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Driver Anna Dugard

Engineering students were lapping up the plaudits at the launch of their Formula Student racing car.

There's been no time for a pit stop for any of the five drivers. Driver and Product Design student Anna Dugard (pictured) said: "It's brilliant to be able to reveal the car to our families and sponsors. There's been a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, especially in the last couple of days! "

Also attending the event on 10 June was world land speed record breaker and team patron Richard Noble OBE and Adrian Newey, Technical Director of Red Bull Racing.

The students have been working at full speed since last summer on their 2009 entry. Usually teams enter the non-racing elements of the competition in their first year, but the Sussex 'petrol heads' worked right through the summer to enable them to get a race-ready car by July 2009.

Now the team is looking forward to seeing how their car fares on the track against cars from over 80 universities worldwide at the 2009 Formula Student competition, at Silverstone from Thursday 16-Sunday 19 July.

Anna said: "I just want to get to Silverstone now to show the other teams what Sussex can do!"

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Layzell, said: "What this team has achieved is remarkable. University of Sussex students enter Formula Student annually as part of the four-year Engineering degree but this is by far the best car we've ever had. We're expecting great things at Silverstone!"

Features of Sussex's entry include a Yamaha 600cc four-cylinder injection engine, restricted airflow 20mm, Mobil 1 oil, DTA fast engine management system, electronic paddle shift mechanism - just like a McLaren - and a Mobil 1 branded carbon-fibre shell.

This year's principal sponsor is Exxon Mobil, who have contributed not only funding but unprecedented levels of training and support to the team throughout the build.

Formula Student is run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), with the assistance of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).