Thoroughbred racing alongside your studies

Carbon fiber monocoque, single-motor 80 kW electric drive

Formula Student: Passion, technology and sleepless nights

Circles around the eyes, sleepless nights in their parents' suburban garages, stacks of energy drink cans, glowing processors that make any heating unnecessary and a subsequent triumphant grin on the faces of full-time students who actually still have to study for the math exam: This would be the appropriate description for tens of thousands of Formula Student participants around the globe who pursue their passion for technology there. – and on a voluntary basis alongside her studies. Since 2007, the Bonn Rhein Sieg University of Applied Sciences, in Sankt Augustin, has been creating formula racing cars by hand, which have to prove themselves year after year in the international competition, the Formula Student.

Over 650 universities and technical colleges from around the world independently develop and build Formula race cars that must master a series of dynamic and static disciplines. In the static events, a business plan, cost analysis, and technical design must impress a jury to earn as many points as possible. Then it’s off to the track: to prevent these prototypes—developed over months of work—from ending up in a pile of wreckage, only time-based races are held. From acceleration to autocross and endurance races, the self-constructed vehicles must prove their capabilities. It’s not just raw power that counts, but the overall package: lightweight construction, efficient aerodynamics that Formula 1 engineers can only dream of, good drivability, energy efficiency, and above all, reliability determine who ranks among the best. The latter aspect brought the team unexpected success in 2016: second place in Italy, sixth in Germany, and seventh in Austria in the overall standings.

Speaking of self-designed:

Carbon fiber monocoque, single 80 kW electric motor, sophisticated aerodynamics whose simulation regularly sends the university’s electricity bill into orbit, along with a self-designed drivetrain, battery and control system, custom software, telemetry, and suspension kinematics.

In 2007, the team consisted of fewer than ten people, but today 80 people are behind the massive development process and management. That’s roughly equivalent to the manpower of a mid-90s Formula 1 team. Formula Student teams are sponsored by industry and supported in manufacturing. In return, talents from the scene are often recruited. Developments are also carried out at the sponsors’ facilities as internships, bachelor’s or master’s theses.

Passion for technology and racing

BRS Motorsport combines multiple competencies from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, business administration, and technical journalism/public relations. What unites them all, however, is the passion for technology and racing. In 2016, thanks to a refined drivetrain, they completed all endurance races effortlessly, successfully marketed their own design, and collected important points. The ninth place in the world ranking is all the more impressive when comparing the size of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences with Germany’s renowned universities. The most successful electric teams now rely on all-wheel drives, whose development often proves to be very complex and time-consuming before bearing fruit. In 2017, BRS Motorsport also competed for the first time with four in-wheel motors, aiming to establish themselves among Germany’s top 10 in the long term.

The team relies on a sustainable approach to development: Since students come and go, alumni and senior members act as mentors for newcomers, teaching CAD, specialized simulation, and design skills in weekly courses. This ensures seamless transitions between generations without the need for complete restarts and painful learning processes each time.