The Design and Manufacture of a CFRP Monocoque

The future of student racing in Scotland, inspired by a passion for Formula 1, and the challenge of designing with new materials.

The steel space frame is the chassis of choice for many formula student teams due to it being cheaper to manufacture. What it doesn’t provide, however, is the performance gains that the CFRP monocoque has. By looking at the composite sandwich layups, the rules, and the geometric design and ergonomics, I designed a monocoque chassis that will replace the standard SSF.

Moving from a SSF to the new Monocoque will mean a 43% reduction in weight for the same stiffness benefits, and up to an 8-second per lap advantage in competitions. Considering that the best teams are usually within a few seconds of each other during the competitions, this means a massive leap in performance for Formula Student teams with a CFRP Monocoque.