Founded in 2017, Formula Trinity has grown from a small group of students into one of Ireland's leading Formula Student teams. Now in its ninth year, the team includes more than 150 students from disciplines across engineering, computer science, business, film and philosophy.


The team competes in Formula Student UK, Europe's longest-running educational engineering competition, held annually at Silverstone Circuit. Universities from around the world design, build and race single-seater formula-style vehicles while also presenting their work to industry experts in engineering design, manufacturing, business and project management. Formula Trinity competes in both the traditional Formula Student category and the autonomous racing category, FS-AI.


Meet FTX7

Known within the team as "Bruce", FTX7 is Formula Trinity's fourth internal combustion race car, following previous cars Betsie, Bertie and Bella. The new vehicle builds on the team's progress in 2024, when Formula Trinity brought Bella to Silverstone and successfully passed all scrutineering requirements, qualifying to compete on track for the first time in the team's history. Every aspect of FTX7 has been designed, manufactured and tested by students, with members contributing their time alongside degree programmes, part-time work and other commitments. The project gives students practical experience across a wide range of areas including mechanical design, electronics, software development, manufacturing, testing, project management and sponsorship.


Student-led engineering

The Formula Trinity team provides opportunities for students at every stage of their university journey, from first year through to postgraduate level. Members typically join as rookies before developing specialist skills and taking on leadership positions within the team. This year's leadership group includes:

  • Ellen Quigley - Chief Operating Officer (Electronic and Computer Engineering)
  • Ned Maher - Internal Combustion Team Captain (Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering)
  • Jake Casserly - Autonomous Team Captain (Computer Science)
  • Harry Leddy - Internal Combustion Head of Engineering (Electronic and Computer Engineering)
  • Dhruv Ranajit Choudhury - Autonomous Head of Engineering (Computer Science and Business
  • Justin Buhl - Chief Financial Officer (Business, Economics and Social Studies)

Chief Operating Officer of Formula Trinity, Ellen Quigley commented:

"We have been working on Bruce for over a year, and he has been entirely designed, manufactured and tested by students on the team. Formula Trinity is completely extracurricular, so every hour spent on the car is time given voluntarily by students alongside their degrees, jobs and other commitments. It is a huge amount of work, but the practical, hands-on engineering experience, the feeling of seeing everything finally come together, and the friendships built along the way make it more than worth it."

 

Recognition on and off the track

Although Formula Trinity operates on a significantly smaller budget than many competitors, the team has developed a strong record at Formula Student events. At Formula Student UK 2024, the team received the Cost and Manufacturing Award and won the Aston Martin Racing Pride Diversity and Inclusion Award for the second time. The diversity award reflects Formula Trinity's commitment to broadening participation in engineering. More than 40% of the team's members are women, considerably higher than the proportion of women currently represented across the wider STEM workforce.

Chief Operating Officer of Formula Trinity, Ellen Quigley said:

"Formula Trinity is one of the lowest-budget teams at Formula Student, with some teams operating on budgets 10 or even 20 times larger than ours. That means our members are involved in every stage of the process, from design and manufacturing through to testing and problem-solving. The experience students gain is incredibly hands-on, and we're proud that this has been recognised through awards such as the Cost and Manufacturing Award.


We were also honoured to receive the Aston Martin Racing Pride Diversity and Inclusion Award for the second time. That's particularly meaningful for us because it reflects the culture we've worked hard to build. More than 40% of our members are women, and we're committed to making engineering accessible to people from all backgrounds. Through both our team activities and our outreach work with schools, we want to help more young people see themselves pursuing careers in STEM."


Reaching future engineers

Alongside its competition activities, Formula Trinity has developed a growing outreach programme aimed at encouraging young people to explore engineering and technology. Since 2024, team members have delivered workshops to more than 1,000 primary and secondary school students across Dublin, working with schools, Trinity Access Programmes, Dublin City Council and Dublin City Libraries. The workshops give students the opportunity to engage directly with Formula Trinity members, learn about vehicle engineering and autonomous technologies, and explore possible pathways into STEM education and careers.


Supported by industry

As a student-run organisation, Formula Trinity relies on support from industry partners and sponsors. This year's sponsors include OpenAI, Susquehanna, Cadence, Irish Steel, Trinity Association and Trust, Movelocity, Teng Tools, Esmark Finch, Xsens, Ansys, Realis, SolidWorks and EPLAN.


The team also acknowledges the support of the Eddie Jordan Foundation, colleagues across Trinity College Dublin, and Faculty Advisors Professor Gerry Byrne and Dr Dave McAuley.

Chief Operating Officer of Formula Trinity, Ellen Quigley commented:

"We are also very lucky to be supported by incredible people and organisations such as the Eddie Jordan Foundation, as well as colleagues across Trinity, particularly in the School of Engineering and the School of Computer Science and Statistics. We are especially grateful to our Faculty Advisors, Gerry Byrne and Dave McAuley, who support us in every way possible."


Event Details

FTX7 Launch
📅 Thursday 9 July
🕕 6.00pm
📍 Martin Naughton E3 Learning Foundry


Staff, students, alumni and supporters are welcome to attend and meet the team behind Trinity's 2026 Formula Student entry.