It is a special engineering competition. Students with a passion for motorsport spend two semesters designing, engineering and building a race car in order to compete in various international Formula Student rallies. However, the Grands Prix are not won by the team with the fastest car. The winners are the team presenting the best overall package – starting with the design and development performance, acceleration, endurance and energy efficiency of the race car, going as far as the possible business case, cost structure and manufacturing strategy.

Interdisciplinary teamwork

To perform well on both, tarmac and parquet, it requires interdisciplinary teams from the fields of engineering and economics, design and communication. In principle, the students are organised like a company in their racing teams: there are team leaders, assembly managers and project managers. This experience not only trains the young talents professionally, but also individually. Good communication skills, teamwork and creativity are the qualities that employers today appreciate more than ever.

Tomorrow’s specialists and managers gain work experience

With over 1,000 participating Colleges and Universities, the engineering competition is very popular throughout students internationally. For many of them, Formula Student is better than any internship. Instead of swotting for exams, they work towards major competitions like the one at Silverstone in the UK or at the Hockenheimring in Germany. Whether it’s the construction, organisation or marketing of the vehicle prototypes, the participants acquire a great deal of knowledge that optimally prepares them for their future careers. The racing teams are responsible for their own financing and have to inspire sponsors and partners. Through the competition, the team members often make their first contact with industry, and it is not uncommon for them to find their future employer here. But also for companies the cooperation with Formula Student teams is a win-win situation. Not least, it is a way for them to find future qualified and motivated specialists and managers.

Students are shaping the future of mobility

The engineering competition has its origins in the United States. Launched by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in 1979, Formula Student quickly became one of the most important competitions for young talents in the field of vehicle construction and development worldwide. Numerous regional Grand Prix are emerging around the globe, and throughout the years they have repeatedly led to innovations. The students are keen on experimenting, using advanced materials such as carbon fibre as well as modern manufacturing technology such as 3D printing.

The transition from the combustion engine to the electric motor

Until 2010, the competition in Europe was focused exclusively on classic combustion engines, but since then, Formula Student has increasingly been concentrating on electric driven racing cars. Furthermore, a very own racing class are autonomous vehicles, which have also been an integral part of the competition since 2017. This is how Formula Student addresses topics that have become highly relevant to the current transformation of the automotive industry and its suppliers. After graduating from University, there is a greater demand for young talents in industry than ever. However, recruiting is not the only reason behind Rheinmetall’s sponsorship. From the corporation’s point of view, promoting the young engineers’ enthusiasm for technology and innovative potential is just as important.