Did you know TMU students build race cars on campus?
Pictured here is the Toronto Metropolitan Formula Racing team, who will compete against schools from across Canada and the world from June 11 to 15. Photo credit: Kieran Heaslip.
Did you know that deep in the basement of Kerr Hall at the Engineering Design Zone more than 60 dedicated students from programs spanning the entire university spend hours building an F1-style race car that they race in competition? That is the work of the Toronto Metropolitan Formula Racing team, who each year build a car to race at Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), an international competition at the Michigan International Speedway.
The TM-24 - the team’s latest livery (car design, paint scheme, logo placements) - was unveiled recently at Red Bull Canada headquarters in Toronto. This year’s open-wheel race car is the team's third electric vehicle and is the first electric vehicle with the addition of an aerodynamic package. It delivers 325.8 volts of electricity and weighs 528 pounds. The team is funded by more than 40 sponsors who provide mentorship and financial support. They were even lucky enough to do testing at Honda this spring to gain valuable insights and data.
“Sponsors offer advice and provide us with knowledge,” explained Isabelle Bonello (Business Management, ‘24), who is the business lead for the formula racing team. “We also get extensive reviews from alumni of the team, who help with feedback on the car.”
The TM-24 - the car designed by TMU students for competition this year. Photo credit: Kieran Heaslip.
The team, which has seen a huge increase in participation from women since 2020, will compete against other student teams from around the world - including the U.S., Singapore and Brazil - at a competition at the Michigan International Speedway from June 11 to 15. The formula racing team, now in its 30th year at TMU, has historically done well in competition. In 2023 they placed 26th overall in the race portion, and impressively placed 1st for the second year in a row for the business presentation portion of the competition.
“Being part of the team is an opportunity to apply everything we've learned at school to real-world experiences. I have been able to expand my network through this team and many of us have secured internships because of it,” said Bonello. “We never thought we would be in these leadership positions, but seeing all of us grow has been an opportunity I will forever be grateful for. I came to school for an education and got so much more out of it than I could have ever imagined."
For more information about the Toronto Metropolitan Formula Racing team, visit their website (external link) .
