Welcome back!

The 2025 season may be in our rearview mirror, but we aren’t taking our foot off the gas. After competing across North America and Europe, the team came home with new lessons, fresh momentum, and plenty of ideas for how to raise the bar again. Now, with the fall semester underway, UTFR is already hard at work on UT26.

This year won’t just be about building another car, it’s about taking a historic step forward for the team. Between our biggest technical change yet, a strong wave of new recruits, and a packed calendar of events, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in our history.

In this edition: 

• What’s ahead with UT26

• Pit Lane Perspectives: Team Captain Eric Emmenegger

• Recruiting Kickoff and Open House

• Toronto Shootout 2025

Let’s dive right in.

What’s New This Year

UTFR has always looked for ways to innovate, but UT26 is set to change the game. For the first time in our EV history, the car will feature a four-wheel drive powertrain. This is more than just a technical tweak, it’s a shift that literally touches every corner of the car. From acceleration to handling to stability, 4WD unlocks a level of performance that we’ve never had before.

Making the switch has already demanded new approaches in design, simulation, and packaging, but it’s the kind of challenge that pushes the team to grow. The engineering sections have been deep in design work since June, and the excitement in the shop is impossible to miss. UT26 is shaping up to be the most capable car we’ve ever built.

Pit Lane Perspectives: How Eric Emmenegger Plans to Climb His Way to the Top of FSAE Michigan

This issue, we sat down with UTFR’s new team principal, Eric Emmenegger, the night before the team headed to Formula Student Germany. Only a month into the role, Eric has already made it clear what drives him: ambition, innovation, and a relentless focus on the small details that separate good teams from great ones.

From Cars to Climbing Walls

Eric’s path to motorsport wasn’t straightforward. He had always been interested in cars, but it wasn’t until COVID that he immersed himself in racing, watching drifting highlights and obscure series before discovering Formula Student through a friend at UofT. Once he joined UTFR, he rotated between mechanical and electrical projects, eventually leading accumulator development. That broad experience gave him the foundation to step into the team principal role. “I felt like I knew enough about both sides to manage timelines and direction,” he said.

Outside the shop, Eric finds the same challenge in climbing that he does in engineering. He draws inspiration from climbers like Dave MacLeod, whose calm precision under pressure mirrors what Eric strives for in leadership, the ability to commit fully when the margin for error is razor-thin.

Living by the Sword

When asked about handling pressure, Eric leaned on a saying that has stuck with him “To live by the sword and die by the sword.” For him, engineering is about making deliberate, justified decisions and standing by them. “Even if you don’t have perfect information, you need to be confident in your choice,” he explained. It’s a mindset he hopes to instill across the team.

Lessons from Jaguar

Eric recently completed a year-long internship with Jaguar TCS Racing in Formula E, an experience that left a lasting mark on how he approaches engineering. One of the biggest takeaways for him was the balance between perfection and iteration. “With mechanical engineering, you often want a design to be perfect before it’s made. Electrical engineers, on the other hand, are more comfortable with building something, debugging it, and refining as they go,” he explained. “Finding the right balance between those two mindsets is critical.”

That perspective has shaped how he thinks about UTFR’s design process, knowing when to hold the line on precision, and when to move forward and solve problems as they arise. It also gave him confidence in high-pressure environments. “I definitely felt pressure to prove myself,” Eric admitted. “But I handled it by reaching out, building connections, and taking on projects outside my comfort zone.”

Ambition & Innovation

When asked about his goals for the season, Eric didn’t hesitate. He spoke about improving the car’s fundamentals; cutting weight, developing four-wheel drive, refining suspension and aero, while also tightening operations in the shop. For him, innovation isn’t just about bold technical leaps but also about building better habits and raising standards year after year.

Consistency in Endurance

If there’s one thing Eric takes pride in, it’s UTFR’s reputation for reliability. The team has finished every single endurance event it has entered, something almost unheard of in Formula Student. For Eric, that consistency is more than a statistic, it’s an identity.

“Endurance is where our consistency really shows,” he said. “No matter the setbacks, whether it’s a crash, cooling issues, or barely scraping through tech, we’ve always found a way to get to the finish.”

He went further, describing UTFR as “one of the most consistent teams in the world” when it comes to endurance. His goal is clear, protect the streak at all costs.

The Team Today

Despite his ambition, Eric’s dream version of UTFR isn’t some far-off ideal. “The team has always had a dedicated group of people willing to push themselves,” he said. Growth has been dramatic, from a handful of members when he joined to nearly 90 active contributors today, but the philosophy remains the same: solve problems resourcefully, stay dedicated, and focus on constant improvement.

And as for the future? When Eric was asked about his dream version of UTFR, he had only one very simple thing to say.

“My dream version of UTFR is what it is today.”

Learn more about Eric Emmenegger on LinkedIn

Recruiting Kickoff

Just a couple weeks ago we had this year’s Recruits Kickoff, which was one of our biggest yet, with more than 300 students coming through over two nights. Interest poured in from all across campus, from engineering and computer science to business and media. The atmosphere was buzzing, where UofT students saw how they could get involved with the team, had the chance to meet our recruitment leads, learn about our sections, and see how they can play a role in building UT26. It was a strong start to the year and a reminder of just how much excitement UTFR generates at UofT.

Open House

Just one week after our recruits kickoff, UTFR hosted an Open House event that turned out to be a tremendous success, welcoming over 200 attendees. The event gave UofT students the opportunity to meet our section leads and senior members, who shared insights into the exciting projects each section is working on this year. From engineering and design to business and operations, attendees were able to explore the full range of what our team has to offer. It was an engaging environment where students could ask questions, discover how to get involved, and connect with both new and returning members. Beyond learning about specific sections, many students left with a stronger understanding of the team’s mission and the unique opportunities UTFR provides.

Toronto Shootout 2025

On October 4, UTFR will once again help host the Toronto Shootout at Brechin Motorsport Park. This year, we’re excited to join 20 teams from across Canada for a day of testing, racing, and community.

The Shootout has grown into one of our favourite events of the year. It’s a chance for teams to bring out their cars from the past season, put them through their paces, and share the track in a more relaxed but still competitive setting. For UTFR, it’s also an important opportunity to gather data, get our drivers more seat time, and build connections with other Formula Student teams before the intensity of competition season ramps up again.

Beyond the technical side, the Shootout is also about celebrating Canadian student racing as a whole. Each year the event has grown, with more cars on track, more teams making the trip, and more sponsors and alumni coming out to watch. This October promises to be no different, and we’re looking forward to making it our biggest and best Shootout yet.

Get Involved

Sponsors

UTFR’s success is made possible by our sponsors, they help us with parts, manufacturing support, design advice, and so much more.

Our 2025/26 sponsorship package is now live. To know more about our offerings and upcoming season events, please reply to this email and we will get back to you.

Alumni

Know any UTFR Alumni who would like to keep in touch with our team’s journey? Fill out this form and learn more about our alumni offerings in the next edition.

We're always looking to improve and innovate, both on and off the track. Have any thoughts on this newsletter? Ideas for future content? We want to hear from you!

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