Support for Young Engineers from Zes: İTÜ Racing's IST26 Hits the Track

Zes, which contributes to the development of the electric mobility ecosystem, has become the naming sponsor of IST26, the new electric race car developed by the İTÜ Racing Formula Student Team for the 2026 season. The car, which will hit the track under the name "IST26 powered by Electrip | Zes," will compete in Formula Student races to be held in Italy and Türkiye in the 2026 season.

Zes, which continues its efforts in the field of electric mobility, has entered into a collaboration with the İTÜ Racing Formula Student Team in order to contribute to young engineers gaining experience in electric vehicle technologies. As part of the collaboration, Zes has taken on the naming sponsorship of IST26, the new electric race car developed by the team for the 2026 season.

As part of the naming sponsorship, the Zes brand, under which Electrip Global operates in Türkiye, will appear together on the vehicle with the Electrip brand used in Europe, as "Electrip | Zes." İTÜ Racing's new electric race car will compete in international Formula Student organizations in the 2026 season under the name "IST26 powered by Electrip | Zes."

Support for young engineering competence in electric vehicle technologies
Zes Country Manager Cüneyt Tınaz, evaluating the collaboration, drew attention to the importance of qualified human resources in the development of electric mobility.

Tınaz stated, "We believe that the future of electric mobility will be shaped not only by the widespread adoption of charging infrastructure, but also by the training of qualified human resources who will develop new technologies in this field. We find the technical competence demonstrated by the İTÜ Racing Formula Student Team, and the structure that enables students to transform their theoretical knowledge into a real engineering project, extremely valuable."

"As Zes, we are happy to be the naming sponsor of IST26 and to accompany young engineers on this journey. We also attach particular importance to the fact that IST26 powered by Electrip | Zes will showcase the competence of our young engineers on the international Formula Student stage. I wish the entire team success in the 2026 season," he said.

Formula Student brings university students together in engineering projects
Formula Student, which brings together university students from different countries around the world, allows young engineers to test the race cars they design and develop across different disciplines.

The organization enables students to translate their theoretical knowledge in engineering, particularly in the field of electric vehicle technologies, into real projects, while also providing them with the opportunity to gain experience in areas such as teamwork, project management, cost analysis, and business development.

İTÜ Racing achieved a significant success in the electric category in Türkiye
The İTÜ Racing Formula Student Team achieved a significant success in the electric category at the Formula Student Türkiye race, held for the first time in 2025. The team, which achieved first place in all the stages it participated in, also collected the highest score in all of the static events.

Having received a perfect score in the Business Plan Presentation event, İTÜ Racing earned the title of Türkiye's best electric Formula Student team with its results in the 2025 season.

Building on the experience and technical know-how gained in the 2025 season, the team aims to take its performance further in the 2026 season with IST26.

Aerodynamics and performance-focused developments in IST26
While TÜBİTAK approval was obtained for 15 different subsystems of IST26, developed by İTÜ Racing, significant technical improvements were made to the vehicle compared to the previous generation.

As a result of the aerodynamic work carried out, IST26 is targeted to generate 32% more downforce than the previous vehicle. According to simulations carried out by the team, the vehicle is projected to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds.

These developments aim to bring the vehicle to a more advanced level compared to the previous generation, particularly in terms of track performance, road grip, and acceleration capability.

IST26's first stop is Italy
"IST26 powered by Electrip | Zes" will begin its 2026 season race schedule with Formula Student ATA, to be held in Italy between September 2–6, 2026.

Following the race in Italy, the team will compete in the Formula Student Türkiye organization, to be held between September 21–27, 2026.

As İTÜ Racing represents Türkiye on the international Formula Student stage with its new electric race car IST26, it will also showcase young engineers' technical knowledge and experience in electric vehicle technologies in a racing environment.