Author: Alessandro Zattini

From today, Wednesday 11th until Sunday 15th July, the Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) championship will be held at the “Riccardo Paletti” racetrack in Varano de ‘Melegari,. Around 2,600 students will participate in the event representing 84 teams – 14 of which are Italian – in static and dynamic tests that will present highly technological single-seater cars, judged by a special jury.

All categories in the race
Universities are challenged in static and dynamic activities studied ad hoc to test the projects, the mechanical solidity, the performances and the efficiency of the prototypes. Each phase – if passed – guarantees the score that, added to that of the others, will determine the final winner. Four categories of cars, divided according to the type of fuel and budget available to the university:

1C: prototypes with petrol engines almost always derived from motorcycles and self-built chassis. 52 cars registered.
1E: prototypes with electric motors. A category that usually includes the top teams, that have greater financial resources and support sponsors. 19 cars registered.
1D: autonomous driving prototypes with electric motors (driverless). News of 2018, for the first time in Italy after having debuted in Germany. 7 cars registered.
3: electric or combustion engine prototypes that due to limited budgets participate only in static tests. 6 cars registered.

During the event, the teams will be engaged in static and dynamic tests depending on the category of participation.

The debut of the prototypes with autonomous driving
In recent years, giant leaps in technology and the continuous development of electric engines have convinced all the big manufacturers to start the experimentation on the road of unmanned cars. For this reason, some of the most important European universities in the engineering field have seized the opportunity to launch a program to create self-driving prototypes with which to compete within the Formula SAE world championship in the “Driverless” category.

Another spectacular weekend has just ended at the Misano World Circuit, which saw the extraordinary cohesion of two very hot events: the Rimini Pirelli Riviera Round Motul WorldSBK and La Notte Rosa, for a mix of motorsport and fun without precedent.

WORLDSBK: The unstoppable Jonathan Rea

The ninth round of the World Superbike championship saw once again the extraordinary performance of the Briton Jonathan Rea, who again won both race 1 and race 2, further extending the overall classification.
The first race ended with his Kawasaki number 1 in first place ahead of Chaz Davies who lead his Ducati to the comeback after a great start, in third place Laverty on Aprilia.
From seventh place, Marco Melandri redeemed himself in race 2, finishing on the podium, with an exceptional third place, behind van Der Mark on Yamaha. Rea’s victory in the Sunday race was incredible, as the Kawasaki rider started from ninth position.

WORLDSSP 600 and 300 and STOCK1000

22-year-old Raffaele Federico Caricasulo won the World Supersport 600 after starting from pole re-raised for the final victory. In second place came Raffaele De Rosa on Agusta and in third place Sandro Cortese on Yamaha.

At the age of 18, the Roman Manuel Bastianelli won the Supersport 300 race, passing Perez and Gonzalez on the finishing line. Luca Bernardi from San Marino came in fourth place – an excellent result.

Last but not least, the Sock1000, marked by the success of Markus Reiterberger, commanding the race right from the first corner, ahead of the German Maximilian Scheib and Riccardo Russo.

An all-pink weekend

Fans loved the Superbike and The Pink Night combo with a super successful Pink Night SBK Happy Hour that allowed fans to enter the paddock of their favorites with a special ticket.
The final result was excellent, with over 68 thousand fans, who participated in the activities of the Misano World Circuit, celebrating New Year’s Eve with the motto: Pink Your Life.

Following the success of the Pirelli Riviera of Rimini Round of the Motul WorldSBK, the motoring world is getting ready for another great appointment in July: from 20 to 22 July the World Ducati Week hits off with over 80,000 Ducati fans expected from all over the world, as well as the ELF CIV from the 27th to 29th of July with Riders’ Land riders racing on the track.

Horacio Pagani, founder and chief designer of Pagani Automobili, is now one of the honorary graduates of Unimore (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia). The University of Emilia has in fact conferred the title of Master’s Degree in Vehicle Engineering.

