Formula Student Austria, the first race of the 2024 season – held from July 21 to 25 at the RedBull Ring circuit in Spielberg – ends with a 13th place for Athena, car number E88 of UniBo Motorsport.
The prototype managed to pass all the technical inspections, both mechanical and on the battery pack, on the second day, as well as the safety tests of the four drivers. All other electronic technical inspections were completed on the third day. Following these inspections, the prototype underwent the Tilt, Rain, and Brake tests, all successfully passed. These tests aim to verify, respectively, that the vehicle does not leak fluids, that its electronic components are correctly insulated from water, and that in an emergency it can brake by locking all four wheels simultaneously.
On the same day, July 23, the team participated in the static events: Cost Event, Engineering Design Event, and Business Plan Presentation. The first two tests aim to show the judges all the work behind the creation of the prototype; specifically, the first illustrates a summary of the components used to build the vehicle, explaining the make or buy choices, while the second presents the design choices applied, mainly evaluating creativity and execution. The Business Plan, on the other hand, consists of presenting an innovative business idea that has a correlation with the Formula Student project. The Bolognese team devised a mobile application to help logistics companies optimize transport and consumption, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and safety. This idea was particularly appreciated by the judges, earning a remarkable second place among the 38 electric teams participating.
On the fourth day, the Acceleration and Skidpad tests were tackled, with the Bolognese racing team ranking respectively eighteenth and thirteenth. On the same day, Athena also took part in the Autocross. However, during the second lap of this test, a right front wheel insert detached, breaking the frame. Consequently, the car had to withdraw, and the team had to find a quick solution that was approved by the judges to return to the track safely. After a night of continuous work, the team managed to repair the damage to take part in the final test the next day.
On the morning of July 25, the judges approved the solutions made and authorized the vehicle to participate in the Endurance test, which involves completing 17 laps of the circuit, totaling 22 km. The hard work of the previous night paid off, bringing many satisfactions to the team members: in fact, Athena managed to complete the most stressful test in terms of reliability and endurance, also passing the post-inspections. It thus ranked eighth in the Endurance test and sixth in the Efficiency test.
UniBo Motorsport can be fully satisfied with the results achieved in the most prestigious competition of the Formula Student, but above all with the teamwork demonstrated in moments of greatest adversity, which will allow its members to arrive at the Formula Student Spain event from August 1 to 7 with more determination and preparation for the unforeseen events that are part of motorsport.
