Southampton graduates help win Formula One World Championship Double
The University of Southampton is proud to see its graduates help power Red Bull Racing to the Formula One Drivers and Constructors World Championships.
Adrian Newey, widely regarded as the best in the business, led the engineering team to victory with a car that was the class of the field in 2010. Graduating in 1980 with a degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics, his undergraduate project was designing a sports car in the wind tunnel still used by today's students on the same course.
He's not the only Southampton alumni in the team, with many more graduates from the undergraduate course, unique Race Car Aerodynamics MSc course, and extensive PhD programme also developing the car. Even current students, on placement with the team, have been contributing while still studying for their degrees.
Vice-Chancellor Don Nutbeam explains, "It is exhilarating to see how our alumni are leading the world in the pinnacle of motorsport. By providing them with a solid academic foundation they are able to excel in their chosen careers and reach the top of their profession."
Red Bull Racing is not unique, almost every team on the grid has alumni helping them try to get pole position. Southampton probably provides more aerodynamicists to Formula One than any other university in the world.
With a world-class wind tunnel complex that helped the British Cycling team and Amy Williams to success in the Beijing and Vancouver Olympics, Southampton is well-placed to educate the high performance engineers of tomorrow.