The team had planned to take their electric racer to Croatia last summer, but that plan also fell apart: “Two days before the race, the charger for the car caught fire in our workshop”, says Schumacher. “Luckily, no one was injured.” The fire also heated up the battery. As there was a risk of the battery cells spontaneously igniting, it subsequently had to be stored in a safety cabinet for 72 hours for safety reasons. That meant the car was unable to compete in Croatia, but the Zurich UAS Racing team still took part in the event, collecting points in the off-track disciplines of cost analysis, engineering design and business planning. The trip also gave the team a chance to collect plenty of valuable experience that they were later able to use for the design and build of the new car.

At the end of December, the students finally got the chance to put their car through its paces at Dübendorf airfield. As Schumacher explains: “For 2022, the car needs to be able to drive itself and have an electric drive system.” That is one reason why only a some of the parts can be carried over from the old car to the new one. The car had to be be completed by late April, or early May at the absolute latest. However, since success in Formula Student depends on sticking to your business plan as well as being quick on the track, the team have to keep a careful eye on their spending and find suitable sponsors to fund their efforts. On top of that, they are also expected to plan marketing campaigns, which requires excellent teamwork from a big team. “We have nine people just in the Operations Team”, explains Nyfeler.

The team are in good spirits ahead of their 2022 campaign: “It’s true that delivery times are still very long, but at the moment we are in really good shape,” Schumacher says. “We are very happy with the way testing has gone.” The team are aiming to attend three to four races in 2022. “We will definitely be at the Swiss round of Formula Student, which will be held at Dübendorf from 13 to 17 July”, says Schumacher. The team have also qualified for the German round of the series, which is considered the most difficult race to qualify for and will be held from 15 to 21 August. They secured their spot on the grid via a competition known as “Quizday”, where teams are tested on their knowledge of the series’ rules and regulations and asked to solve various mathematical problems. The field for the races in Spain and Croatia will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis, so registering early will be key. The team also plans to use this year to invest more time in the components it has already started to develop for future racing cars.