A POLPERRO student has become the only female on the UK's top university motor racing team.

Kimberley Buckley, 23, is part of the University of Hertfordshire's Formula Student team, UH Racing, and says hopes her example will encourage other women to take up engineering.

"Formula Student is an inter-university engineering competition where teams have to design and build a single-seat race car to compete at Silverstone and also around the world," she said. "The University of Hertfordshire is currently the top UK team, coming third at Silverstone and seventh in Germany.

"Of course I want to win, but my personal aim is to get a Cornish flag somewhere on the car."

Miss Buckley said the event involved various disciplines to test the cars' endurance, acceleration and cornering, as well as several static events where the cars' designs and business plans were judged.

She is in her fifth and final year at university, studying for a master's degree in automotive engineering with motorsport, but this is her first year on the team, where she will monitor the condition of the wheel bearings.

"This'll be an interesting project, as it's going to involve some new technologies both to me and the team," she said.

Project

"I did work into this area for my individual project last year, but this time it'll be developed on to a racing car which is going to present some new challenges for me."

Miss Buckley said she hoped to show engineering was a career option for students who might not have considered it, particularly girls.

"People are shocked when I tell them what I'm studying and I'm often asked why I wanted to do engineering, but it's something I've wanted to do since school," she said.

"I wanted to be in a profession where I felt I was making a contribution, and in engineering you can physically see what you've achieved.

"It's not easy, but that makes it so much more rewarding," she said.

"I was surprised how many boys on my course didn't expect there to be any girls, but there are two in my year."

This year's team has a strong connection to the South West; team leader Russell Paddon, 27, comes from Plymouth.

"This year I hope we can become the first UK team to win Formula Student outright," said Mr Paddon, who is studying for a BSc in motorsport technology.

"This is the first year I've been fully involved in the team and I'm looking forward to leading it; there's real enthusiasm. Luckily a lot of team members have been involved in Formula Student for a few years, so I can draw on their experience."

To follow the team's progress visit www.uhracing.co.uk