PART N E RS’ H A N DBOOK

PREFACE
WELCOME TO U M RACING!

We would like to take this opportunity to showcase our racing and research project.
Ever since the project took off back in 2012, students from various faculties at the
University of Malta have worked together and made use of their knowledge to build
a one-of-a-kind race car. Such race cars are designed to compete in Formula Student
competitions and as a result, our car design must be compliant with very stringent
rules. UM Racing is Malta’s only Formula Student team, hence, the team represents
Malta in international Formula Student competitions.

With this partner handbook, UM Racing strives to showcase its determination to

maintain a vital role within an ever-growing relationship between students, Public
Authorities and the industry.

More information on the competition, UM Racing and our race cars are just a few
page turns away.

S HAU N AB E L A
President
6 WHAT I S FO RMU LA
S TU DENT? 28 O U R PROJECT

11 WHAT I S
U M RACI NG? 30 A G LI MPS E I NTO
O U R NEW RACE CAR

12 O U R HI S TO RY 32 O U R BU DG ET

24 BU I LDI NG U PO N
O U R ACHI EV EMENTS 34 O U R S PO NS O RS HI P
PACKAG ES

25 O U R NEW
ELECTRI C PROJECT 36 O U R MA NAG EMENT
TEA M

26 WHY S PO NS O R
U M RACI NG?
 FORMULA STUDENT
is an international student-based
competition, where teams from all around
the world design, fund and build their
own formula style race car. Hence, Formula
Student not only allows university students
to build and race such cars, but also gives
them the opportunity to manage a real-life
organisation.

Therefore, it provides those who participate,

a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience
a real-life professional situation. Hence,
Formula Student participants go beyond what
they learn in their university course as they
have to work in a team, manage deadlines,
as well as make business and managerial
decisions in order to run the organisation.

Formula Student is a prestigious competition

that is attended by universities from all over
the world. In fact, competition judges usually
work with renowned car manufacturers
such as Aston Martin, BMW and even Ferrari.
Formula Student is the stepping stone to a
future motorsports career as it is considered
to be just below Formula 4.

As a result, Formula Student teams must

thread a fine line between the cost and
the overall quality of their race cars.

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 The acceleration event tests the
TH E S TAG E S O F A FO RM ULA STUDE N T COMP E TITION
ACCELERATION
car’s acceleration from standstill,
in a straight line of 75m.
Formula Student competitions are split into two. The static events and the dynamic events.

STATIC E V E NTS are a series of events where participating teams need to present their ideas in front of
judges. These events include the business presentation, cost and design reports.

In the business presentation, teams need to showcase a business plan to the judges detailing how they would
go on and sell the race car they have built.

In the cost report, teams must create a detailed bill of materials for their race car which is derived from data
The skid pad tests the car’s stability

SKID PAD
of costs incurred during the production of their race car. while going as fast as possible in
a constant radius turn.
The design report contains a description of the team’s design during which judges discuss with team members
the general approach taken and why certain key decisions were made.

The DY NA MIC EVEN T S is where the race car is started up and can go out on the track. However, before
being allowed to take part, teams must pass through scrutineering. Scrutineers make checks on the race cars
of all the teams in order to make sure that the cars comply with all the rules and are safe to drive. Afterwards,
there are 4 main dynamic events, Acceleration, Skid Pad, Sprint and Endurance.
The sprint event tests the cars on
Recently, Formula Student UK also introduced a new event, Lap Time Simulation. In this event teams can all aspects such as handling and
evaluate their car concept and simulate their on track performance.
SPRINT manoeuvrability, acceleration, braking
and cornering, as the car goes round
a tight track as fast as possible.

The endurance is the final and most

prestigious event in the competition.

ENDURANCE This event not only tests the car’s

performance but also evaluates the
car’s reliability and durability.

