Behind every champion team there is always an equally good leader, or so the saying goes. So who exactly is behind The University of Auckland's successful Formula SAE team that built, designed and raced a formula style car?
Meet Chris Paykel, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student from The University of
Auckland. Chris, Team Leader of the Formula SAE Team that took on some of the world's top engineering universities in Melbourne, was the glue that pulled the whole project together.
``My role was to oversee the project as a whole, making sure that all things that needed to happen happened,'' says Chris.
This meant that Chris had a hand in every part of the project, from car design to pitching the team and competition concept to prospective sponsors.
``But by no means was this project and success a one-man effort,'' Chris emphasises.
``Our success can be put down to the team. The result we achieved is reflected in the whole team's effort.
``What we have managed to produce in nine months, takes most teams two years.''
Nearing the end of the project, the majority of team members were spending around 140 hours a week on it.
That's not much time left for sleep but all the sacrifices are well worth it.
Competing against 30 teams from around the world, finishing sixth and being awarded the best endeavour award for rookie of the year was an amazing feat for the first-year team.
"We went into the competition with twin goals - making the top ten and claiming the rookie of the year. We managed to do both, and in style!"
For Chris, the whole project has been an amazing experience.
``Back at the start of 2004 the project was a pipe dream,'' he says.
Together with a couple of friends, Chris did a lot of ground work in order to convince the University's Faculty of Engineering that the project was feasible.
``It's not really your run-of-the-mill academic project, but the dean of Engineering could see the value in it for students and got right behind us.
``And once we had his approval, we hit the ground running because we had only nine months to produce a car,'' says the Remuera resident.
A true leader, Chris defines his greatest achievement of the project as getting 40 people to work together towards a common goal to produce something of such a high calibre.
Chris was steered in the direction of engineering after looking for tangible applications for maths and physics, the two subjects which he really enjoyed at school.
``I've always enjoyed the challenge of designing something and then trying to transform the design into an actual working object,'' he says.
``The engineering degree is really good. It offers a broad range of subjects so that students can get a taste of everything before they choose their major.
``You are also able to start tailoring the degree towards the areas that you enjoy which makes studying a lot more interesting.
In the future, Chris plans to stay involved with the team for this year's Formula SAE competition at some capacity to ensure that the handover of responsibility is a smooth transition.
The project has opened a number of doors for Chris and the team with job offers already flooding in after their success which has been well noted within the industry.
Chris intends to finish up his last couple of papers then look at getting a job within the industry.
Chris Paykel and racing commentator and Formula One expert Bob McMurray with the Formula SAE car that his team designed and built
Behind every champion team there is always an equally good leader, or so the saying goes. So who exactly is behind The University of Auckland's successful Formula SAE team that built, designed and raced a formula style car?
Meet Chris Paykel, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student from The University of
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