Main content | back to top
Tough technical inspections
Around 162 teams were already on site at the Ahoy stadium in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on Tuesday 15 May. More joined today. Before taking to the track they must all pass a strict technical inspection to check their car is fit for purpose and safe.
In a vast hangar teams were still busy tightening bolts and adjusting brakes. “This year the inspection is much harder,” said Enrique Garcia Ripoll, team supervisor of the Eco-Dimoni team from Spain. “Usually we pass first time but this year we had to go back to adjust our brakes and tape down a few wires – safety comes first.”
For the first time UrbanConcept cars must have a windscreen wiper, offering some protection against the probable chance of Dutch rain. The DTU Roadrunners from Denmark were making last-minute adjustments – having fixed their wiper – before their first practice run on the track. “The new track is a challenge,” says one team member. “The turns are sharper and the track is narrower so overtaking will be hard.”
The UrbanConcept practice runs start in the early afternoon, followed by the Prototype vehicles later in the day.
Teams hope their cars will pass the technical inspection at Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2012
