FEST12

We are pleased to announce that the 2012 competitions have ended with excellent results and a golden line can be drawn under the season. On 20 August, the Day of Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Estonia, the students of Tallinn University of Applied Sciences and Tallinn University of Technology were crowned the 2012 champions of the Hungarian competition. The result achieved is far from accidental, but the realisation of years of effort and persistence. We showed the world our winning potential already this year at the Silverstone circuit in England, where we were the fastest car in the endurance event. The penalty for a late start that robbed us of first place was a great motivator in fighting for the overall win in Hungary, which had already become obligatory for us. Knowing the car's capability on the track, we invested heavily in presenting the car's business plan and cost, and the work paid off. We beat the engineers of German universities, taking first place in the theoretical presentations as well. The promise given through the Estonian Public Broadcasting to win the Hungarian competition has been fulfilled, and the drop in emotional tension is being enjoyed to the full.

The next milestone in our competition calendar was the Baltic Open competition in Germany, where we had taken it upon ourselves to win the first-place trophy for the third time in FS Team Tallinn's history. This gives us the opportunity to organise a race on Estonian soil for the second time. By now, of course, the Baltic Open in Germany is behind us as well, from which, due to a glaring lack of internet, we were unable to bring you any prompt messages. Baltic Open is an unofficial competition for Formula Student cars, started in 2003 by our neighbouring team from Helsinki. The competition is organised by the previous season's winning team on its home tracks. The baton of the right to organise can also be handed to the team that came 2nd or 3rd, and we passed on our right to organise in 2011 to the Swedes, as we did not consider it sensible to compete in the same place two years in a row. This year the competition took place in Darmstadt, Germany – the home of the 2011 Baltic Open winners. What makes this race special is the fact that all earlier cars built during the team's history can also take part in it. For us this meant a visit to the TTÜ museum, from where we reclaimed our 2010 beauty. We also breathed life into the very first formula car built by students, the infamous FEST08. Dealing with the curiosities and competing was left to the team's veterans, who are no longer active members of the team. We were also represented with three race cars last year in Karlstad, Sweden, but this year we gave our competitors a significantly bigger fight. At the Baltic Open competition points are awarded only for the performance of the car and the driver, leaving theoretical knowledge and skills aside. Arriving at the venue, we knew that the first place achieved in Hungary allowed FEST12 to go all out in Germany. Unofficially, the newest car was indeed superior to the competitors in all four events, but sporting bad luck and big risks meant giving up first places in the skid pad and the sprint, as a few cones were knocked down. In motorsport, “ifs” and “would haves” do not count. Stability and reliability brought FS Team Tallinn its third overall Baltic Open win, safely home. The biggest surprise was delivered by the veterans, whose remarkable performance in the endurance event brought the 2010 race car a third podium place. FEST08 was not far behind either, fighting its way to fourth position. For the Formula Student Team Tallinn team this means a great success and we take it as a team triple win.

In summary, it can be said that the 2012 season proved that we belong to the absolute top of the Formula Student world. Thank you to everyone who has contributed over the years – the win is the fruit of years of uncompromising work. Every year we have taken the previous experience and made big leaps forward. When in the first year the title of best rookie was achieved right away, many did not believe that it could be a first-year car. Today we have shown that in Formula Student, which has become hugely popular and professional, it is possible to reach the absolute top in just five years. Not with a large budget, team or industry support, but simply with clean and consistent work.

Today we can say that this energy has not gone to waste!