What is a racing car? It is a vehicle that must cover a set distance in the shortest time possible, and especially before competitors.

In the design of racing cars, it is necessary to understand the physics governing the movement of the car and to exploit technological solutions in order to maximize the objective, which is to achieve the fastest time.

The course aims at basic vehicle modeling objectives: we will understand the physics that allows a car to transfer engine power to the road and thus accelerate as forcefully as possible. We will investigate how a car takes a curve, and the primary role of tires, which are the fundamental contact element between the car and the ground, and how they influence certain parameters of car balance.

In addition to this, we will also understand other fundamental components for racing cars, first and foremost aerodynamics, essential for racing cars. We will try to understand how aerodynamics modifies the car’s behavior and allows us to take curves at higher speeds.

Another fundamental element for the car is the suspension, the element that connects the wheels to the chassis. Thanks to the suspension, the car does not jump on the ground and can follow all its irregularities. Proper suspension design allows improvement not only in comfort but also in cornering performance.

In addition to morning activities, which are more focused on theoretical concepts, afternoon activities are Hands-On activities, where students will be divided into groups of 5 to 7 members per group. Each group will have objectives related to optimizing a car setup for a specific task.

Let’s take a detailed look at the afternoon activities:

• Monday, we will discuss traction: we will focus on longitudinal dynamics;
• Tuesday, we will dedicate it to lateral dynamics;
• Wednesday, there will also be an activity with a mini wind tunnel where it will be possible to shape a car (thus giving it the desired shape) and discover how effective the car’s shape is from an aerodynamic point of view: both in terms of resistance and downforce;
• Thursday, we will optimize the car to make it complete a virtual lap with software typically used by automotive companies for the design of their cars;
• Friday, students will drive on a static simulator, where once again they will choose the car setup.

In addition to Hands-On activities, a visit to our dynamic simulator is also planned.