UVigo Motorsport unveiled last Friday the UM26, the new single-seater car that will compete this summer in Formula Student events in Austria and Spain. The vehicle incorporates significant improvements in terms of weight reduction, propulsion and aerodynamics, but this edition also carries a special meaning for the team, as its development was marked by the fire that destroyed the team’s workshop last February.
Following the incident, CINTECX (Centre for Research in Technologies, Energy and Industrial Processes) and the CIMA research group provided UVigo Motorsport with workspace that enabled the team to continue manufacturing the vehicle and maintain its schedule for the season. During the presentation, Marta Cabo, the team’s leader, acknowledged the support received from both entities, highlighting that access to these facilities was essential for continuing the project.
The collaboration between the team and CINTECX continues today. While work related to the fire-damaged facilities is still ongoing, the team continues to carry out part of its activities in the spaces made available within the research centre.
CINTECX at the UM26 presentation
The presentation ceremony, held at the School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Vigo, brought together institutional representatives, partner companies and members of the university community. CINTECX was represented by its Deputy Director, Alejandro Gómez Yepes, who congratulated the team on the work accomplished over recent months and on completing the UM26 under particularly challenging circumstances.
Gómez Yepes highlighted the educational and technological value of initiatives such as UVigo Motorsport and expressed CINTECX’s support for a project that enables dozens of students each year to apply engineering knowledge in a real-world environment involving design, manufacturing and competition.
A lighter single-seater with major technical improvements
The UM26 features an estimated weight reduction of around 25 kilograms compared with its predecessor, incorporates a new Triumph Daytona engine, and introduces a complete redesign of both the propulsion systems and the aerodynamic package. With this vehicle, the team will compete at Formula Student Austria at the end of July and later at Formula Student Spain, which will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.