A few days ago, more precisely on June 27th, we had the opportunity to attend the rollout of “Mira”, code name SC25, the last born of the university’s “Squadra Corse” that will participate in the upcoming Formula Student competitions.
The members of the student team have had the chance to show the world the product of one year of hard work, during a presentation that took place in the auditorium and the courtyard of the Turin University. Participating in this event were also various sponsors and academic personalities of the historic university.
Moreover, we had the pleasure of exchanging a few words with Matteo Cambiassi, Ermanno Giuliano and Edoardo Poli, members of the special ‘board’ division and respectively Team Leader, Technical Director and Production Director of this project. They were kind enough to give us a broader and more detailed image and insights on what they did.
Formula Student and the student teams, explained by its protagonists
The project was born in the 80s, in the US. It originated from an idea of the Society of Automotive Engineers and then it arrived in Italy in the early 2000s.
It consists of designing, building and assembling a car, formula style – which means open-wheeled – but as big as a kart.
Participating in a project as complex as this one is a big opportunity for the students who take part in it and Team Leader Cambiassi knows this very well:
One of the main values of Formula Student is surely multiculturalism, meaning that more than 400 universities from all around the world participate and this results in competing against teams from India, America, Australia…
Obviously, the fact of being able to completely develop a car provides the students who participate with a higher level of preparation than the traditional student who follows a normal university path. You take that extra step towards the world of work that allows you to actually apply what you study, and often becomes a further incentive to learn more.
The Politecnico supports us because it recognizes the value of the project and therefore provides us with space, consultancy, funding, and involves us in many cultural activities and events organized by the university itself, which they are very happy to include as a “showcase.
Our university offers a very wide choice, with over 60 teams, so every student can find the one that best suits them. In my opinion, personally speaking, the real added value of a university is the teams, and participating in these experiences is a great asset to one’s academic career.
The Squadra Corse
Founded in 2004 by a group of automotive engineering students, the “Squadra Corse” is one of the university’s most prestigious student teams and one of the most sought-after by students.
It is composed of approximately 85 students from diverse engineering backgrounds and represents the flagship of an ambitious university with a passion for innovation, as evidenced by its numerous technical partnerships—the most notable of which is undoubtedly the one with the Stellantis group.
To join, students must pass a rigorous selection process, which ensures the team’s overall level is extremely high.
In this regard, we quote the Team Leader on the subject:
Our professor”—and the person in charge of the Squadra Corse, Andrea Tonoli, editor’s note—”often uses a metaphor that fits perfectly: joining the Squadra Corse without having the basic knowledge is a bit like trying to run a marathon without having trained: if you enter such a complex, ambitious, and demanding project, you have to be prepared.
These words are echoed by Edoardo Poli, Production Director of the Squadra Corse:
More than anything, you risk receiving a workload that’s too high for your capabilities at that particular moment and not being able to manage it.
Drivers also have to follow a similar recruitment process to technicians, albeit more hands-on:
They move from the simulator to a more technical phase to see if they can provide us with useful feedback for developing the car. They still have to demonstrate that they know what they’re talking about.
Cambiassi continues.
Team organization
The team is made of nine divisions plus a special one called the “board,” composed of the team leader, the technical director, and the production director. The latter is responsible for managing the team.
To better understand the team’s structure and involvement in the project, we spoke directly with the team leader to get a complete picture:
The team covers all aspects of the car from a technical standpoint. For example, the unsprung masses division handles all the unsprung masses and steering, while the chassis division is responsible for structural development and production of the monocoque and everything related to the driver. All aerodynamics and the powertrain are also handled by the people in the dedicated divisions, so the project truly encompasses all stages of design. Furthermore, there are also non-technical but crucial divisions, including management, which prepares two race events and manages relations with sponsors. I personally am responsible for maintaining relations with external entities, overseeing budget management, and the team’s internal organization.
Technical Director Ermanno Giuliano also provided us with a brief overview of his duties:
As Technical Director, I manage on-track activities: I manage planning, car operations, track personnel, safety… I’m what we might call a sporting director in F1. During non-track months, I take care of the technical side of things, then move on to the sporting side during the race months, assisted by the Production Director with logistics.
Besides the Team Leader and the Technical Director, the final member of the “board” division is the Production Director, Edoardo Poli:
Here at Squadra Corse, I manage the entire production chain to ensure the car is producible. I often provide input from outside the technical side that is useful for the physical production of the car: every technique, process, and machine has specific requirements, even if only in terms of geometry, and I have to ensure that everything can be produced without a hitch. I also handle the logistics side, so everything related to space management, warehouses, and material movement to get to the track.
The car
“Mira,” like its predecessors, was entirely designed, developed, and built in-house by the team’s student members with the technological support of numerous partner companies, all in accordance with the Formula Student regulations.
This name comes from Mirafiori, the Turin neighborhood where FIAT historically originated and where the Squadra Corse office is now located: it represents a tribute to its history and roots.
The single-seater features a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, advanced aerodynamics, and four electric motors—one for each wheel, each with its own transmission system—that enable it to unleash 80 kW of power with AWD.
It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of approximately 120 km/h.
The top speed is 120 km/h, not by regulation but by design: the regulations limit power to 80 kW, and we prefer to have a lot of torque, which leads to a relatively low top speed. This choice stems mainly from the layout of the circuits, which are very technical and twisty, so top speed doesn’t matter much. For this reason, we decided to optimize the aerodynamics for medium-low speeds: the car is very loaded, and this gives us an advantage.
explains Technical Director Ermanno Giuliano.
During the event, there was also no shortage of thanks to the sponsors, whose support makes the track activities possible:
It’s really nice to see such great support, even in person. We may not get to see the sponsors during the year, but seeing them here and feeling all their support is really nice.
“We also want to thank the sponsors for their support of the team, because they often actually teach them how to do certain things, so they are a huge resource. Without the companies that help us, we couldn’t do almost anything,”
adds Production Director Poli.
Towards the future
The team is now 100% focused on the near future: the car completed its “track day 0″—a sort of shakedown—over the past few weeks, and competition is now knocking at the door.
This year, Squadra Corse will be racing in Spain, from August 4th to 10th, and in Italy, from September 10th to 14th, and is looking for confirmation after last year’s growth.
The atmosphere is excited, and everyone is eager to do well: all that remains is to see what the track will tell. From us, we wish them the best of luck for this new season.