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 WHAT IS
UM RACING?
UM Racing is Malta’s only Formula Student team. The team, designs,
funds and builds Formula style race cars which are raced against
other universities from all around the world. UM Racing has competed
internationally seven times with four different race cars.

Our aims are simple, build something special, have fun doing so and
gather skills worth applying in both working and private lives. In fact,
UM Racing provides its members a work-like environment which
provides solid experiences that are transferable to the real world.

UM Racing is a student based Voluntary Organisation that is made up

of around 25 hardworking members that come from different faculties
within the University of Malta.

Since the competition judges both car performance and pre-event

planning, our skills are well and truly tested. Therefore, because this
project gives rise to various challenges, we recognised the importance
of reaching out to experts to help us realise our dream and strive for
better quality and performance.

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OUR 23
RD

HISTORY 2014

TH E EAR LY Y E A RS

UM Racing was set up in 2012, by a group of University of Malta students, who had a dream of creating Malta’s
one and only Formula Student team. The team had to start everything from scratch. For instance, the team
had to set up a workshop with all necessary machinery and tools. This teams also had to start new sponsor
relationships, whilst designing and building a race car with no prior knowledge. After a lot of hard work,
UM Racing managed to create its first ever race car, the FC14.

The FC14 competed in Formula Student Italy 2014 and managed to take an impressive 23rd place finish.

29
TH
After this successful first competition for UM Racing. The team then managed to quickly build its new
challenger, the FC15. The FC15, featured substantial improvements in comparison to the FC14. For instance,
the FC15 is lighter and more agile than the FC14. This showed that the team had learnt from the FC14 as the
2015
FC15 was faster than the previous race car.

The FC15 participated in Formula Student Italy 2015. Despite facing harsher competition, the team managed
to finish in 29th place out of 77 competitors.

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 27 29
TH TH

2017 2018

R EAC H IN G N E W H E I G H T S

UM Racing returned to the drawing board after the 2015 competition and started designing an all-new race
car. The FC17 was launched in 2017. UM Racing competed with this car in Formula Student Italy 2017. In this
competition, UM Racing continued to enhance its skill set. In fact, the highlight of this competition for UM Racing
was taking second place in the cost report. This led to the team finishing in 27th place out of 80 teams.

However, this was not the end of the road for the FC17. The team worked tirelessly to improve the car and
prepare it for Formula Student UK 2018. This means that the FC17 is so far the only UM Racing car to compete
in 2 Formula Student competitions.

In the 2018 UK competition at Silverstone, against a very strong field of teams, UM Racing managed to achieve
another milestone. This milestone was finishing the endurance event for the first time in the team’s history.
UM Racing was only one of 19 teams to finish this event. This resulted in UM Racing finishing in 29th place
out of 81 teams.

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TH E U LT IMAT E
UN D ER D O G S TO RY

In late 2018, UM Racing started designing its fourth race After completing the static events, UM Racing focused on getting the FC20 through scrutineering. Many
car. The team competed in the Concept Class at Formula were struggling to showcase that their car was safe enough to race and compliant with the rules. However,
Student UK in 2019 in order to receive feedback about UM Racing showed it had arrived to Silverstone prepared by being only the 5th team to successfully pass-
the design of the car and better prepare the car for the through scrutineering.
2020 event. However, due to Covid-19 the traditional
competition was cancelled. This meant that UM Racing Saturday arrived and UM Racing lined up for the acceleration event. We immediately impressed with the look
kept on refining and improving the car during this period of our FC20, where the event commentator affectionately nicknamed the car 'Raspberry Ripple’ thanks to its
in preparation for future competitions. red nose cone. The FC20’s performance also impressed, with UM Racing finishing 5th. Afterwards the team
competed in the skid pad event and took 5th place. The final event for the day was the sprint event where
In 2021, UM Racing attempted to compete physically
UM Racing finished in 7th place, completing a very successful day, which raised the eyebrows of many heading
at Silverstone once again, however, the UK competition
into the final day.
was only held physically for UK based teams. Therefore,
UM Racing kept seeking improvements in its design by
taking part in the concept class, virtually, at Formula
Student UK. UM Racing showcased it had a strong
design by taking 5th in the Cost report and finishing 13th
in class out of 65 entries.

