Formula Student Austria (FSA) is the Austrian event of the Formula Student racing series and has been held every year since 2009. This racing series enables young, dedicated students from universities and universities of applied sciences from all over the world to demonstrate their knowledge, design and development skills as well as their organizational and commercial talents in several different disciplines.
Formula Student Austria takes place annually at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. In 2025, 58 international teams from almost 20 different nations and more than 1,600 students will be taking part. Different disciplines challenge the students on several levels. In addition to the obligatory technical scrutineering, the five dynamic disciplines are all about the speed and reliability of the racing cars they have designed and built themselves. The three static disciplines include the engineering design and thus the evaluation of the construction of the respective vehicle by international jurors. In addition, the business plan and marketing strategy are evaluated, as is the cost breakdown.
Technological openness for the future
As Formula Student is traditionally divided into two classes, one with a combustion engine (CV – combustion vehicle) and one with an electric motor (EV – electric vehicle), Formula Student Austria now also gives students the opportunity to develop and build hydrogen vehicles. The organizer is concerned with technological openness. In order to enable the participation of vehicles with H2 drive systems at the 2025 event, Formula Student Austria started to look into the topic almost three years ago.
Maximilian Jauk, Head of Design at Formula Student Austria, reports: "Our motivation is that we want to offer future engineers the opportunity to deal with the topic of hydrogen outside of their studies. This topic is becoming increasingly important for employers from various industries. We are aware that alumni of Formula Student teams do not only apply for jobs in the automotive industry, but that hydrogen expertise is also of interest to employers in the fields of commercial vehicles, energy infrastructure and hydrogen production."
Hydrogen Concept Challenge
Since 2023, there has been a Hydrogen Concept Challenge in cooperation with two other Formula Student events, FS Alpe Adria (Croatia) and FS East (Hungary). The Hydrogen Concept Challenge is an ideas competition in which students present their concepts for Formula Student vehicles with a fuel cell or combustion engine to experts from the industry and judges from FSA. The teams engage in the topic of hydrogen for the first time and think about future concepts. Teams from Vienna, Deggendorf and Stuttgart have already taken part in Formula Student Austria 2023.
Fig. 2: Everything in youthful hands
In 2024, the Formula Student events in Portugal and France as well as Formula Future in Germany were also won over to the topic of hydrogen. Together with these events, the Hydrogen Concept Challenge has now been revised to create an even closer link to the actual construction of hydrogen vehicles. The teams were asked to think about the arrangement of the components in order to define installation space for the additional components required, such as the tank or fuel cell.
Furthermore, an analysis was required to examine the effects of the new drivetrain and the additional weight of the heavy high-pressure tanks on lap times compared to conventional Formula Student vehicles. In addition, the tank system and the cooling system were to be analyzed and the tank, battery and fuel cell were to be dimensioned. Finally, the costs should also be taken into account.
This year, the team from FH Campus Wien presented their concept for converting a conventional combustion engine to run on hydrogen and for integrating the H2 components into a Formula Student vehicle. Teams from the University of Vienna and the University of Karlsruhe presented concepts with fuel cells. German, Swiss and Dutch teams presented themselves at other events.
Support from the business world
The INNIO Group, a globally active company headquartered in Tyrol, was the first partner on the topic of hydrogen, without whose support the Hydrogen Concept Challenge at FSA would not be possible. As a leading provider of energy solutions and related services and a pioneer in green technologies, the INNIO Group supports its customers in moving towards net zero. The company has more than 50 years of experience in the conversion of renewable energy sources and already offers engines with a "ready for H2" option.
Targets for 2025
After two successful years with the Hydrogen Concept Challenge, the first version of the Hydrogen Rules for 2025 was published in July 2024. With the help of feedback from industry, H2 experts and interested teams, the set of rules defines the boundary conditions that teams must adhere to in order to ensure safety and fairness.
The vehicles may have a maximum of 2 kg of hydrogen on board. The hydrogen is stored at a pressure of up to 350 bar in tanks certified in accordance with the standards. To ensure safety, sensors must be implemented that switch off the vehicle and in particular the hydrogen supply in the event of a malfunction.
"We are currently considering whether we can offer standard tanks in collaboration with a company in order to reduce costs for the teams, make procurement easier, increase safety and give us more options for refueling. For example, a swap system might be conceivable, similar to that used in gas barbecues. According to the regulations, the tanks should be removable within 15 minutes so that refueling outside the vehicle is possible and the teams can work on the vehicles with the tank removed. This ensures that there are no significant amounts of hydrogen in the car when it is in buildings, such as the pit lane of the Red Bull Ring or the workshop at the university," says Paul Mayr-Harting, founder of the engineering firm HoKiTech and the main person responsible for the technical approval of the racing cars at Formula Student Austria.
To facilitate the switch to hydrogen, the Formula Student teams are allowed to convert existing combustion or electric vehicles. The focus should be on the commissioning and implementation of a hydrogen-based powertrain. This means that neither a new monocoque nor a new frame needs to be manufactured. The existing chassis and wing package can also continue to be used.
In order to compensate for the weight disadvantage of fuel cell vehicles compared to conventional electric vehicles in Formula Student, the teams are allowed to drive with 100 kW instead of 85 kW system power. The teams have a free hand in the selection and dimensioning of the fuel cell and the design of the battery, although at least half of the energy must be provided by the fuel cell in the 22-kilometer endurance race.
The hydrogen-powered combustion vehicles can be equipped with four-stroke engines with a displacement of up to 1.6 liters. Most teams will probably use motorcycle engines and convert them to run on hydrogen. The amount of air drawn in and the amount of hydrogen injected are not regulated. "It is becoming increasingly difficult for existing combustion engine teams to attract partner companies. By switching from fossil fuels to hydrogen, we are also opening up new opportunities for the teams to find long-term sponsors. They are also looking at alternative drive systems and reducing the CO2 footprint for a green future," explains Christoph Hirt, Event Manager of Formula Student Austria.
Cooperation and networking
For many students, Formula Student is an important part of their studies. The theory they have learned is put into practice, while at the same time teamwork and self-organization are required. International contacts with like-minded people and potential employers can be made at the competitions. At Formula Student Austria, volunteer alumni from student racing teams take care of the professional organization and implementation. If you and your company would like to become part of Formula Student Austria, we look forward to talking to you. You can find our contact details in the box.
The next opportunity to take part in Formula Student Austria will be from July 20 to 24, 2025 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
Authors: Romana Močnik, Steffen Schmitt, both Formula Student Austria, Graz
