Team Bath Racing — the University of Bath’s Formula Student team — has concluded its best season so far as the UK’s top team and the 15th best in the world (out of more than 600).

The team is comprised of 20 undergraduates who design and build a single-seat racing car, then race it in the Formula Student competition. This year’s team — TBR15 — kicked off its season with an exceptional performance at Silverstone and came fourth overall out of 95 teams in the main Class 1 event (achieving first place in the endurance race, which is the toughest of the individual tests).

It also performed extremely well in the Class 2 event, achieving outright wins in the thee tests — vehicle design, cost and sustainability. This was something that had not been done before.

TBR15 then came fifth overall in the Austrian Formula Student event, and followed that by being the first Bath team to compete at the Formula Student Spain event, where it came sixth overall.

Its world ranking of 15th is based on the cumulative results from the Silverstone and Austrian events but could improve when the rankings are updated to take account of the Spanish event.

Business manager Tom Stevens said: “At the beginning of the year, we had very high expectations for TBR15, and to see those expectations become reality was very satisfying.

“Finishing all three of the endurance events was a fantastic achievement, and I am extremely proud to be a member of Team Bath Racing’s most successful team ever.”

Gary Hawley, dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design, said: “This is a fantastic achievement; all the team and those supporting it are to be congratulated. Coupled with our submarine and drone teams, it demonstrates the creative innovation that our students are capable of, as well as their competitive nature.

“It is no wonder that they are highly prized by industry for placements and graduate careers.”