History

Formula SAE is a student design competition which involves the departments of engineering of the Universities worldwide organized by SAE International (previously known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE). The competition has been launched in 1980 by the SAE student branch at the University of Texas (Austin).

The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules given by SAE itself.

Each team project is judged in several events divided in static events (design, business and cost) and in dynamic events (acceleration, skid pad, autocross and endurance).

Today, the competition has reached Europe, Australia and Asia with a number of spinoff events. Some of these events are not directly linked to SAE standards but are similar and are called Formula Student.

 

Formula SAE Italy

Formula SAE is a student design competition which involves the departments of engineering of the Universities worldwide organized by SAE International (previously known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE). It arrived in Europe in the early 2000s, based on the American model which made its debut with the first edition in 1981.

Italy saw its first edition in 2005, organized by ATA (Associazione Tecnica dell’Autoveicolo) which took place in the FIAT Auto Circuit in Balocco (VC); during the years have been made few location changes, first it has been used the circuit Ferrari Fiorano in Maranello (BO) and then the circuit Riccardo Paletti di Varano ‘de Melegari (PR) which is the current location for the event.

During the competition, teams deal with few challenges divided in two big categories:

STATIC EVENTS:

            •          Design Event: presentation of the complete project of the car.

            •          Business Event: simulation of the presentation of their project by each team in front of potential investors.

            •          Cost Event: analysis of the cost report drafted by each team where are included quantities of materials and components used.

Teams are judged by experts at international level for each category divided in panels.

DYNAMIC  EVENTS:

            •          Acceleration, Skid Pad, Autocross and Endurance.

Endurance is the final event (22 km with a driver change) and it aims to value the whole racing performance of each car.

After 12 editions, in 2017, the organization of the Formula SAE Italy & Formula Electric Italy passed from ATA to ANFIA (Italian Association of the Automotive Industry) which organized for the first time the 13th edition.

The goal of ANFIA for the next years is to increase its numbers but also make grow the level of participants and of the quality of the organization.

 

Formula EI

Formula Electric and Hybrid Italy saw its first edition in 2005 initiated by ATA (Associazione Tecnica dell’Autoveicolo) as Formula TECH, with the goal to promote innovation developed in academic institutions across the world and applied to sustainable ecological mobility.

It wanted also to encourage students and graduate engineers to participate with new ideas and innovative solutions to reduce the environmental impact and improve the energy efficiency of various types of vehicles supplied by different energy sources.

Since 2011 Formula Electric and Hybrid Italy has turned into Formula Electric Italy.

 

Formula Driverless

In 2017, Formula Student Germany introduced a new class of the competition dedicated to Driverless, that is to say to autonomous vehicles.

Starting from 2018, Formula SAE Italy & Formula Electric Italy along with Formula Student UK and Formula East have decided to follow the German event introducing a Driverless competition too.

In the first two editions 2018- 2019 of Formula Driverless, the teams participated in 3 dynamic events:

            •          Acceleration

            •          Skidpad

            •          Trackdrive

Starting from 2020, the Autocross event was also scheduled in the Driverless dynamics.

Regolamento e Modulistica