Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team recently traveled to Melbourne, Australia to participate in the 4-day FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) Formula Racing League. In addition to completing all static inspections and qualifying for the endurance race, the team was awarded the Harry Watson Best Contribution Award. This achievement makes them the only Asian team to receive an award in this competition. As the first Formula Student team to participate in the Australian race and pass all electrical inspections, Taiwan Tech demonstrated the students' strong engineering and electrical capabilities, along with an unwavering spirit.

Photo of Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team in Australia.

FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) is the largest Formula racing league in the Southern Hemisphere. Before the competition, students must build a compliant Formula race car and pass all static inspections organized by the event, including tests on electrical systems, mechanics, tilting, rain, brakes, and more. Only after passing these static inspections can they proceed to dynamic inspections, which include tests like linear acceleration, figure-eight cone maneuvering, and finally, the endurance race. The FSAE competition attracted six countries and over 36 teams this time. Zong-You Lai, the deputy team leader of the Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team, pointed out that the team must actively participate in the design and manufacturing of the vehicle before the competition. This process is a significant challenge that tests the students' familiarity with the vehicle and their respective fields.

The team was severely tested in the power system inspection, and they restructured the battery box within just two days. Eventually, they successfully passed the electrical inspection. The photo shows the inspection of the battery box.

Initially, the judges stated that the vehicle needed adjustments to the battery box structure. After careful consideration, the team decided to reassemble the battery, requiring modifications to the vehicle's power system. They had to navigate challenges such as unfamiliar language, unfamiliar surroundings, and the need to purchase related components outside. Despite these hurdles, the team's relentless efforts led to the successful redesign and assembly of the battery box, and the brake test was smoothly cleared, showcasing the team's hard work. Zhe-Xuan Lin, a member responsible for the vehicle body, expressed, "No matter how hot the weather is, no matter how many obstacles are ahead, at this moment, having passed all static inspections, it feels like we are standing at the top of the world!" Taiwan Tech Racing Team's unwavering spirit earned recognition from the judges, making them the only team in the competition to receive the Harry Watson Best Contribution Award.

The vehicle is tested in the rain.

The vehicle undergoes the tilt test.

Within the Taiwan Tech Racing Team, there is a member from Paraguay, Nicolás Fleitas. He shared that the scene where teams from different countries exchanged team uniforms after the competition left a deep impression on him. All the friendly teams and friends he met along the way exchanged team uniforms as a gesture of respect and support. "Without solid technical skills and a determined will, we couldn't have come this far." Behind the joy of winning is the image of students working day and night in the factory, processing, building, and modifying the car. By participating in international competitions, students can showcase what they have learned in their courses and seize opportunities to shine.

Po-Hua Chen, the founding team captain of the Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team, was also invited to participate in the Australia race. He pointed out that when the team was founded three years ago, there were only four members. Now, it has developed into a strong team with over 20 members. Living up to expectations, they created the electric race car "Leopard 01" for this competition, achieving one of the team's founding goals: "to achieve results through inspections in international competitions." He also looks forward to the team continuing to strive for excellence.

The vehicle undergoes a brake test.

Established just two and a half years ago, the Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team participated in international competitions for the first time. This success is not only a recognition of their car-building skills but also a milestone for the Taiwan Tech Racing Team on the international stage.

Team captain Yi-Hung Liao hopes to leverage the valuable experience gained from this competition and the results of exchanging ideas with other schools to further elevate the team's capabilities. Concrete improvement plans include expanding the team's composition and updating vehicle technology. The team sincerely appreciates all their partners and looks forward to creating more exciting stories together in the future.

Taiwan Tech Formula Racing Team successfully passed five static inspections during the FSAE Australia competition. Despite facing challenges, they demonstrated an unwavering spirit by rebuilding the battery pack within two days. This determination earned them the Harry Watson Best Contribution Award.