In 2022, during UM Racing’s ten-year anniversary, the

FC20 was finally launched. After years of development
& testing, the team was ready to surprise competitors
at Silverstone. Before the competition, we set ourselves
two targets; to finish all dynamic events for the first
time in the team’s history and finish within the top 25.
What followed was nothing short of incredible. In the
eyes of competitors, we were seen as a side note within
the story of this competition, while others arrived with
their branded trucks, we were quietly unloading our
handmade trailer which had survived the trip from
Malta to the UK.

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Sunday arrived, with the team being both
excited and nervous for the day ahead. It was
already the team’s most successful event but
how would the team perform in the hardest
event of the competition? Would the car even
finish the event? Finally, the race started, lap
by lap we were getting closer to the finish
line. At long last the chequered flag was
shown, UM Racing had reached its goal of
finishing all the dynamic events. Moreover,
UM Racing won the race! The team arrived at
Silverstone unknown, but had now impressed
everyone by winning the main event! We
went into the awards ceremony expecting to
only pick up the endurance winner’s trophy.
However, we were delighted to hear we
had finished third overall out of one hundred
and ten other teams! One of the smallest
teams in the competition managed to come
out of nowhere and beat the larger teams
to a podium position! The news soon spread
and every news journal in Malta started
reporting our story, we made Malta proud.

