Formula Student is an international engineering competition where students from around the world develop, build, and showcase their own race cars in interdisciplinary teams.
The goal is to combine practical engineering, business, and organizational knowledge. The vehicles compete at events, not only in dynamic disciplines on the racetrack but also in static disciplines in project management.
It’s about far more than just technology. Mainfranken Racing stands for interdisciplinary collaboration, structured work, and project management across both technical and organizational areas. From vehicle design, electronics, and software to sponsorship and marketing, everything is included. Each member contributes their own strengths and takes responsibility in a real development process, without a traditional employment relationship.
Our goal is to develop innovative solutions, push technical boundaries, and grow together as a team.
Mainfranken Racing was founded in 2006 at THWS with the goal of providing students with real hands-on engineering project experience. What started as a small, highly motivated group quickly developed into an established part of the university.
With our first self-developed race car, we entered the world of Formula Student and were able to achieve second place directly in the Newcomers category. The prototype marked our entry into the competition and laid the foundation for our technical development.
With the MF7, we implemented a full-fledged aerodynamics package for the first time. Front and rear wings optimized downforce and vehicle stability, significantly improving handling and cornering speeds. This step was crucial for our technical development and the team’s future performance.
The switch to electric propulsion with the MF12 was a decisive technological leap. It opened up new possibilities in efficiency, performance, and design concepts, and significantly advanced the team both technically and organizationally.
With the MF14, we implemented a fully self-developed monocoque made of composite materials for the first time. The integrated design significantly improved weight, stiffness, and ergonomics. This introduction laid the foundation for the lightweight construction philosophy of subsequent generations.
Since the MF14 season, we developed an autonomous driving system. With the MF15, a fully functional driverless vehicle was showcased at events for the first time. The successful integration of sensors, software, and vehicle technology marked an important milestone toward automated race cars.
We are currently working on implementing all-wheel drive for future vehicles. The move to four driven wheels is technically challenging and opens up new possibilities in performance, traction, and control strategy. This development phase enhances our expertise and elevates the team to a new technical level.
Formula Student offers a learning environment that goes far beyond university studies. Here, knowledge is not only understood but also applied under real-world conditions with responsibility and teamwork. Working on the vehicle forces us to approach problems holistically and truly understand technical relationships, consistently driving the team forward.
Each season and every new car challenges us both technically and organizationally. We take on our own areas of responsibility, make decisions, and grow with every challenge. A wide range of talents and skills come together to form a functioning overall project, in which every team member contributes visibly.
What matters to us
Shared commitment, continuous improvement, and a passion for technology. For us, the competition is not a one-time event but an ongoing process: planning, developing, testing, learning from mistakes, and coming back stronger. This combination of hands-on experience, responsibility, and team spirit is what makes Formula Student valuable to us.
