The FIA, which has welcomed Siemens into its new Global Partnership Programme, will extend its use of software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to create and refine the aerodynamic concepts that shape the regulations for single-seater race cars, from Formula 1 through to Formula 4.

Using Siemens’ Designcenter NX software, the FIA can design complex vehicle models, visualise them in lifelike detail, and iterate digitally before running computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations on the model. This process enables the FIA to test and optimise car designs for performance and safety in a virtual environment, significantly reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing and physical wind tunnel testing. Since 2022, the FIA aerodynamics team has used Siemens’ Designcenter NX software to generate over 14,000 individual Computer Aided Design (CAD) parts, for testing in over 10,000 CFD runs. Assessing the aerodynamics of the cars digitally has reduced the environmental impact of manufacturing prototypes and physical wind tunnel testing.

“Motorsport is as a living lab for innovation, incubating technological advancements that often transform series production later”, said Cedrik Neike, CEO of Digital Industries and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. “But the race starts before the rubber meets the road. It begins in the factories, with advanced software and the minds of brilliant engineers. Through our immersive digital twin technology, we’re enabling FIA to further push the boundaries of performance, safety, and sustainability for mobility.”

“We’re proud to partner with global technology leaders like Siemens to shape the future of motor sport. This collaboration shows the strength of our wider partner network, where world-class brands are helping us deliver progress across performance, safety and sustainability,” said Craig Edmondson, chief commercial officer, FIA.

The FIA Global Partnership Programme aims to foster collaboration with leading organizations across the world who share the FIA’s vision for driving innovation, sustainability and safety across both motor sport and mobility. Through this collaboration, Siemens will become part of this community and support the shared ambition to pioneer technological advances across motorsport and the wider automotive sector.