For the tenth time, Széchenyi István University organised the Formula Student Symposium for Formula Student racing teams with a record number of 300 participants. The event, held from 15 to 17 November, featured development presentations by renowned engineers from the motorsport and automotive industries to young people from many countries.

In the Formula Student racing series, hundreds of student teams from universities around the world work to develop the best possible single-seater racing car. Széchenyi István University is also involved in the championship: the Arrabona Racing Team achieves significant success in the internal combustion category year after year with the help of SZEngine's engine development team.

The Formula Student Symposium, organised for the tenth time by Széchenyi University, fits perfectly into the development cycle of national and foreign teams. The three-day event, which took place from 15 to 17 November, featured presentations from legendary motorsport engineers and renowned automotive industry experts.

Széchenyi István University organised the 10th Formula Student Symposium with a record number of participants (Photo: András Adorján)

At the opening ceremony, Dr Gábor Dogossy, Dean of the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Vehicle Engineering, said that the symposium is an excellent opportunity for teams to gain insight into the mysteries of vehicle development. "The Formula Student Symposium is not only an inspiration, but also an indispensable professional support that will help students to advance in their careers," he said. "Our University and the organising faculty are honoured to have twenty-eight renowned experts from the automotive and motorsport industry sharing their experiences with us. Their presentations will not only enhance the reputation of our institution, but will also contribute to the internationalisation of Hungarian engineering education," he added.

Dr Gábor Dogossy, Dean of the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Vehicle Engineering at Széchenyi István University, also praised the student teams of the institution.

Dr Dániel Feszty, an expert in the Vehicle Development Department at Audi Hungaria Ltd. and Head of the Department of Whole Vehicle Engineering at Széchenyi István University, highlighted the long-standing collaboration between the company and the University. Representing one of the University’s most significant industrial partners, he noted that Audi Hungaria has been supporting student teams in the Formula Student competition series since 2009. Over time, this support has expanded to include the organisation of races and symposia. "The training of future professionals, the monitoring of technical developments and our passion for motorsport all justify this support, of which we have been proud for many years," he underlined. He said that the company's engineers are working on forward-thinking automotive solutions in the fields of engine and vehicle development, which is in line with the ambitions of SZE and the goals of the Formula Student movement.

Dr Dániel Feszty, Head of the Department of Whole Vehicle Engineering at SZE, Audi Hungaria's vehicle development expert, drew a parallel between the principles of the company and the Formula Student racing series.

Dr István Szászi, Representative of the Bosch Group in Hungary and the Adriatic region, said that the company's Budapest headquarters files an average of four patents a week, serving as a true cradle of innovation for the development of engineering fields. "This is what the symposium is all about: the participating companies and Széchenyi University transfer the latest knowledge and technologies in order to create new solutions," he concluded.

Dr István Szászi spoke about the importance of innovation and talent management (Photo: András Adorján)

The event featured presentations from experienced experts such as Chris Lawrence, race engineer for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, Miroslav Zrncevic, test driver for Bugatti Rimac, and Claude Rouelle from Belgium, who regularly gives professional training as a race engineer and vehicle dynamics expert, and also acts as a judge in the most prestigious international Formula Student races.

Among others, Chris Lawrence, the race engineer of the Arrow McLaren Indycar team, gave a presentation at the event (Photo: András Adorján)

David Derka, from the Czechia, is a student of fluid mechanics at the Brno University of Technology, and attended the Formula Student Symposium for the third time, as he considers it an excellent opportunity to meet other student racing teams and representatives of motorsport. "What is unique about this event is that you can even talk to the experts in person after the presentations. You don't get that experience anywhere else," he said.

Nina Drenski, junior engineering manager of the Formula Student racing team at the London South Bank University, is studying mechanical engineering and this is the first time she has attended the Győr symposium. "We're a relatively new team, so we're taking every opportunity to improve. This event has brought a lot of issues to our attention that we hadn't been looking at before. It also helped us to better understand what the judges are focusing on," she said.  She also underlined the value of the presence of the experts. All the presentations and discussions have contributed a lot to our development.

Organizers, invited speakers and guests of the Formula Student Symposium (Photo: András Adorján)