- The Power Pit
- Once Rennschmiede. Always part of it.
Once Rennschmiede. Always part of it.
Why Formula Student is far more than a university project – and turns students into a community for life.
It often begins with a curious glance into the workshop. A few students wrenching on a race car. A bit of tech. A bit of motorsport. Sounds manageable. Until you look closer.
Because Formula Student is no ordinary university project. It is a state of emergency on four wheels. A mix of engineering, adrenaline, passion, and team spirit that captivates people. And permanently so. Anyone who has ever been part of Rennschmiede Pforzheim rarely speaks of it as just a stop during their studies. Much more often, they speak of an experience that shapes you. Of nights in the workshop. Of setbacks overcome together. Of successes that suddenly feel bigger than any passed exam.
The students develop their vehicles from the ground up themselves. From the first concept to the last bolt. The current race car, RSP26 Aquamarine, exemplifies this ambition. A new monocoque, a new suspension concept, further developed aerodynamics, a new evolutionary stage of the all-wheel drive, and an even stronger focus on simulation and vehicle dynamics control show the technical level at which they operate.
The special thing: It's not just race cars being built here. Personalities are built here.
What is particularly impressive is who is behind these developments: students. Young people who, alongside lectures and exams, handle projects that whole departments are responsible for in the industry. They design components, develop software, organize sponsors, plan budgets, coordinate manufacturing processes, and present their concepts to international juries.
Rennschmiede Pforzheim proves that success is not a matter of team size. Although the team is relatively small, technically sophisticated solutions are created at the highest level. A female quota of around 40 percent, the close collaboration between engineering, business, and design students, and complete self-financing give the project a special dynamic.
But that is exactly where the challenge lies. Tight schedules, supply bottlenecks, complex coordination between mechanics, electronics, software, and aerodynamics, as well as the constant transfer of knowledge to new team members, demand a lot from those involved. And perhaps that is exactly where the actual magic happens. Because when countless hours of work become a functioning race car, when the vehicle leaves the pits for the first time and months of development suddenly turn into speed, a moment is created that many former team members never forget.
The history of Rennschmiede provides plenty of evidence for this. Since its founding in 2009, 13 racing vehicles have already been built. The step from internal combustion to electric vehicles marked a technological milestone.
The RSP25 Rosequartz marked a new era: for the first time, Rennschmiede sent an all-wheel-drive vehicle into the race. However, the great sporting successes of the past season were achieved with the RSP24 Jade. Strong performances at international Formula Student competitions in France, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland culminated in second place overall at Formula Student France 2025 – to date one of the most successful chapters in the team’s history. The close collaboration between engineering, business, and design students, as well as complete self-financing, are particular hallmarks of the project.
But the greatest strength of Rennschmiede cannot be measured in seconds or rankings. It shows in former members who still provide support years later. In friendships that last far beyond university. And in the enthusiasm that remains palpable long after the engine has gone silent.
Or, to put it in one sentence:
Once Rennschmiede. Always part of it.
Jürgen Preuss, infact.digital
Copyright: Rennschmiede Pforzheim
