An Indian Formula Student competition

Humans of Formula Bharat

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humansofformulabharat

“We as a team faced some issues with the managem

“We as a team faced some issues with the management part. However, this time we have better team management regarding the recruitment session because the team was just formed back in 2021. We soon realised that team management is the most important thing for a team because if the management is not there then there’s no point in making a team and competing in competitions. But good team management can lead us to a much higher level of success; it will provide for much higher chances of winning competitions.

Also it is important to explain all the new members of the team that we recruit, like how the team works which was the main point of focus since it was not followed previously as we did not have proper management and a process as such for operating the team.”

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"You must take ownership of this car. If it is suc

"You must take ownership of this car. If it is successful and wins an event, you will be responsible for its success. Failure will be your responsibility as well." These were the words of our seniors while we were preparing for Formula Bharat 2019. I wouldn't say our performance was remarkable. Our technical inspection was challenging, and once we cleared it we couldn't pass the brake test until the final day.

At Veloce Racing, we have a checklist. We test our car for 400 kilometers before shipping it to any event. During a test drive, I saw the car running. In my opinion, we had built a car that could compete on the track. Sadly, we were unable to pass the brake test. I had a hard time digesting it. Later, we realized we had been testing the car incorrectly. Basically, a component failure caused the issue, which wasn't major. When we fixed the issue that landed us in 17th place in FB2019, we pulled up our socks and finished second in FB2020. We incorporated another set of checklists based on our takeaways from previous years. We conduct a quick mechanical inspection before any type of testing and only then proceed."

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“My university had already discontinued the Form

“My university had already discontinued the Formula Student team when I joined because of the previous team's unsatisfactory performance. In 2018, a batchmate and I discussed the possibility of relaunching the team. Considering the team's history, convincing the faculty was a challenging task. However, we assured them that we would give our maximum effort and would leave no stone unturned. Following some deliberation, they agreed. Our team began looking for sponsorship immediately, but we were unable to locate any. As a result, we decided we would work on our car religiously for a year and then participate in the season after that.

For Supra 2019, our car was damaged during transport. Considering we were all freshers in the team, we were unaware of the steps that needed to be taken in order to transport the vehicle safely and efficiently. The suspension system and A-arms were seriously damaged due to a lack of awareness that caused us not to disassemble the car before transport. During the event, we attempted to repair the damaged parts, but the results were not as satisfactory as expected. Following Supra 2019, the entire team worked around the clock to fix the areas that needed fixing ahead of Formula Bharat 2020. Our team tried its best to clear the Technical Inspection at FB2020, but unfortunately, we weren't able to do so. This event was our last hope to continue the team, so some team members were in tears after hearing the news. The team had to be discontinued due to a lack of funds and university support in 2020.”

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“My dad taught me, mechanics, even before I stud

“My dad taught me, mechanics, even before I studied mechanical engineering. We would go to the lake and he would teach me how to fix his motorcycle. In the midst of a lockdown, his teachings enabled me to repair one of our motorcycles that had not worked in five years. The two of us worked together and fixed it all by ourselves, and now we use it for small chores around the house.

The decision to join a Formula Student team was a no-brainer for me since my parents were extremely supportive. It was more critical for them that I had practical engineering knowledge rather than theoretical knowledge. In my opinion, it is also imperative to have a strong academic background. In order to succeed both theoretically and practically, you need to be able to manage your time. My experience as a Formula Student has helped me to become a better engineer today. Consider joining a Formula Student team if you are interested in developing your holistic engineering skills.”

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“During my time on the team, our campus didn't h

“During my time on the team, our campus didn't have a girls' hostel. This made working late nights in the workshop extremely difficult for me. As I had to leave the workshop before it was dark, I missed out on a lot. Overnight, the boys worked on everything discussed during the day. Although I felt left out, I convinced myself that we were all aiming for the same goal.

At first, I was afraid to do a lot of things. The boys used the cutting tool fearlessly on the chassis. With time and lots of learning, I took on tasks that scared me. If I could travel back in time I would want to have more time in the workshop with the others.”

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“As an optional course in 11th standard, I took

“As an optional course in 11th standard, I took computer science. It was evident to me that coding was not my cup of tea. Therefore, I decided to pursue mechanical engineering. I was big on extracurricular activities. During my freshman year, I joined the robotics club and built an Arduino and a line-following robot. Eventually, I realized that this wasn't my area of interest. A seminar being held by my former team introduced me to Formula Student. That was it. The team quickly grew on me and I didn't look back. When you are in the right place, you have this instinct, and that's how I felt throughout my tenure on the FS team.

My university organized a go-kart championship that was managed by our team. My job during the championship was to help teams with rulebook inquiries. The opportunity to experience both sides of the competition was extremely valuable to me. Formula Student helped me put theory into practice. In addition to developing my organizational skills, I also developed my corporate skills through the go-karting championship.”

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(2/2) “On the first day of our induction, the se

(2/2) “On the first day of our induction, the seniors showed us the car which had just returned from Supra SAE and they were giving us a briefing on the same. I remember the Vice Captain at the time, he made us stand in front of the vehicle. There was this very beautiful quote he gave us. He asked the entire group, “So this is the car. Which part do you think is the most required for the car to go the fastest?” All of us began to throw in the answers - Aero? Vehicle Dynamics? Engine Power? He disagreed with us. “The most basic thing that you require to go fast is brakes”, he says. And we were perplexed - “Aren’t the brakes there to stop the car?” To which he responds, “Yes of course the brakes are there to stop the car, but if your driver does not have any confidence in the brakes, it doesn’t matter how fast the car can actually go, because he won’t push it.”

