HyDriven makes hydrogen history at the Red Bull Ring
Twente student team’s “Nova” becomes first hydrogen fuel cell Formula Student car on legendary Austrian track.
Published on August 12, 2025
© HyDriven
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On the final week of July 2025, the HyDriven student team from the University of Twente and Saxion University of Applied Sciences etched their name into motorsport history. Their hydrogen-powered racecar, Nova, became the first fuel-cell Formula Student car to drive on Austria’s iconic Red Bull Ring.
It was the culmination of months of preparation and five intense days of competition at Formula Student Austria (FSA), where the team’s mission went far beyond lap times. As HyDriven puts it: “We want to make the automotive industry and other industries aware of the potential of hydrogen. However, we cannot do this alone… which is why we want to convince other student teams to switch to a hydrogen-powered vehicle and set up a hydrogen class within the Formula Student competition.”
A tough but promising start
Day 1 at the Red Bull Ring began with the essential hurdle every Formula Student team faces: scrutineering. “We didn’t pass right away,” the team admitted after mechanical checks revealed minor issues, “but after fixing some minor issues, we’re almost done - just waiting on the check of a document”, the team wrote in their daily report. The driver safety check went smoothly, but accumulator scrutineering — ensuring the car’s electrical energy storage was compliant and safe — revealed work to be done.
The welcome event that evening offered a brief pause before Day 2’s fast-paced pit relocation to the Red Bull Ring itself. With limited time, the crew packed, moved, unpacked, and got straight back to scrutineering. A faulty safety light slowed progress, but by late evening, they were deep into electrical inspections. “It was a long day, a late night, but real progress!”
Milestones, setbacks, and solutions
That persistence paid off on Day 3. “After 15 hours of intense work, we finally passed the accumulator scrutineering this morning!” With that clearance, electrical inspection followed swiftly. The team also tackled the Cost & Manufacturing and Engineering Design events, defending their technical and strategic choices to the judges.
Not everything went smoothly. “One of the wheels stopped turning due to an electrical issue,” they reported. “But our team found the root cause and fixed it… Both wheels are turning again, which is a big relief!” Passing the tilt test earlier in the season meant focus could now shift to rain, brake, and hydrogen inspections — the final steps before entering dynamic events.
Green light for hydrogen
Day 4 brought a breakthrough. “Hydrogen scrutineering is all about safety, making sure the entire system is leak-free,” the team explained. “And… we did it!” With Nova’s hydrogen system officially approved, the car could attempt the brake test. That first try fell short of locking all four wheels, requiring brake bias adjustments.
Still, the day’s real magic was seeing Nova move under her own power for the first time at the Red Bull Ring. “Seeing Nova take her first test drive… was absolutely incredible. A huge milestone for the team and the car!”
The historic run
The moment they had been working towards arrived on Day 5: “Nova drove on the Red Bull Ring, and that with an accumulator charged by our own hydrogen system!” It was their first run of the year using electricity generated on-site from hydrogen — proof of concept for a sustainable racing future.
With limited time, they couldn’t confirm whether they could recharge the accumulator while driving, so they removed the hydrogen tank to maximize test laps on stored energy. The second attempt at the brake test again fell short, but there was another bright spot: Nova reached a higher top speed than any of the team’s previous cars.
More than a race week
Wrapping up the event, HyDriven reflected: “It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but… we made it! FSA confirmed: Nova is scrutineered and rule-compliant. A huge win for our team and for the future of hydrogen in racing.”
While they didn’t compete in all dynamic events, they left with valuable data, new technical experience, and the knowledge that they had taken a genuine first step toward integrating hydrogen into Formula Student competitions worldwide.
“Our journey isn’t just about one competition,” the team emphasized. “It’s about paving the way for hydrogen in motorsport. This week proved we’re on the right path.”
With Nova’s first taste of the Red Bull Ring complete, the next chapter will be written back in Enschede — refining the car, addressing the brake challenge, and pushing their hydrogen vision further.
Hydrogen students from Delft
There is also racing news with a hydrogen twist from Delft. Last weekend, Forze Hydrogen Racing gave visitors to Jack's Racing Days a glimpse of the future of sustainable motorsport. The Delft student team raced their latest hydrogen-powered race car, the Forze IX, at the TT Circuit Assen.
Although the Forze IX is still under development, the car competed in the Supercar Challenge races, a class normally dominated by combustion engine vehicles. Despite the vehicle still being in an interim configuration, the team proved that hydrogen can already be an alternative to fossil fuels today, even in motorsport.
Live demonstration of hydrogen technology
During the weekend, thousands of visitors had the opportunity to see a hydrogen vehicle in action on the track. In the paddock, Forze students shared their technical approach and their mission: to accelerate the energy transition through sustainable technology.
“With the Forze IX, we want to show what is already technically possible with hydrogen,” says Ryan Zondag, team manager at Forze. “We are still in the middle of the development phase, but we wanted to give the public a preview of what hydrogen can mean in a world where sustainability is incredibly urgent.”
The Forze IX is the most advanced project Forze has realized to date. With two fuel cell systems and electric four-wheel drive, the team is working toward a race car that can compete with conventional vehicles on the track, but without harmful emissions.
