Twenty years of success and innovation with the Race UP Team from Unipd in Formula SAE
27.06.2025
This year, 2025, the Race UP Team from the University of Padua celebrates twenty years of activity in the field of Formula SAE, an international competition for university students who design and build racing car prototypes. Over these years, the team has produced more than 20 prototypes, evolving from internal combustion vehicles to full electric models and, more recently, to autonomous driving and hybrid powertrains.
In 2023, the team achieved significant successes: the Electric Team won first place as the best Italian team in Formula SAE Italy, and the Combustion Team excelled in the Cost & Manufacturing event at Formula Student Austria, in addition to securing second place in Formula Student Germany for the Electric Team.
This year, 2025, the team has presented two new cars: one with a high-performance hybrid powertrain and one electric with autonomous driving.
Formula SAE is an international competition for university students that involves the design and production of formula-style cars. Organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) since 1981, it sees universities competing in static and dynamic events evaluated by experts from the automotive sector, promoting the interdisciplinary development of students. The cars are assessed in static and dynamic tests, fostering professional development in design, project planning, team building, communication, and project management. Competitions take place at prestigious circuits such as Silverstone, Montmelò, Hockenheimring, Hungaroring, and Autodromo Riccardo Paletti. The team from Padua, composed of around 100 students from various departments, is divided into two divisions (Hybrid and Electric) and simulates a corporate environment, promoting the transmission of knowledge and continuous innovation.
This year, 2025, the Race UP Team from the University of Padua is participating in three international events: with the Hybrid car at the FS Austria and FS Alpe Adria events, and with the Electric car at the Formula Student East and FS Alpe Adria events. The dynamic tests evaluate acceleration, cornering ability, lap speed, reliability, and efficiency, while the static tests examine costs, business plan, and technical design. Unipd supports the project with financial resources and awards participating students an Open Badge, certifying the acquired soft skills.
Since 2005, the University of Padua has actively supported the project by participating with the Race UP Team, which each year innovates and competes in the competitive scenario of Formula SAE, continuing to promote innovation, education, and motorsport culture.