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 1
ST

3
ENDURANCE
RD

4
TH

LAP TIME SIMULATION OVERALL

2022

5
TH

ACCELERATION

5
TH

SKID PAD

7
TH

SPRINT

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OUR
CARS
Formula Student cars are formula style
single seater race cars. Since Formula
Student tracks are short and tight,
good acceleration and braking are a
must. Additionally, we also make sure
that our cars are as light as possible
therefore we always produce our cars
by using the lightest materials possible
without sacrificing performance such
as Carbon Fibre.
Over the team’s decade of existence,
four different race cars have been built.
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The FC15 was an evolution
of the FC14. The FC15 also
featured a Honda CBR600 but
it was better tuned to deliver
more performance to the car.
This complemented other
improvements in the car such
as having less weight and a
better centre of gravity.
FC15
FC14
The first ever race car was the FC14.
The FC14 was the car that started
everything and showcased that
UM Racing could build a rule
compliant Formula Student race
car. This car was powered by a
naturally aspirated Honda CBR600.
Finally, our latest car is
the now iconic FC20. The
FC20 is the lightest, fastest
and most reliable car. The FC20
features various innovations
such as a paddle shift gearbox.
The FC20 weighs 218kg and
thanks to its Yamaha MT07
engine it can achieve a
0 - 100kph run in 4.5 seconds.
FC20
FC17
The third car produced by the
team is the FC17. The FC17 is the
first and only UM Racing car to
feature a turbocharged engine.
The FC17 continued to increase
performance thanks to its Kawasaki
ZXR engine. The FC17 lead to the
team learning various lessons
which were utilised in the design
of the FC20.
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 BUILDING
UPON OUR
ACHIEVEMENTS
UM Racing strives to continue
improving itself and always build
up on what is learnt over the
years. As a result, every team
member passes on what he or
she learned during their time at
the team to new members. This
ensures that UM Racing never
has to start from scratch but can
always carry on and improve itself.
Moreover, UM Racing alumni
are always ready to help team
members by sharing their
knowledge and experience. They
are always ready to answer any
questions and even hold regular
meetings to help the team. This
ensures that UM Racing never
stops learning and keeps on
operating at the highest level.
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OUR NEW
ELECTRIC PROJECT
WHY?
After our success at Formula Student UK 2022, it is
time for an exciting new era in UM Racing history.
The team will stop designing and manufacturing cars
that are powered by internal combustion engines.
Our new race car is being designed and will be
based around an Emrax 228 motor which has
over 100 horsepower.
We feel that the time is right for this project as
we have maximised our opportunities with internal
combustion race cars and as the technology has
improved, the performance arising from electric
vehicles is also on the rise.
In fact, this is a conscious decision taken by UM
Racing to increase performance from its race cars.
Most Formula Student tracks are short and tight.
Therefore, good acceleration is necessary, something
that is more easily obtained from the torque of an
EV motor.
THE MOTIVATIN G FAC TORS
As formula student competitions and the automotive
industry is moving towards electrification, we feel
that this is the ideal time to make the jump to racing
electric cars. Not only do we not want to be left
behind by competitors who make this switch before
us, we also are confident that we can build faster
race cars if they are electric. For instance, thanks
to the electric motor, we can enjoy a 40-horsepower
increase, which on such light cars, is a very
significant amount.
We are embarking on this project with a positive
and open mindset to ensure that we take the correct
decisions when designing this new race car. We have
a group of highly motivated and highly talented
electrical engineers that have certainly made the
decision to switch to electric much easier. This is the
case as it means that we have knowledgeable team
members that we can rely on and can provide the
necessary expertise to the take the correct decisions
on the development of this all-new race car.
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 WHY SPONSOR Sponsoring UM Racing means that your organisation
will be recognised as a forward-looking investor
UM RACING?
in the talent and potential of determined university
students.
It is such students that can be of benefit for a
sponsoring organisation. We are aware that
nowadays it is difficult to find an employee. It is
even more difficult to find a qualified, experienced
and determined employees. Hence, UM Racing allows
you to establish a relationship with students coming
from various faculties who possess these skills.
UM Racing is made up of students that are capable
to run an organisation in various ways. For instance,
we have managers, engineers, accountants,
marketers and even statisticians. Currently,
UM Racing has a pool of around 150 talented alumni
that are still in contact with the current team.
Hence, UM Racing provides the opportunity to get a
head start and engage with the potential specialised
employees of the future. Most of our team members
have gone on to achieve success in various industries,
including Formula 1.
Moreover, UM Racing receives exposure from both
local and international media. For instance, after
our success at Silverstone, not only was our story
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reported all over Maltese media, but it was also
reported and various international news portals.
Moreover, we have dedicated Facebook and
Instagram pages where our sponsors our featured in
front of thousands of followers. These pages go hand
in hand with our website which has a dedicated tab
for all our sponsors. Moreover, whenever UM Racing
takes part in an event, our sponsors are featured on
banners and on our race car. Finally, whenever we
compete internationally, our sponsors are featured
on banners, our race car and on team apparel in front
of hundreds of other teams from all over the world.
Moreover, during our competition sponsors feature
in front of judges that work with large international
key players within the automotive industry such as
McLaren and Porsche.
When sponsoring UM Racing, your organisation
is truly a part of a special project. You are joining
a team of underdogs, who despite being a smaller
team than competitors, never give up and instead
use this fact as motivation to give their all and
surprise the rest.
By sponsoring UM Racing, not only are you
investing in yourself and this amazing project.
You are also sponsoring Malta’s future, creating
a formula for success.
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OUR
PROJECT
This is our most ambitious project to date. This will not only be our first
ever electric race car, but it will be the first ever Maltese built electric race
car. We are not being overly ambitious with the design of this new race
car as we are entering into unknown territory. We are using similar vehicle
characteristics to our current FC20 in order to well and truly understand
the changes arising from our switch to an electric powertrain.

