Historic success at the Hockenheimring

The Formula Student season of this year has been characterized by its remarkable ups and downs. We embarked on a journey to compete against teams from universities around the world with our self-developed Formula Student racing car on Europe's most renowned race tracks.

After a seven-month journey of development, construction, and manufacturing, we proudly unveiled our fully-electric "eax02" – named Hannah – in May 2023 during the rollout event held in the RWTH Aachen University's Aula. Hannah, the successor to our previous "eax01," is our second vehicle capable of both human-driven and fully autonomous operation.

Unlike the previous season, we enjoyed a crucial advantage this year - significant time between completing the car and the actual events. From May to July, we rigorously tested Hannah, fine-tuning our new mechanical and electrical systems to be well-prepared for the event season. This year, we had three major events on our agenda: the Formula Student Austria (FSA), the Formula Student East (FS East) in Hungary, and the Formula Student Germany (FSG).

Our first stop was the FSA at Spielberg. At the Red Bull Ring, we made a significant statement by showcasing our car's exceptional speed. Among 34 competing teams, we secured 1st place in the Acceleration event. Additionally, we celebrated 2nd place finishes in the Skidpad and Autocross events. These achievements were the initial rewards for our hard work, not only during this season but also in previous years when the foundation for our success was laid.

In the static disciplines, we also secured 3rd place in the Business Plan event. Overall, our performance was commendable; however, the ultimate challenge, the Endurance event, remained uncompleted. Technical issues forced us to withdraw after completing 13 of the 16 laps, preventing us from earning crucial points, resulting in an overall 7th place finish at FSA.

The FS East event at Hungaroring was disappointing for us. We intended to compete in the Driverless Cup, but our Lidar sensor for track recognition failed during the event. Even a replacement sensor, provided by IKA and hastily transported from Aachen to Budapest by one of our team members, could not rectify the situation. As a consequence, we were unable to complete the EBS-Brake Test and participate in the dynamic events. This setback was a hard blow to our entire team, especially our Driverless group, who had invested significant time and effort to demonstrate the functionality of their software on the test track.

Nevertheless, we concluded the event on a positive note by securing 1st place in the Cost Report and Business Plan events, along with a 2nd place finish in the Engineering Design Event, thus claiming 1st place in the static disciplines.

Following FS East, we had one week to prepare for the most significant event – the FSG – and equip Hannah with a new Lidar sensor for autonomous driving. The preparations in Aachen on the test track were highly successful.

The FSG event could not have started better. We were the first team to successfully complete all scrutineering requirements, granting us priority access to the test tracks at Hockenheimring. However, we encountered further issues with our Driverless hardware components. Consequently, we were unable to earn points in the Driverless disciplines and initially fell behind.

Nonetheless, with human drivers, we achieved 2nd place in the Acceleration event and an astounding 1st place in the Autocross event, with our fastest lap being four seconds quicker than the closest competitor. Additionally, we secured 2nd place in the Business Plan event. On the final day, the Endurance event took place. By that point, we were in 6th place overall, but our drivers consistently set new lap records, and the technical issues from FSA were resolved. Thus, after 22 kilometers, we had established a 100-second lead over the second-fastest team.

With this remarkable performance, we emerged as the champions of the Electric Class at FSG, surpassing more than 70 competing teams. This achievement marked a historic milestone in the history of Ecurie Aix, an indescribable feeling that we carry with us into the next season.

In conclusion, we extend our sincere gratitude to all our partners and supporters who accompanied us throughout the past season. Your support, whether through knowledge sharing, exchanging experiences, manufacturing partnerships, or sponsorship, was invaluable to us and made it possible for us to bring the FSG Overall Championship trophy to Aachen for the first time in Ecurie Aix's history.

Our team is already in the preparations for the upcoming season, and we eagerly anticipate facing the challenges and successes ahead with all those who wish to join us on this exciting journey. The milestones achieved this year reaffirm that with dedication and passion, we can accomplish great things.

Thank you for your tireless support, and we look forward to the thrilling adventure that lies ahead.

Our  Results of the Events 2023 – an overview

Formula Student Austria - Spielberg, Österreich - EV Klasse

22.07. - 27.07.2023

Formula Student East - Budapest, Ungarn - DV Class

01.08. - 06.08.2023

Formula Student Germany - Hockenheim, Deutschland - EV class incl. DV

14.08. - 20.08.2023

Driverless Cup bei der Formula Student Germany  

Image 4: @FSG - Lodholz