COIIM backs UCLM Formula Student as a technical breeding ground

Published on May 25, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

The College of Industrial Engineers of Ciudad Real has shown its support for the new Formula Student prototype developed by the University of Castilla-La Mancha. This project, created by students, involves the design and construction of a competition vehicle that will be evaluated in international tests. The initiative seeks to link young talent with innovation in applied engineering.

engineering students in white lab coats and safety glasses adjusting a metallic open-wheel Formula Student race car inside a bright university workshop, one student holds a digital multimeter probing the battery management system while another tightens a suspension pushrod with a torque wrench, laptop on a rolling cart displaying a 3D CAD model of the chassis with FEA stress contours, carbon fiber monocoque, exposed wiring harness, red anodized brake calipers, welding torch resting on a nearby bench, motion blur of a hand rotating a wheel hub, dust particles in sunlight beams, photorealistic technical illustration, cinematic depth of field, industrial fluorescent lighting, hyper-detailed mechanical components

Chassis, electronics and aerodynamics in a rolling laboratory 🏎️

The prototype integrates a carbon fiber monocoque, a battery management system, and a push-rod suspension. The students have worked on telemetry and traction control to optimize track performance. Each component is designed and tested from scratch, applying concepts of vehicle dynamics and finite element simulation. The result is a car that competes with those from other universities in efficiency and speed.

The UCLM's Formula 1, without an FIA budget ☕

While in F1 they spend millions on titanium wings, here students glue parts with resin in a borrowed workshop and pray the starter motor doesn't burn out. The car runs, but sometimes the pizza delivery goes faster. That said, the budget is so tight that the biggest expense isn't the engine, but the coffee to keep the engineers awake.