amount of ingenuity that can go into these cars, as well as the number of women who work at Red Bull Racing!
"The tour was fantastic, and we even got a glimpse of next year's proto-type car which was pretty amazing," she concluded.
Dr. Geoffrey Cunningham from the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering described it as, 'a fascinating day, really interesting – for myself and the team'.
"We now have three weeks to prepare before the race at Stormont Castle and put what we've seen into practice. The design is based primarily on aerodynamic considerations. We wanted to minimise the drag, therefore, effectively, we have made the car as small and streamlined as possible, while still being able to accommodate the driver.
"The design,' he went on, "also has many similarities with the pre-supersonic land-speed record cars, so, hopefully it will pick up quite a speed going down the hill at Stormont. Perhaps if we get the chance we may even try and sneak a quick test drive in, providing we get the car finished over the next week or so,".
Red Bull Racing's Sporting Director, Christian Horner was keen to chat to the students about their yet-to-be-christened car,
"It really looks like they have taken up the challenge intelligently and come up with a car which looks like it will be aerodynamically satisfactory', he stated, "It reminds me of the Batmobile. Once they have found a place to put the driver and a windscreen they'll really be going places."
The students also run their own racing team at Queen's and, in the future some of the advice they received from members of the Red Bull Racing team will be used on their cars.
The Red Bull Soap Box Race is on Sunday, May 25 at Stormont.
