We are UPB Drive, the Formula Student Team of the University Politehnica of Bucharest (UNSTPB). Comprising passionate and skilled students, we are dedicated to designing and constructing cutting-edge Formula Student racecars. Our team thrives on innovation, pushing boundaries in the world of engineering and motorsport. With a commitment to excellence, UPB Drive competes on the global stage, showcasing our prowess in international Formula Student competitions.
The beginnings
The team was born in 2018 when a group of ambitious students wanted to break the norm and take their knowledge to the next level. The dream all started in a small garage, with few tools but plenty smiles and big dreams. DR01 and 02 were, thus, born, and, oh, boy, were they beautiful! Enthusiasm propping up our metal dreams, we iterated slowly, peice by peice, prototyping using PVC piping then welding and assembling it all together. With bodywork made out of glass fibre woven over cellophane, with plenty of CAD (cardboard-aided design), we managed to build our first attempt at a single-seater, DR02! It was off to the Netherlands for FSN 2019...
FSN 2019
Our first ever Formula Student competition! We were excited to step foot in the TT Assen circuit, walking for the first time in our lives into a pit box... This year, we'd compete in the concept class, presenting our chassis, engine and bodywork to the judges and trying to convince the judges of our dream. In a way, we were just now tasting what this competition entails. The feedback we received was quickly jotted down on whatever we could, invaluable lessons for the team to follow, as we took photos of other teams' cars. You can read more about our FSN story here... And then, in a flash, it quickly ended, bringing us back to our little garage, now more determined than ever...
2020-2021 season
Unfortunately, the 2020-2021 season was significantly impacted by the pandemic, forcing the team to address the challenges of remote collaboration, as student housing and ongoing work at the garage were no longer viable options for ensuring everyone’s safety. The only competition we were able to partake in was FS UK via online connection, from which we obtained valuable feedback that would later contribute to the development of our future car.
As soon as we received the ‘green light’ to return to the garage, it became an ‘all hands on deck’ effort, driven by our determination to build a more reliable and improved car for the upcoming season.
2021-2022 season
As our ultimate goal has always been to build a fully electric car, the brilliant minds of the team used the car from our first Formula Student season and attempted to convert it to electric power. Unsurprisingly, we failed, as we lacked the necessary knowledge in that area at the time. However, mistakes are valuable lessons, and we learned a great deal from the experience.
Building the new DR03 was no easy feat, as we faced welding issues and discrepancies between the CAD design and reality. Fortunately, we had the support of our sponsors, who assisted with manufacturing essential car parts, while the team came together in order to help one another throughout the entire process.
During the Motorfest event by Motorhome, for the first time in UPB Drive’s history, the car was up and running. This boost of confidence carried us to FS Czech Republic, where we received valuable feedback from the scrutineering staff, consisting of experienced engineers in the field. Additionally, the opportunity to network with teams from across Europe was highly beneficial.
In 2022, UPB Drive had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Red Bull Showrun, an event that showcased the team’s hard work and engineering skills. The event was a significant milestone, as it allowed us to demonstrate the car in front of a large audience and gain valuable exposure. We were eager to show what we had accomplished, despite the challenges faced during the season, making the experience memorable for everyone involved.
2022-2023 season
We kicked off the 2023 season with great momentum, strengthening our collaboration with the University Politehnica Bucharest and securing our oldest and most important sponsor to date, Elsa Industry. The future looked bright for the entire team: the aerodynamics team focused on perfecting the molds for composite materials while developing a complete aero package, the electronics team created a more modular wire harness that can be easily taken off, and the chassis team worked on improving the car’s ergonomics. FS Italy, the first competition of the season, was a wake-up call as we arrived with an incomplete car. Despite this, we still managed to pass both the scrutineering and tilt tests. With just two weeks between competitions and much still to be done, we got to work on building the rear wing and fixing the remaining systems and we were off to FS Czech Republic.
We set up the pit to look presentable and professional for the Static Events, while also participating in the Dynamic portion of the competition, including the skidpad and endurance events. We took first place in the Business Plan Event section and we couldn’t have been happier with the result. We also created many memories, from being 'the biggest camp' to one of our team members standing proudly on the rear wing for 'the UPB Drive legacy.'
The season continued strong with the first edition of FS Balkans, where things were looking great both on and off the track. We participated in all event categories and took the opportunity to network with other Formula Student teams from Romania.
2023-2024 season
The 2024 season began with high expectations as it marked our first with a hybrid powertrain, a long-planned transition that provided valuable insights and preparation for a future shift to a fully electric vehicle. Despite challenges, including a critical design mistake regarding Percy and the templates during scrutineering in the Czech Republic, our efforts led to significant advancements in vehicle concept and design, including an ambitious "3-point trailing arm" rear suspension. We participated in numerous events, forging new connections, gaining sponsors, and even hosting EuroNews and Romanian television for an interview about our journey. At FSBalkans, we balanced challenges and fun, strengthening friendships with fellow Romanian teams. Looking ahead, we are motivated and better prepared, with record-breaking interest as 400 new applicants joined during our latest recruitment drive.
What now?
With the 2024 season drawing to the close, we're proud to have managed to acheive new peaks in our performance as a team... DR06 awaits just around the corner, so we guess the question really is... are you ready to meet her?