TSU Formula Student: A Chinese Podium Without a Car

 Unfortunately, transporting a car halfway around the world is very expensive, and in China, registration is also extremely difficult. Therefore, this year the Togliatti team was only able to compete in static disciplines, where drawings and models replace real vehicles. However, students from the Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical Institute participated as part of a joint team alongside the TSU team.

The number of teams participating in Formula Student China has increased significantly: while 48 teams competed last year, this year's competition included over 60. And the competition, according to the TSU delegation members, was very tough. Nevertheless, our team's performance was quite respectable. A podium place and a trophy – we've got it! For the second year in a row, Togliatti Racing Team has demonstrated a respectable level in the Business Plan Presentation discipline.

"It was a very, very good performance in the Business Plan Presentation," notes Alexander Bobrovsky, Director of the TSU Mechanical Engineering Center and Head of the Department of Automobile Design and Operation. "Furthermore, last year's newcomer, Kirill Popov, competed; he had just transferred to his second year. This was his first trip to an international competition – and what a result!".

Overall, we were in the average statistics, missing out on last year's result by only nine and a half points. However, there were far fewer teams last year, and the competition has become more competitive, so the result is roughly the same as last year. So, the team's work at international competitions can be considered successful.

"Competing without a car, only in static driving, the maximum you can score is 300-320 points," explains Alexander Bobrovsky. "That's no more than the top 40 in the overall standings, which is, of course, unfortunate. With a car, we could compete just as well as we did at Russian competitions; we've already competed successfully against very strong Chinese teams. But without a car, we can't participate in dynamic disciplines, which means we're clearly short of the nearly 600 points that are up for grabs in dynamic driving."

So why even bother going at all under these circumstances? Because if the team is to be world-class, its young players need experience competing in international competitions. If we don't bring them there and train them, the Formula Student project at TSU will deteriorate and fade away. Competing, even without a car, is a necessary condition for the team's survival.

"As long as the skills are there, as long as the guys are able to understand how things are done abroad, they'll develop both the car and the digital documentation at an international level," says Alexander Bobrovsky. "As soon as we miss an international competition even once, we won't be able to return at a normal level. Due to the completion of university studies, we'll be forced to lose some very serious, important guys this year. A new team will be coming in who don't know much and don't have the skills. Therefore, the main goal of the trip is to pass on our current level of expertise to the younger generation, in order to preserve the team. Secondly, we're getting to know the designs of other cars in China, looking at their best and strongest features, analyzing them, and perhaps incorporating some of them. If we don't travel and observe, we'll fall behind technological progress, and the students will end up designing uncompetitive mechanisms."

Our Chinese colleagues have provided significant assistance to the Togliatti Racing Team. As is well known, Togliatti State University has a cooperation agreement with the Changzhou Vocational and Technical Institute of Mechatronic Technology. In addition to formal contacts, personal, informal connections are also flourishing. Alexander Bobrovsky's connections at another university, the Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical Institute, greatly facilitated the organization of the TSU students' trip to China. The institute's staff provided a welcome, support, and accommodation for the Togliatti team members—a significant contribution considering that China operates completely differently than we are accustomed to. Russian and European bank cards are not accepted, carsharing and driving are not permitted for foreigners, and numerous administrative complications abound. Furthermore, the language barrier, particularly with regard to the hieroglyphic writing found on all maps, documents, and signs, exacerbates any everyday issue.

"Frankly speaking, they gave us significantly more than we gave them," notes Alexander Bobrovsky. "They nurtured us, helping us overcome all the legal and cultural barriers, and selflessly served as translators. At the same time, in China, participation in Formula Student is considered very prestigious; it's practically a party requirement for universities, and if a university somehow manages to get involved in this project, its national standing rises significantly. Therefore, including students from the Railway Institute on our team for the competition was mutually beneficial."