How has the competition format changed by 2025?
This year’s edition of Virtual FS Alpe Adria brought a major change to the logistics of the Formula Student Team UTM, moving the operational center directly into their own garage. This approach transformed the technical space into a veritable race command center, where high-precision simulation on the Assetto Corsa platform tested the limits of engineering and driving.
The atmosphere in the garage faithfully replicated the tension of a real pit, with the main focus once again on the endurance test, where vehicle dynamics, tire wear, and track precision were simulated according to the rigorous laws of motorsport physics.
Figure 1. Virtual FS Alpe Adria
Who took the wheel of the virtual single-seater this season?
Responsibility for driving and race strategy fell to a new team formula, which combined technical leadership with operational dedication. The digital single-seater was driven by Nicolai Tulus, leader of the Formula Student Team UTM, alongside Felix Barbaros, an active team member. This structure ensured direct synergy between management decisions and on-track execution, with the drivers’ technical knowledge of the car’s dynamic behavior being essential for maintaining a consistent pace and managing risks during critical moments.
Figure 2. Drivers Nicolai Tulus and Felix Barbaros during simulation sessions
How was the team’s visual identity translated into the virtual environment?
A key component of the visual preparation was the aesthetic customization of the single-seater in the simulator. Team members created and applied a livery designed entirely in the garage, striving to faithfully replicate the color scheme of our first prototype. The direct goal of this effort was to test the visual impact on the virtual track, so that the same graphics could later be applied to the future real Formula Student car. This adaptation provided a symbolic bridge between the project’s origins and the team’s digital presence in the competition.
Figure 3. The custom single-seater in Assetto Corsa
What were the technical challenges of the simulation conducted in the garage?
Conducting the competition directly from the team’s garage required close coordination to cover the critical endurance distance, the most demanding discipline of the Formula Student competition. The drivers interacted with a digital model that included advanced suspension, aerodynamics, and engine management settings, with the advantage of analyzing real-time telemetry alongside the rest of their teammates present on-site. The physical proximity of the entire team around the simulator optimized reaction times to changes in grip and turned every lap into a direct collective effort.
Figure 4. Endurance test simulation
What prospects does this experience open up for the team’s future?
The success of organizing and participating in FS Alpe Adria 2025 directly from their own garage confirms the technical maturity and adaptability of the Formula Student Team UTM.
Going through this high-fidelity simulation was not just a digital competition, but also an essential process for validating the engineering concepts that the team will translate into the physical construction of the single-seater. The experience gained by team leader Nicolai Tulus and Felix Barbaros strengthens the team’s database, providing solid arguments and valuable telemetry data for optimizing performance on real circuits in the coming seasons.