Rhian Griffith

  • Rhian is wearing a headset with a microphone crouched down over a racing car which has a person sat at the steering wheel wearing a helmet
  • Rhian is stood up pointing to a board on a wall with two students stood to the left of her
  • 21 students all dressed in the same black and green shirt are stood behind a racing car parked sideways with two wheels visible at the front

Rhian is a mechanical engineering graduate who now works at the Small Robot Company.

She played an integral role in LJMU's Racing Team throughout her studies, eventually taking on the role of manager in 2015.

The student-led team take on the challenge annually to build their own single-seat racing car for autocross and sprint racing at Silverstone, as part of Formula Student - Europe's leading university motorsport competition. The team placed 11th overall and came 4th out of the UK universities under Rhian's watch, one of the best ever finishes for LJMU.

“The knowledge gained from Formula Student is priceless, the year I spent as team manager was one of the hardest but most rewarding challenges I've ever taken on. It's also not just about gaining engineering and technical skills, the competition allowed us to travel across Europe, meet new people and overcome many personal obstacles. Even now in my career I draw on experience from my time at LJMU Racing Team.”

– Rhian Griffith

The team of talented students from a variety of different degrees and disciplines spend months working on the project, using first-class workshops, simulators and technologies to develop and test the car.

Engineering students help design, build and race the car, but there are also key roles for students from other degree programmes, such as marketing, business and media. It's a fantastic opportunity for students to gain industry experience with many securing jobs well before graduation. Engineering is still a force to be reckoned with at LJMU, 200 years on from its beginnings with the Liverpool Mechanics’ Institute.

During summer 2022, Rhian returned to the School of Engineering's student workshop to meet with the e-racing team, who are now focusing their efforts on electric racing to meet the evolving demands of the automotive industry. Rhian discussed her experiences for a special edition of the 1823 podcast, focused on the ‘Road to Silverstone’.