Created: 2025.11.26. 10:31
More than 250 students from nine countries attended the eleventh Formula Student Symposium, the most significant professional forum of the Formula Student race-car development series, held at Széchenyi István University. From 14 to 16 November, members of twenty teams from the championship had the opportunity to learn from renowned engineers and distinguished representatives of motorsport and the automotive industry.
In the Formula Student series, student teams from hundreds of universities worldwide work to build the best possible single-seater vehicle. Perfectly fitting into the development cycle of the race calendar, the Formula Student Symposium was organised for the eleventh time recently by Széchenyi University. During the three-day event, world-renowned motorsport engineers and leading automotive specialists delivered lectures to the audience.
At the opening ceremony, Dr Gábor Dogossy, Dean of the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Engineering at Széchenyi István University, emphasised that personal encounters can offer new inspiration to the students present, enabling them to incorporate these insights into the development of their own race cars. “Our University is in a fortunate position, as two of our teams compete in the Formula Student Championship: the SZEngine team, containing forty members, the only engine-development group in the field, will compete with its own design for the first time. Meanwhile the Arrabona Racing Team, containing eighty members, and with numerous international successes behind it, is entering the new season with an electric powertrain,” he explained.
Dr Gábor Dogossy, Dean of the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Engineering at Széchenyi István University, also welcomed the participants of the symposium (Photo: András Adorján)
Barna Tumpek, Head of the Strength and Durability division of vehicle development at Audi Hungaria in Győr, a key supporter of the event, highlighted the outstanding value of the experience students gain through the Formula Student series. “The automotive industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift, and this challenge is much easier to manage when professionals possess in-depth knowledge and excellent collaboration skills. These are the capabilities that the members of the teams present here have at a high level, which is why it is important for us to closely follow their work,” he stated. He emphasized, that in cooperation with Széchenyi University, the company implements several education programmes that also focus on the development of high-quality professionals.
Barna Tumpek, Head of Audi Hungaria’s Strength and Durability division, emphasised the importance of skills required on the labour market (Photo: András Adorján)
The ceremonial opening also provided an opportunity for the organisers to recognise their professional partners who have supported them for many years. The Formula Student Honorary Ambassador Award was granted to Owen Carless, Head of Mechanical Analysis & Reliability at Red Bull Powertrains; Markus Nenzel, Powertrain Group Leader at Nenzel Fahrzeugtechnik/UAS Esslingen; Miroslav Zrnčević, Chief Test and Development Driver at Bugatti Rimac; and Claude Rouelle, vehicle dynamics expert and President of Optimum G.
Recipients of the Formula Student Honorary Ambassador Award at the opening ceremony (from left to right): Owen Carless, Head of Mechanical Analysis & Reliability at Red Bull Powertrains; Markus Nenzel, Powertrain Group Leader at Nenzel Fahrzeugtechnik/UAS Esslingen; Claude Rouelle, vehicle dynamics expert and President of Optimum G; and Miroslav Zrnčević, Chief Test and Development Driver at Bugatti Rimac. Also pictured: János Kun (organiser), Dr Tamás Kolossváry (project supervisor) and Lilla Lugosi (project coordinator) (Photo: András Adorján)
Delivering the opening lecture, Kate Gundlach from the United States, race engineer of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, expressed that she considers the Formula Student Symposium an excellent platform, as students can gain first-hand insights from experienced experts of the profession. She added that the support of Széchenyi University plays a key role in all this, as it enables the community of the racing series to benefit from such an important platform.
Kate Gundlach, race engineer of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, introduced the audience to one of North America’s most popular motorsport series (Photo: András Adorján)
Students Claudia Schneider and Julia Höpoldseder from TU Graz attended the event for the first time. Claudia highlighted that the symposium was particularly important for her, as it serves as a platform not only for learning but also for networking. “As team leader of TU Graz Racing Team, my goal is to acquire as much knowledge as possible through the series, and to develop myself and my skills. My plan is to work in the world of motorsport in the future,” said business management student Claudia Schneider.
“This programme is also a unique opportunity to learn about different segments of motorsport, such as the IndyCar series. The best thing is that the Formula Student environment is not only about vehicle and engineering skills, but it also enhances personal abilities,” added her teammate Julia Höpoldseder, who is studying to become a teacher. She added that although the student racing team is only a hobby for her, she is certain that the competencies she has acquired will be useful later in her career.
Claudia Schneider and Julia Höpoldseder, students of TU Graz, participated in their first Formula Student Symposium (Photo: András Adorján)
Ivan Paleka, who also attended his first symposium, arrived from the University of Zagreb as a member of the FSB Racing Team. “We came here to learn from other teams and from renowned speakers of the industry. By improving our knowledge, we want to build an even better car next year, passing on expertise to future generations so that they can become the best they can be,” he summarised. He emphasised that knowledge transfer is one of their main focuses, as the experiences of previous years form the foundation for development in teams where members constantly change.
Ivan Paleka from the University of Zagreb attended the Győr symposium as a member of the FSB Racing Team (Photo: András Adorján)
GALLERY: (Photos: András Adorján)
