VELOCE DYNAMICS, the F1 in Schools / STEM Racing team of Smiling International School in Ferrara, Italy, has completed a flawless debut season – winning all four knockout races at the Regional Qualifiers on 5 February 2026 and earning a place at the prestigious Regional Finals at the Circuit of Imola.
The team – nine students guided by mentor Arun Prabagar – built their first car in Fusion 360, validated it through ANSYS CFD simulation, manufactured it on a 3D printer, and raced it to a perfect record.
Now, with qualification secured, they are building something entirely new: a car inspired by the Greater Road Runner – nature’s fastest, most agile ground bird – featuring a CNC-milled body, 50% recycled-plastic wings, and a bold new livery ready for Imola.
THE TEAM
Nine Students. One Perfect Record.
The team consists of nine students: Francesco Zapparoli and Lorenzo Gildone lead car modelling in Fusion 360; Sara Ibrahim and Riccardo Scabbia handle aerodynamics and ANSYS simulation; Boyan Michev and Melissa Zighami manage brand strategy and sponsor outreach; Arsenii Nesterenkov, Vladyslav Zhalinskyi and Luca Dong provide external technical support.
During dedicated IT lab sessions, students also built the official team website – velocedynamics.eu – entirely from scratch, hosting their engineering portfolio, enterprise documents and a live reaction-time race game.
Qualifier Model
Four Races. Four Wins. Zero Errors.
On 5 February 2026, Veloce Dynamics made their competitive debut at the STEM Racing Regional Qualifiers. In knockout-format racing, CO₂-propelled cars are timed to the thousandth of a second.
The result: four races, four wins. A perfect 4-out-of-4 knockout record. Best run time: 1.847 seconds. Best reaction: 0.184 seconds. The team qualified for the Regional Finals with authority.
The Road Runner Car Is Born
With qualification secured, the team immediately began work on an entirely new car – built around the concept of the Greater Road Runner (Geococcyx californianus): a bird shaped by nature for explosive speed, agility and aerodynamic efficiency.
The new car narrative runs nose to tail. A sharp, tapered beak-like nose cone; a low aerodynamic body; swept rear wings echoing outstretched tail feathers. The bold livery – sky blue, deep violet, orange and hot pink – mirrors the bird’s vivid plumage.
The new car features a CNC milled body for superior surface quality and tighter aerodynamic tolerances. Front and rear wings use 50% recycled plastics. Wheel assemblies incorporate 30% recycled resin. Every component has been evaluated for mass – the goal is a lighter car overall.
Road to Imola
29–30 April: The Circuit of Imola Awaits
On 29 and 30 April 2026, Veloce Dynamics compete at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola – one of motorsport’s most legendary circuits. Engineering documentation, verbal presentation, pit display and enterprise strategy are all scored alongside track speed. The team arrives with a new car and everything they have built across an extraordinary season.
Veloce Dynamics has secured strong sponsorship: Ingenium, Slam Jam, InterimAct, Aurora Service Team, Art Court, Innova Facility Management, LeonardoRosa, Inclusione21 and. Each partner reached through professional outreach by the marketing sub-team.
Engineering the Road Runner: From Sketch to Circuit
DESIGN & MANUFACTURING
Phase 1: Learning Fusion 360 & ANSYS
Before the first component was modelled, mentor Arun Prabagar led students through weeks of intensive training in Autodesk Fusion 360 for parametric 3D modelling and ANSYS for computational fluid dynamics simulation — industry-standard tools used by professional Formula 1 engineers worldwide.
Students learned to build car geometries, apply aerodynamic constraints, interpret CFD results, and iterate based on data rather than instinct. Every design decision was validated by simulation before proceeding to manufacture.
Phase 2: Car 06 — The Qualifier Model
Car 06 was 3D printed using FDM technology operated entirely by students. Every surface — nose cone, sidepods, front and rear wings — was modelled by Francesco Zapparoli and Lorenzo Gildone, aerodynamically optimised by Sara Ibrahim and Riccardo Scabbia, and dressed in the team’s sky-blue livery by the marketing team.
The 3D-printed qualifier car proved the team’s process works. Four wins at the qualifiers confirmed it.
Phase 3: The Road Runner Redesign
The new car replaces 3D-printing with CNC milling for the primary body — delivering a surface finish and dimensional accuracy that printing cannot match. This directly translates to better aerodynamic consistency at STEM Racing track speeds. Sustainability is woven into the design: 50% recycled plastics in the wings, 30% recycled resin in the wheel assemblies. The team presented this as part of their enterprise strategy, demonstrating awareness of motorsport’s environmental responsibilities.
The Team, the Partners and the Road Ahead
THE PEOPLE
Meet Veloce Dynamics
Francesco Zapparoli & Lorenzo Gildone – Car Modelling & Design (Fusion 360)
Sara Ibrahim & Riccardo Scabbia – Physics & Performance (ANSYS CFD)
Boyan Michev & Melissa Zighami – Marketing & Enterprise
Arsenii Nesterenkov, Vladyslav Zhalinskyi & Luca Dong – External Technical Support
Lead Mentor: Arun Prabagar
Supporting Mentor: Eleonora Morelli
The Website
The official team website – velocedynamics.eu – was built entirely by students during IT lab sessions. It hosts the full Engineering Portfolio, Enterprise Document, Project Management Plan, and a live reaction-time race simulator.
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Ingenium – Slam Jam – InterimAct – Aurora Service Team – Art Court – Innova Facility Management – Inclusione21 LeonardoRosa(Digital Marketing)
All partnerships were secured through professional outreach – pitch letters, proposals and presentations – managed by the marketing team.
WHAT’S NEXT
REGIONAL FINALS
Circuit of Imola
29–30 April 2026
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Regional Finals scores teams across: track race time, engineering documentation, verbal presentation, pit display, and enterprise strategy. Veloce Dynamics arrives with their new Road Runner car, a refined story and a full season of experience.
REACH US
velocedynamics.eu
@velocedynamics
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