Formula SAE Italy

Formula SAE Italy: the engineering of the future races at Varano

Formula SAE Italy is one of the most important university competitions in the world dedicated to automotive design. Every year, at the Riccardo Paletti Racetrack in Varano de' Melegari, in the heart of the province of Parma and the Emilia-Romagna region, dozens of university teams gather, who, over the course of an entire season, design and build a racing single-seater car from scratch. The event is organized by ANFIA (National Association of the Automotive Industry) in collaboration with SAE International, and represents one of the most prestigious European stops on the global Formula SAE circuit.

How the competition works

The teams don't just race: they must demonstrate the quality of their project in every aspect, from engineering to cost management, to business strategy. For this reason, the competition is divided into two main categories of tests:

• Static tests: Design Event (evaluation of the technical project), Cost Event (analysis of production costs), and Business Presentation (presentation of an industrial plan to the jury).
• Dynamic tests on the track: Acceleration, Skidpad, Autocross, and the renowned Endurance, a roughly 22 km endurance test that challenges the car's reliability and the drivers' skills, as well as evaluating energy efficiency.

Classes competing

The competition is divided into several categories that reflect the evolution of mobility: Class 1CV for internal combustion and hybrid single-seaters, Class 1EV for fully electric vehicles, and Class 1DV dedicated to autonomous driving vehicles (driverless), an area of constant growth. There is also Class 3, reserved for teams that present only the project. Approximately 1,600 students from universities around the world participate in the event, representing dozens of Italian and foreign universities.

A showcase for the automotive industry

Formula SAE Italy is not just a race, but a true bridge between academia and industry. The event attracts sponsors, technical partners, and companies in the sector, who see the young engineers involved in the tests as the future talents of the automotive industry, particularly in the fields of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and vehicle dynamics. For this reason, the competition, hosted in a region with a strong automotive tradition like Emilia-Romagna, the renowned Motor Valley, takes on strategic importance for the entire sector.

The Riccardo Paletti Racetrack

The Varano de' Melegari track, named after the Parma-born driver Riccardo Paletti, is a historic facility in the Emilia region and offers the ideal setting for dynamic tests. During the event days, the racetrack area comes alive with team garages, a camping area for students, and partner exhibition spaces, creating an atmosphere that combines sporting passion, technical rigor, and international spirit.