From Argentina to the Motor Valley
Of Argentinian origin, Horacio has always wanted to tie his entrepreneurial successes and his name to the Motor Valley. “This is an extraordinary and fertile land that needs to be irrigated, otherwise the plants do not grow.” We need sacrifices, we think of Scaglietti, who at the beginning did not have the money to buy the pedals for his bicycle, while today his cars are worth tens of millions of euros “. These are the words, addressed especially to young people, that Horacio Pagani pronounced during the ceremony.

Modena as a point of reference
Pagani, visibly moved by the Rector of Unimore Angelo Oreste Andrisano, recalled when he was looking at Modena as an example city when he was young. “I looked at the supercars that were built here and seeing these cars was something that inspired me”.

From the partnership with Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Toro Rosso, the Global MBA Supercars, Superbikes and Motorsports are born: the first international Masters that involves the Bologna Business School and top managers from local companies in the automotive sector that will take turns in the classroom to offer specialized skills in design, technology and business management in this sector.

Specific training in the automotive field

The project responds to the need to create specific and up-to-date professional skills in an area that in recent years has distinguished itself for its ability to overcome global challenges in the market, contributing directly to professional training.

An internship within Motor Valley companies

Thanks to the collaboration with the partner companies, MBA students will have the opportunity to work closely with companies from the Motor Valley, meet with managers and technicians, develop organizational projects within an in-house internship and subsequently be included in the selection processes for a continuous position within the companies.

Alex Zanardi will race in the only Italian stage of the DTM championship scheduled from 24 to 26 August 2018 on the Misano World Circuit This is the second lot of extraordinary news after the announcement that the prestigious championship for touring cars organized in Germany will return to Italy of the that will include night races for the first time.

Alex Zanardi’s happiness

The former Formula 1 driver, four times gold medalist in Para-cycling at the 2012 London Paralympic Games and Rio 2016, will be on board a BMW M4 DTM adapted to his needs and will be back in this competition after the 2012 test and the final race of the 2015 season. The champion said he felt “like a kid in a candy store” “and could not wait to race. “I had planned to be there as an observer on the Romagna circuit, but instead I will be the protagonist on the track and in the unusual configuration of a DTM race at night. It’s simply fantastic “- were his words.

Gerhard Berger’s satisfaction

Gerhard Berger, historic Formula 1 driver in the ’80s and’ 90s, now President of ITR and organizer of the DTM, has defined the news “a great gift”, showing the enormous joy in welcoming an extraordinary and popular character to Italy and in the world, like Alex Zanardi. “His life and his example, his performance as an athlete along with humanity and optimism, inspire strength in millions of people around the world. We know that he will participate happily, he would not hit the track if he wasn’t convinced and in front of an audience that loves him so much. Knowing him, we know that he will prepare excellently, with professionalism and ambition. Welcome to DTM, dear Alex! “- declared the president.

The DTM stage in Misano

The DTM appointment on the Misano World Circuit is attracting more and more attention from European enthusiasts, especially Germans, who can take advantage of the opportunity to arrive by train thanks to the agreement between APT Emilia-Romagna and Destination Romagna with Deutsche Bahn for a Monaco – Rimini railway line running from 1 June to 10 September.

Last May 10, after intense construction works lasting six months, the new BTS (Build-to-Suit) warehouse of Ducati was inaugurated at the P3 Park in Sala Bolognese, a few kilometers from Bologna and Lamborghini.

The structure is spread over an area of ​​over 30,000 square meters and will become the hub for the storage and distribution of accessories and original spare parts for the companies from Borgo Panigale and Sant’Agata Bolognese.

The new structure

A state of the art warehouse that uses environmentally sustainable technologies such as LED lighting, thermal insulation and solar panels that can heat water in offices with power heating and cooling systems.

An important project that demonstrates the bond and the attention that these two iconic Motor Valley brands pay to their territory, dedicating important resources and investments.

A street dedicated to Ducati and Lamborghini

As further confirmation of this constructive relationship, the Municipality of Sala Bolognese wants to dedicate the name of the street where the warehouse stands to the two historic Emilian brands, calling it Via Ducati-Lamborghini.