Formula Student 2016: University of Stuttgart wins with petrol racer

The University of Stuttgart has won this year’s Formula Student event at Silverstone with a combustion-engined single-seater.

The engineering competition has been dominated by electric racers in recent years, but Stuttgart’s 2016 result proves that petrol power is still a viable option for the win at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers annual event.

Stuttgart’s team Rennteam Stuttgart impressed in the endurance challenge and dynamic events. The team beat fellow German institution Karlsruhe University and Austria’s TU Graz to the top step of the podium.

Britain's top-ranking university, Bath, took fourth position, while 2015 champion Delft University finished 17th with its electric racer.

Teams from India ranked halfway in the list. They include Delhi Technological University (53), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (67) and Aligarh Muslim University (92).

“It’s great to see an internal combustion car win again,” said Andrew Deakin, chairman of Formula Student. “It brings to a close what has been an excellent event with the highest number of cars completing scrutineering and getting through all the dynamic events.”

Joscha Haupt, team leader of the University of Stuttgart squad, said: “It’s very tough to compete against all the strong electric teams but we enjoy the challenge of competing with a combustion engine.

“The team changes every year and the car was fantastic. We want to make sure that we continue to improve so we can come back even stronger next year.”

Previous high-ranking Formula Student engineers have landed jobs in Formula 1 and with global manufacturers, emphasising the significance of the event.

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