A major hurdle UM Racing currently faces with this new project is to

fund it. With an electric vehicle, the cost to produce our race car has
increased substantially. For instance, where an engine for the FC20 cost
just eight hundred euros, the batteries for our new electric challenger
will cost twenty thousand euros alone. In addition to having to purchase
quite expensive components, we must also make sure that our members
are safe when working with this new car. As a result, UM Racing must
make the necessary investments to be safe when working around the car.
Therefore, we must purchase tools that are safe to work on high voltage
cars, purchase gloves that can handle high voltage systems and install
high voltage insulation rubber mats.

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A GLIMPSE INTO OUR NEW RACE CAR

STEERING SYSTEM POWERTRAIN

FRAME Electronics Package Battery Pack

Tubular Sections
Motion Transfer Assembly
Human Machine Interface
Electric Motor
Differential
ELECTRONICS
Welding Processes Develop and print circuit boards for both
Flexure Simulation high voltage and low voltage systems

Program control systems for power output

from accumulator to the tractive systems

BRAKES Low voltage embedded system, CAN BUS

communication, data acquisition & sensor
Pedal Assembly
calibration.
Hydraulic Network
Caliper and Rotor Assembly

WHEELS & TYRES

Dry and Wet Weather Tyres

BODY Weight Optimised Wheels

Strength Optimised Hubs & Bearings Assembly
Mould Manufacturing
Composite Lay-up
Aerodynamic Modelling
SUSPENSION
Modelled & Milled Uprights
Suspension Links
Spring & Damper Package

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BUDGET FOR OUR
NEW ELECTRIC RACE CAR
SUSPENSION FRAME & BODY ELECTRONICS
€30,000 €15,000 €28,000

POWERTRAIN
& DRIVETRAIN BRAKE SYSTEM WHEELS & TYRES
€45,000 €15,500 €7,500

CHARGING SYSTEM &

STEERING SYSTEM SAFETY EQUIPMENT MISCELLANEOUS
€5,000 €36,000 €18,000

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SPONSORSHIP
€8,000

€3,000
€15,000

PACKAGES €3,000 €8,000 €15,000

Events for sponsoring organisation/s Alongside FIVE other Alongside THREE other EXCLUSIVE
to meet with team members sponsoring organisations sponsoring organisations EVENTS
UM Racing offers three main sponsorship packages which caters for different
levels of aptitude shown by those who are willing to partner our team. As shown Casual networking with UM Racing

previously in our budget, substantial funds are required to successfully build

Access to over 150 team members
a technically compliant and competitive Formula Student racing car. Capped at TWO Capped at SIX UNLIMITED
and team alumni to promote the
postings per year postings per year POSTINGS
organisation, such as for job vacancies
Without the help of partners, this project would just be dream. Therefore,
Logo on race car SMALL LOGO MEDIUM LOGO LARGE LOGO
UM Racing puts in a lot of effort in building and maintaining solid relationships
with its sponsors through constant communication and promotion.
Listed as sponsor on website

UM Racing has three main sponsorship packages which are priced at €3,000,
Invitation to major events,
€8,000 and €15,000 respectively. Such packages entail different levels of such as the car launch
promotion and access for one year.
Logo on competition team wear

Moreover, the team also encourages longer term collaborations that go beyond
these sponsorship packages. Such a relationship is becoming increasingly Logo on sponsors’ banner SMALL LOGO MEDIUM LOGO LARGE LOGO
important for us as the project is becoming larger and more established.
The chance to have our race car present
Specific details regarding each package can be found in the following pages.
at one of your organisational events

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OUR MANAGEMENT
TEAM

SHAUN ABELA BERNARD VELLA KERSTY ZAMMIT

President Vice President for Engineering Secretary General
+356 7997 7937 +356 9992 7997 +356 9983 5061

 UoMR Design Suite,

Take Off Building,
SHERYL FENECH NICOLE FARRUGIA

Dar Guzeppi Zahra,
University of Malta,
Chief Financial Officer Internal Officer Msida MSD 2080, Malta
+356 7929 7861 +356 7985 2218
 info@uomracing.com

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