The Rhino 5 is following in the footsteps of its predecessor: With the “Rhino IV,” the team took second place overall at the 2025 Formula Student Alpe Adria event in Croatia, achieving its best-ever team performance. Can the new car build on this success?
Every year, the aspiring engineers at the Fachhochschule Dortmund build a new, single-seater race car in the Race-Ing. team and compete against other university teams from around the world at Formula Student. Each year, the goal is to make the Rhino a little better, more efficient, and faster.
These are the biggest changes for this year:
The Chassis
The load-bearing monocoque structure was optimized both visually and technically. The team succeeded in reducing the weight of the monocoque by about ten percent, from 19.3 to 17.5 kilograms. At the same time, new laminate structures increased torsional stiffness, enabling the structure to better resist twisting during high-speed turns.
The Aero Package
The rear and front wings, which were first developed last year, as well as the underbody, have been fundamentally redesigned and, according to a digital test, now provide 60 percent more downforce at a speed of 54 km/h.
The downforce of the entire vehicle has thus increased from 270 to 440 Newtons, resulting in greater grip and driving stability, as well as improved cornering performance.
Suspension
The focus was on better tuning of the suspension components and adapting the suspension to the new tires: The team decided to switch to the Hoosier R20 tire, commonly used in Formula Student, which is expected to drastically increase grip and cornering speed.
This year also saw the installation of the previously developed stabilization package, which promises improved vehicle handling. Various milled parts—but especially the damper package—have undergone a complete redesign and are now significantly lighter and stiffer.
This Season's Racing Events
- August 18–23, Bugatti Rimac Test Track in Velika Gorica, Croatia
- August 25–29, Autodrom Słomczyn, near Warsaw, Poland
The Race-Ing. Team
The Race-Ing. team at Fachhochschule Dortmund is made up of students from various faculties, ranging from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering to the Faculty of Business Studies and the Faculty of Design. The team members work on the project on a volunteer basis alongside their studies.
The students seek out sponsors for their race car. The Fachhochschule Dortmund provides financial support for the interdisciplinary project and makes a workshop and other facilities available. The new race cars are tested on the LaSiSe test track in Selm.