Formula SAE is one of the most advanced engineering competitions in the world, bringing together over 600 university teams to design, build, and race their own cars. Joining Western Formula Racing gives you unparalleled hands-on experience and the opportunity to be part of a team that consistently performs at a global level.
Frequently asked questions
Western Formula Racing
Straight answers about joining, the team and the car, sponsorship and donations, merch and orders, and how to reach us.
Joining the team
Recruitment is open. Get in touch through the contact form on the Join Us page, or email fsae.uwo@gmail.com.
No. Most people arrive knowing nothing about race cars. The team teaches from scratch. That is most of what the team is for.
No. The roster includes business, law and science students. A car needs a budget, a sponsorship deck and a media plan as much as it needs a wire harness.
It varies by system and by point in the season: heaviest through manufacturing and the run-up to competition, lighter during exams. Ask a lead for the honest number for their system before you commit.
Recruitment runs in September. Design happens through the autumn, manufacturing over the winter, and competition in the spring.
Mondays at 6:30 PM and Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.
Open to everyone, these meetings provide valuable insights into each subsystem's work and helps to keep the team moving forward as one.
From advanced composites, vehicle dynamics, and mechanical theory, to battery design, simulation, board design, and programming, the learning opportunities in the Formula SAE environment are limitless.
Many fourth-year students even base their thesis research on different parts of the car, like the suspension, chassis, and manufacturing. In addition to learning technical skills, students also improve their leadership, teamwork, and communication abilities.
The team and the car
Western Formula Racing is a student-led engineering team at Western University in London, Ontario. Every year we design, build and race a new Formula SAE car.
Read more on the Who We Are page.
Western Formula Racing formed in 1975 and first raced in 1988.
Read more on the History page.
Composed of various faculties across Western University, students from engineering, business, law, and science come together to design, build, and race a unique vehicle every year.
Read more on the Meet the Team page.
Thirteen subsystems. One car. A Formula SAE car is not a set of parts bolted together: every decision in one subsystem shows up as a constraint in the others.
Read more on the Subsystems page.
The foundation of the project begins with conceptualizing and engineering a high-performance vehicle. The team designs the car in CAD software such as SOLIDWORKS and tests those designs in simulation software such as Ansys, creating innovative solutions that balance speed, reliability, and efficiency.
Following the design phase, members bring their ideas to life by fabricating and assembling the vehicle in-house. This stage combines technical expertise with hands-on experience, emphasizing teamwork, precision, and adaptability.
With competition experience spanning Canada, the United States, and beyond, WFR continues to challenge the global stage with innovative concepts and a competitive spirit.
Fourth place in the Electric Vehicle class at Formula Hybrid + Electric 2026.
Read more on the History page.
Sharing our technology with the world. From hardware to software, explore the tools that power our vehicles. Built on open-source foundations, and shared openly to give back.
Read more on the Open Source page.
Our alumni have gone on to excel at prestigious companies worldwide, tackling complex engineering challenges. They carry forward the expertise, dedication, and professionalism honed during their time with WFR.
Read more on the Alumni page.
Sponsorship and donations
Western Formula Racing relies on over 50 corporate partnerships and private financial donations to design, build, and race a new FSAE competitor annually. Without this support we would not be able to consistently develop exceptional young professionals and prepare them for careers in a wide range of fields.
If you are a corporation looking to develop a working relationship with WFR, our 2026–2027 Sponsorship Package is now available. Email sponsorship@westernformularacing.org.
Read more on the Sponsors page.
If you are a private party and would like to support our initiative you can donate through our secure Western University donation portal. All financial donations automatically receive a tax receipt.
Sponsorship is a business expense, not a charitable gift: because sponsors receive promotional benefits, Western issues a business receipt rather than a charitable tax receipt. If you would prefer to give without recognition, a donation through Western's portal does receive an official tax receipt.
Email donationrevenue@uwo.ca to arrange a call. Do not email credit card information.
Merch and orders
Merch runs as two pre-order windows a year. Follow @westernformularacing (opens in a new tab) for the opening date.
Read more on the Merch page.
Every purchase directly funds our engineering innovation, manufacturing, and race operations.
Apparel is pre-order only: garments are ordered to the exact count sold, so sizes cannot be changed once a window closes.
Garments are ordered once the window closes, so there is a wait. We email you when it lands.
Free campus pickup at 55 Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, Western University.
Email fsae.uwo@gmail.com.
Contact
Email fsae.uwo@gmail.com or use the contact form on the Join Us page.
For a first-time sponsorship, email sponsorship@westernformularacing.org. For general inquiries, email fsae.uwo@gmail.com.
At Western University in London, Ontario. The team's address is on the Join Us page.
Fifty-one years of members and no register. Two minutes of your time fixes a gap the team cannot fix without you.
Email the team at fsae.uwo@gmail.com.
