Formula Student Track Day With GPE Maribor and Dewesoft Vehicle Analysis
July 1, 2026
Introduction
For many years, Dewesoft has been the Golden Sponsor of the Formula Student GPE Maribor Team. In addition to financial support, our Vehicle Analysis team has also provided engineering knowledge, experience, and mentorship. Input from our automotive application experts has been extremely important to their development. Over time, our relationship has grown from a simple sponsorship to a true alliance.
To express their appreciation, GPE Maribor arranged a special team-building day including a “sponsors drive” at Raceland Krško, Slovenia. When we got the invitation, we were more than happy to accept. We couldn’t wait to test GPE’s electric race car “Layla.” It was a great opportunity to see the results of their work up close and to experience an electric race car. We also took the opportunity to race Dewesoft’s own Formula Student car around the track.
We assembled a big team, including Jernej Moljk, Luka Jerman, Matej Novak, Dino Florjančič, Aleksander Klemenčič, Daniel Tomič, Žan Hribar, Simon Bregar, and me, of course – Matjaž Strniša.
The students arranged sponsored rides in their electric race car for our team. It was a beautiful day, and the event was a great opportunity for team building.
If you’ve been to the showroom at Dewesoft headquarters, you’ve seen our race car. This car was built by GPE Maribor in 2012, and we bought it in 2013. We couldn't resist bringing it along and taking a few quick laps. With new tires and brake pads, she burned rubber around the Raceland track, creating a real racing atmosphere.
The original plan was to hold the event at the AMZS training ground in Slovenja vas near Ptuj, but we later moved it to Raceland Krško. We booked the track between 9 am and 3 pm.
The idea was for the GPE team to set up a course with cones similar to those encountered in Formula Student competitions around Europe. This way, Dewesoft people were also able to experience first-hand the conditions under which students drive modern Formula Student racing cars and how demanding driving on such tracks can be.
What surprised us the most about the electric racecar?
Electric racecars offer virtually "unlimited" torque and almost 80kW of power. This is twice the power of the racing cars we worked on back in our Formula Student days. The development of racing cars has really progressed incredibly over the years.
Which Dewesoft measuring instruments were used in the development of the racecar?
Dewesoft's measuring equipment played an important role, especially in validating the race car's actual behavior and comparing measured data with simulations. In this way, the team can verify the correctness of the development assumptions and optimize the vehicle's performance.
During pre-race testing, a SIRIUS measurement system and SBOX data logger were installed to measure chassis forces and loads. In addition to the analog inputs, SIRIUS recorded CAN bus data.
A DS-IMU1 (inertial measurement unit) captured acceleration and orientation. A video camera was used to allow synchronized driving analysis. This configuration provided a comprehensive insight into the performance of the vehicle and driver. High-quality measurements are a solid basis for future improvements.
Dino was the fastest driver, but we all felt like Michael Schumacher when our visors came down. Formula Student cars are low to the ground, so the sense of speed is amplified. Our hearts were beating fast around every high-speed turn. Everyone had a great time.
At the end, we all agreed that if we could work in the Formula Student team for another day, we’d choose to be the technical manager.
After an adrenaline-filled morning, we first stopped at Fontana Krško for a well-deserved refreshment, then continued our journey to Ljubljana Castle, where the ceremonial rollout of the new Formula Student Superior Engineering Ljubljana racing car for the 2026 season took place.
Dewesoft also sponsors the Ljubljana Formula Student team, so it was great to spend the day with both teams.
Formula Student is the largest student project in the world. As a sponsor of several Formula Student teams, it’s rewarding to follow how the students tackle such big development projects and succeed. What’s our reward? We get to watch from the front row as the next generation of top engineers is forged.