Frequently Asked Questions
Our team receives many enquiries from potential members each week. These are some of our most frequently asked questions in regard to the team and the project, the work involved, the rewards and benefits, knowledge required and more. Feel free to contact us vial email at team@qutmotorsport.com, or fill our the contact form under the 'Contact Us' tab to submit any questions.
How much do I need to already know to be a part of the QUT Motorsport Team?
Although prior knowledge/experience is handy and a great head start, it is absolutely not essential. The team is set up to teach you everything else you need to know to be a contributing member. The most important thing to bring to the team is a keen attitude and a willingness to learn. The best way to approach the team is to assume you know nothing and would like to learn everything.
I am not able to commit a lot of time to the team; can I still join?
QUT Motorsport is a serious team (run much like a real business), and some senior members in the team can work 40-50 hours a week on the project. As a new member, we do not expect anything like this. As a first year in the team, the best thing you can do is pop by the lab when you have some free time between classes, attend all the meetings and do as much listening and question-asking as possible. Any amount of time you are willing to commit is fine. However, you will get out of this team what you put in, so the members that are around the most are naturally the ones that will be included in the greatest number of projects.
Who gets to drive the car?
Any member in the team has the possibility to drive the car. The team undertakes regular track test days with our current EV and our 2012 Combustion vehicle. The team has a structure in place where any member (current and new) who shows exemplary work across a significant portion of the year may be rewarded with a drive of the car at one of our track days should they desire to do so. The privilege (or pressure?) of driving the car at competition is usually reserved for senior members in the team, however new members to the team with a professional racing background may be considered for this. So, speak to one of our senior members if you have any serious racing experience.
What is it like day-to-day being in the team?
Our members contribute countless hours to the team throughout the year. You will find a lot of them working hard in our lab (located in O-Block room 120) most days throughout the week as well as during holidays. As well as being dedicated teammates, our members also create long-term friendships that exceed team and university life and most days you will find our members working together and with industry as if part of a real-world organisation or company.
How fast do the cars go?
The FSAE competition is designed to keep top speeds low for safety reasons. FSAE cars are designed around acceleration and maximising cornering ability at low speeds. Most cars have a top speed around 110km/h. FSAE cars however are some of the fastest accelerating cars in world motorsport. Top cars can do 0-100km/h in 2-3 seconds, similar to a Formula One car.
How and When can I join the team?
You can join QUT Motorsport at any time throughout the year! However, our main intake is at the beginning of the year and we recommend joining at this time for your own benefit as there will be many more opportunities for you to contribute. You can fill out the contact form or email us at team@qutmotorsport.com to get in contact with our team and we will send you a formal invitation to one of our weekly meetings so you can be given more information and details on the team and meet some of our experienced team members. You can also come and visit the team during Welcome Week. Each year our team holds stalls at Gardens Point Welcome Week. We get a significant amount of interest during this time so we would recommend contacting us prior just so we can put you in contact with one of our members sooner.