Formula Student Germany

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1 Competition in the Automobile-Nation of Germany
2 What is the Formula Student Germany competition?
3 Why students are building racecars
4 How Businesses and Sponsors Benefit from the Competition
5 External links

[edit] Competition in the Automobile-Nation of Germany

Starting in 2006, the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure will be holding the "Formula Student Germany" competition. Students from all over the world will meet every August for three days at Hockenheimring to measure their construction and performance with each other in a Formula One atmosphere and to demonstrate to industry their capability.

By participating, students open themselves up to numerous opportunities for new friends and valuable contacts within their field. The accompanying events along with the open, camping atmosphere encourage participation and togetherness among all present.

[edit] What is the Formula Student Germany competition?

Students build a single seat formula racecar with which they can compete against teams from all over the world. The competition is not won solely by the team with the fastest car, but rather by the team with the best overall package of construction, performance, and financial and sales planning.

Formula Student challenges the team members to go the extra step in their education by incorporating into it intensive experience in building and manufacturing as well as considering the economic aspects of the automotive industry. Teams take on the assumption that they are a manufacturer developing a prototype to be evaluated for production. The target audience is the non-professional Weekend-Racer, for which the racecar must show very good driving characteristics such as acceleration, braking and handling. It should be offered at a very reasonable cost, and be reliable and dependable. Additionally, the car's market value increases through other factors such as aesthetics, comfort and the use of readily available, standard purchase components. The fictitious manufacturer plans to produce 1000 cars each year at a maximum price of 25.000 Dollar.

The challenge to the teams is to compose a complete package consisting of a well constructed racecar and a sales plan that best matches these given criteria. The decision is made by a jury of experts from the motorsport, automotive and supplier industries. The jury will judge every team's car and sales plan based on construction, cost planning and sales presentation. The rest of the judging will be done out on the track, where the students demonstrate in a number of performance tests how their self-built rocket ships do in their true environment.

[edit] Why students are building racecars

Experience with teamwork, time and project management along with construction, manufacturing and the economical aspects of automotive engineering greatly improve the qualifications of young engineers. Formula Student Germany brings the participants out into the open for German automotive companies to see, thereby increasing job placement opportunities. Sponsors of the competition and of the individual teams are able to build valuable contacts with potential employers, and the employers are able to build meaningful impressions of the competitors throughout the events.

[edit] How Businesses and Sponsors Benefit from the Competition

Formula Student Germany offers companies within the motorsports, automotive and supplier industries a clear indication of the quality of the students’ education. Funding, awards and judging activities create opportunities for these companies to build personal contacts with the young engineers involved.