I myself am a graduate of the Technical University of Graz (TUG), but in computer science. As a manager and motorsport fan, I have been proud of what TUG Racing is doing and achieving for many years in Formula Student. A new racing car is built every year. This is used to drive international competitions, including also in USA. TUG is always among the best, often the winner.
In the last year (2020) there were 2 challenges to master, building the first electric racing car and project management in lock-down. At the end of September the time had come, TANKIA Gloria was presented…
Source: TUG Racing, 2020
The picture above is from the presentation at the end of September, a proud lady who demanded a lot of work and organizational skills from the team around Florian Roiser.
At the beginning of March of that year, the main topic was the electric drive. Diligently was designed, developed and tested. On the day of the open garage you could see the development of the electric engine in detail. In parallel teams, intensive work was done on aerodynamics, chassis and all the other parts. They were in good spirits that, like in the years before, it would be a top bolide that may already be at the forefront in its first e-generation.
Just 2 weeks later it was certain, tock-down was there. Nobody knew whether there will be races in the summer/autumn, which usually take place every year at this time, or not. If you want to be there, you have to be creative. The team has completely reorganized itself in order to comply with the government’s guidelines and still be able to continue more or less seamlessly and, above all, to adhere to the schedule and budget.
How did that work? On the one hand, the team was already excellently positioned beforehand, separate sub-teams for the individual areas. Everyone knows exactly what their job is and by when it has to be done. Of course you support each other, but without putting back your own activities. On the other hand, it was the unconditional solidarity in the team and the trust in the project manager. There was one common goal: “We want to build a sensational racing car that delivers an excellent result in the races”.
The races were canceled. But in the test sessions that could be carried out at home, it was clear that a car had been built that, like every year, would certainly have taken on the large number of competitors. The Vienna University of Technology was also within reach, although the team there has a lead of several years in the field of electric drives.
A new team is deployed every year. A few weeks ago Rainer Athenstaedt and Thomas Wilpernig started with the 2021 team. One change is already clear that a separate team has been established for a complex interface in the car, whose only task is to ensure that this central interface works even better than in the years before …
We are all looking forward to TANKIA 2021!