Formula Student: Understand technology. Design collaboratively. Contest competition.

Thomas Hanisch is also a fan of the Formula Student. He has been at Audi for 21 years and is currently involved in concept development for future true brake-by-wire braking systems. He has been involved in the FS Germany as a judge since 2015. In the area of engineering, he evaluates the brakes, the suspension, the steering system and the chassis. "While doing this, I can ask the students questions directly: Question their approaches and ask about what's behind the implementation. I suss them out, so to speak. This often leads to exciting conversations," says Hanisch.

What is so special about the Formula Student? Hanisch can answer this without hesitation, because for him the FS is more than just a project − it's a passion: "I was team manager of a private racing team for a long time, which was able to participate in 24-hour and endurance races in the alternative fuel category thanks to Audi's support. That's precisely what makes the FS so exciting for me," says Hanisch. "I also think it's good because it offers students the opportunity to complete an overall project from start to finish."

What Hanisch finds particularly interesting is that he not only sees the finished presentations, but can also take a look into the paddock and observe how the team communicates and works together on the vehicle. "This makes it easy for us to see who's pulling the strings, who's setting the tone and who's getting stuck in. That gives us at Audi the opportunity to get in touch with people directly and possibly get them involved for theses or something similar."

Every year, the FS judge is positively surprised by the students: "The young people are motivated and bring new approaches and ideas to the team with their fresh outlook. They work at a really high level, so it's a real pleasure to have this exchange," says Hanisch. "I enjoy working with those who have already gained experience outside of their studies. Of course, it's also exciting to see how the students get involved within the team. We can always use people who drive the team forward, and they are interesting for us, for Audi as an employer."

For Christian Stark, Audi Project Leader for Formula Student and responsible for external and internal appearances such as trade fairs, university and HR marketing, the FS is a very special event series and ideal for getting to know young talents. He has been working for Audi since 2011 and since 2020 has been responsible, among other things, for the Formula Student and other event formats as Event Manager.

Stark experiences the evolution from combustion engine to e-mobility first-hand every day. This transformation is a huge challenge. Because the search for young developers who are needed for electric vehicles is tough. After all, the entire automotive industry is increasingly on the lookout for employees with development skills. But Stark is optimistic: "It's not difficult for me to convince others of the four rings, because I'm a full-blooded Audi employee myself. The product we work for every day can be experienced and driven in everyday life. That triggers emotions and sets us apart from other industries."

The project leader is convinced that the Formula Student offers Audi an ideal opportunity for finding young talents: "The construction of this vehicle is actually nothing other than what we do at Audi every day. From the idea, to the construction, the homologation and release of the vehicle as well as the driving. It's wonderful practice and the highly motivated students grab this chance to show us what they're capable of." After all, cooperation between specialists from different areas such as mechanical engineering, IT and technical business administration is also necessary in everyday work at Audi.