India’s student engineers will soon go head to head to build Formula-style race cars. It’s a new competition called Formula Student India, and it will see teams from engineering colleges across the country drawing on all their know-how to design, develop, build and then competitively test the open-wheel, open-cockpit, single-seat racers. The aim of this competition on a macro level is to promote and grow motorsport engineering in India, but with a view to teach students to make a proper business model and market their creations to potential investors. There’s also a big focus on safety and on achieving an international standard of design and engineering.
Formula Student India is being organised by Delta Inc, along with the alumni of various engineering colleges that have participated in such events internationally in the past. This group, earlier this year, organised Baja Student India – a similar competition, but with off-roading buggies (not to be confused with the similar event organised by SAE India).
To be held from January 14-18, 2015, Formula Student India will be the first event of its kind in the country and will play host to 30 finalist teams from engineering colleges. To enter, your team has to register at the official website, and then participate in an online quiz that’s based on the rule book for the event, which will be conducted on May 25, 2014. Baja Student India will also be back next year, the week prior to Formula Student India (January 7-11, 2015).
Apart from the 30 final teams, two international teams are being invited to give the Indian participants a taste of what these competitions are like overseas. What’s more, the competition will follow global Formula SAE rules, and will be judged by three globally renowned FSAE judges – Claude Rouelle, Pat Clarke and Steve Fox, setting a real international standard for the participants.
The race car that each team builds will first have to pass a technical inspection to make sure they meet the criteria set in the rule book. Thereafter, they will be given a static test, which evaluates the design and engineering of the vehicle, how effectively the (unrestricted) budget has been spent, and how solid the business proposition for the vehicle is for a prospective investor. Finally, there will be dynamic evaluations in the form of an acceleration test, figure-of-eight handling test, lap times in an autocross event, a 22km endurance test and a fuel economy test. The drivers for these dynamic tests aren’t professionals, and must be from the college team itself.
So, if you’re from an engineering college and would like to participate in Formula Student India, hurry over to the official website and register your team.
Unnatee Gidithuri
Dipan Sur
