UPB Drive Team Interview

Amira Tamam

Founded only four months ago, this new passionate team to the Formula Student scene is aiming high. UPB Drive are starting their upcoming FS journey  at Formula Student Netherlands, being their first competition ever.

UPB Drive Team Photo

UPB Drive Team Photo

  • Introduce your team briefly.

We’re a team of 25 students from various fields of study ranging from mechanical engineering, through programming and product design and, on top of that, we have two faculty advisers that are at least just as enthusiastic about this project as we are. We function as a small company, with two main departments and five sub-teams focused on specific tasks, from technical aspect to our impact on the outside world.

  • Tell us about your team’s history with Formula Student.

This being our first year we’re very excited because we don’t know exactly what to expect from the competitions. Two of the founders – Team Captain & Technical Leader – have been part of another Formula Student Team, from the Netherlands.

The guys have taken part in the EVO Days practice event and they’ve already got a taste of a Formula Student competition but even they don’t know how to prepare for a full scale one.

  • What does joining Formula Student Netherlands mean to you?

Joining and being accepted in FSN 2019 is a great honour for us as this will be our first competition ever and will, for sure, hold an important spot in our memories. It’s also an important event for us since we’ve got our motivation to start this project in The Netherlands to begin with. It will be nice to be back there and prove ourselves.

  • What are your main goals for this year?

Some of our goals for this year were already met, such as familiarising Politehnica students with the FSAE concept, recruiting those interested and offering them continuous development in communication, teamwork and management skills. Our main goal is the completion, testing and optimisation of our first vehicle and finishing all static and dynamic events.

  • What made you think of/choose FSN?

We choose FSN because that is where all it started. Participating in FSN this year feels like we’re closing a loop, so to speak. Things happen for a reason, don’t they?

  • What makes you different than the other teams?

We managed in only for 4 months to organise a whole project and gain the trust of the University and stakeholders. Most importantly, we have created a team in which every member learnt a lot. We showed consistency and now, so close to the competition, we are motivated and determined more than ever to finish building our first car.

  • What is your biggest achievement in Formula Student so far?

Being accepted to 2 competitions 4 months after starting the project.

  • Describe your car in three words.

Made with passion.