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(1/2) “I don’t think I was serious about my 12

(1/2) “I don’t think I was serious about my 12th at all. In fact, when January rolled around, my parents stopped bugging me about studying. At that time, I realised that they may have lost all hope in me and perhaps that’s why I decided to study for my boards. Surprisingly well though - it all worked out.

Why engineering? My dad is in the Indian Army and I have always been fascinated about artillery. I thought I would do a B.E. in Physics at first since the entire field deals with projectile motion. But then my dad came into my room one day. I mean I was dead set on doing Physics since I really didn’t want to put in too much effort and everyone already made it seem that engineering was a lot of work. He tells me that the Air Force and Navy had shifted their recruitment system that only allowed engineers to apply for flying ranks or the executive ranks. He says, “You know, one day the Army might do that as well.” That definitely triggered a sense of fear in me as it would mess my shot at joining the Indian Army. Well that was one aspect. Another reason was I was always interested in Formula 1 since my friend introduced me to it. I was into the racing part, but I was also very interested in the aerodynamics part of it too. Like how we can manipulate this force of nature so that the vehicle can gain speed on track. Fascinating.”

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“Due to my grades, I was the last person on the

“Due to my grades, I was the last person on the admission list to be rejected by the mechanical engineering department. I thought of applying for Mechatronics as it was closer to what I wanted to pursue. The only two seats left were full, and I was unable to get in. Finally, I decided to pursue computer science. The reason I wanted to take mechanical engineering was because of my passion for motorsports. I have been hooked on Formula 1 since the year 2005 when it was not the talk of the town. Following the sport so closely helped me during my recruitment interview with my former team Road Runner. During the team recruitment interview, my seniors were very surprised as to why a “computer science guy” wanted to join a Formula Student team. Because of the knowledge I had and my assurance that I would keep the team together, I was able to convince them.

A rule change for Supra 2014 brought a tremendous challenge for our team. The restriction on the engine volume was changed to a 630cc engine. Since our previous year's car had a Maruti 800 engine we had to consider importing a Yamaha R6 engine from the US. Our team never really received any sponsorships prior to this crisis, so we needed at least 3 lakhs to import the engine. We began looking for sponsorships and somehow managed to get the engine imported. Once we received the engine, it failed to start. For six months straight we tried every possible thing to start it but nothing helped. We came across a post by Camber Racing where I noticed that the team was using a similar engine to ours but a different ECU. So I reached out to the team on Facebook asking them to give us the original ECU that they received with their engine. Being a first-year team, we didn't know exactly what the problem was. As a last resort, we decided to start the engine with the newly installed ECU one last time. In a moment of relief, our engine finally started after six whole months and I cannot express how relieved I was.”

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It was a simple mistake that we didn’t have a se

It was a simple mistake that we didn’t have a secondary plan while our brakes failed during our participation in Supra 2019 but it cost us a lot. My entire team had a breakdown during the event as we saw other cars running on the track and our car wasn’t one of them. We started working towards our participation at Formula Bharat 2020. Everything on the car worked just fine but we somehow lacked the brake system. So we decided to redesign the entire brake system for FB2020. Our only goal after participation in Supra 2019 was to religiously work on our brakes.

Formula Bharat 2020 was a turning point for our team. We made it to endurance and I had the opportunity to drive during the endurance event. Since it was our first time making it to the endurance our speed was not great but yet it was a milestone for our team as our team never made it to endurance since its inception. Being the only North Indian team at that time we faced a lot of challenges as we lacked the resources that the other teams had. Back at home, we don’t have automobile industries to procure parts and despite all the hurdles we made it. I will always be proud of my team for all the small victories during my time on the team.

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I am a huge Formula One fan and I feel every F1 lo

I am a huge Formula One fan and I feel every F1 lover should experience Formula Bharat as the competition provides an opportunity to experience the thrill. Formula Bharat 2022 was my first ever offline event and I can proudly say that it was worth all the effort. One of the nerve-wracking moments that I can recollect from the event was during the acceleration event. While we were about to complete our first run, suddenly our vehicle's chain broke. As there was some time left for the acceleration event to end we brought the car back to the pits and we somehow managed to fix the chain. But unfortunately, when we reached the track for the second run we were already out of time and the acceleration event had already ended. The adrenaline rush at that moment while fixing the car and being able to get approval from the scrutineers will remain unmatched.

My ultimate dream job is to be able to work as a Formula One Engineer. I am very optimistic that I will be able to do so someday.

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I was an introvert when I joined the university. B

I was an introvert when I joined the university. But when I heard about the FS team recruitment drive that was being held on campus. I gathered all my courage and went for the interview and I was selected to be a part of the team. With the help of our seniors, I was able to take up responsibilities and gain knowledge. During the lockdown, I was appointed as the team manager. I was happy with my role but also upset at the same time. As everything that we scheduled as a team was not going according to plan. We had five months in our hands to get the vehicle ready for FB2022. For two months we were just stuck as we had major financial issues.

We ordered the BMS from the USA but due to our financial issues, it was stuck at customs. As we were a combustion team before shifting to EV we had parts of our previous vehicle that were not being used so we decided to sell them off to raise the funds. The BMS was delivered when there were just three months left for the event. The vehicle was ready 24 hours before the photo submission and it was ready to run just before the video submission. This was a huge achievement for the team as it was our first electric car and despite the delay in procuring the BMS we managed to build our car.

#humansofformulabharat #hofb #formulabharat #formulastudent #formulastudentindia #formulaindia

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