On 7 May, Széchenyi István University’s Győr Innovation Park hosted a truly unique event, where several hundred visitors viewed the Audi Revolut F1 Team’s show car. The team includes a number of professionals who are former or current students at the University. During the day, three of them took part in a round-table discussion, offering insights into the world of Formula 1 to those in attendance.
One of the distinctive features of this year’s Formula 1 World Championship is the presence of two new teams on the grid, including the Audi Revolut F1 Team. Thanks to the decades-long partnership between Audi Hungaria and Széchenyi István University, the German manufacturer displayed its Formula 1 show car at the University’s Győr Innovation Park. As part of the programme, Hungarian Formula 1 commentator Dani Nagy hosted a round-table discussion with three former and current students of the University, all of whom work for the success of the team. Alongside Anna Szakonyi, Dávid Szegletes and Máté Matuska, Gergely Vojnits, head of the Formula Student Arrabona Racing Team, also shared his thoughts with the audience.
In his welcoming speech, Dr Dániel Feszty, Head of the Department of Whole Vehicle Development at Széchenyi István University and a member of the management of Audi Hungaria’s vehicle development division, described the occasion as a historic moment. As he explained, it is extremely rare – even in Western Europe – for a Formula 1 show car to be displayed on a university campus. He added that this opportunity was the result of the long-term, strategically built cooperation between Audi and SZE in the field of motorsport, which has many shared elements.
“Motorsport is in Audi’s DNA, and the same is true of Széchenyi University,” he said.
As examples, he cited the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Vehicle Engineering; the Arrabona Racing Team, SZEngine and SZEnergy student teams – all supported by Audi and among the world’s elite; the MSc in Motorsport Engineering programme launched in 2025; and the Hungaroring Automotive and Motorsport External Department. He noted that the institution now operates a full brand and ecosystem under the name Széchenyi Motorsport. “The close cooperation between a global brand and a university at this level is unique worldwide, and both parties benefit enormously from it,” he emphasised.
During the round-table discussion, it was revealed that Anna Szakonyi works as a junior project manager for the team, where she is responsible for the car’s floor, while she is also close to completing another degree in Vehicle Engineering at Széchenyi István University. Thanks to the Formula Student competition series, she entered the world of Formula 1 as an intern, and currently contributes to the team’s success at the Audi Revolut F1 Team’s factory in Switzerland.
“As a child, I did watch Formula 1 with my grandfather, but when I was younger I did not yet have such a clear goal – for a long time I wanted to become a veterinarian. I studied international business economics at university in Austria, and that was when the field first began to interest me. During the coronavirus pandemic, I decided that I definitely wanted to work in Formula 1. That’s also why I applied to the vehicle engineering programme at Széchenyi University – to complement my existing economic knowledge with technical expertise,” she explained.
She added that motorsport needs not only engineers, but also professionals in communication, marketing, economics and many other fields, so students in those disciplines should also feel encouraged to pursue this path.
Máté Matuska’s journey also began at Széchenyi István University, continued at the Audi Hungaria plant in Győr and at an Austrian company building vehicles for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the USA, and ultimately led him to Formula 1 as an employee of Audi Formula Racing GmbH. “
As a university student, I started out in the Arrabona Racing Team, and just as back then, I still work in performance simulation today. Energy management is my area, so during race weekends we are in constant contact with the team and the drivers. Up until the end of qualifying, we run simulations to ensure the race goes as well as possible,” revealed the lecturer of Széchenyi University’s MSc in Motorsport Engineering programme.
He added that it was at the University in Győr that he truly realised that what he had imagined for himself was, in fact, achievable.
Dávid Szegletes, power unit integration engineer for the Audi F1 Project, also graduated from the University in Győr, and during his studies became involved in motorsport as a member of the SZEngine Team.
“This is where I fell in love with this world, and my work in the student team gave me an excellent foundation. I joined Audi Hungaria as an intern, and later, as a full-time employee, I came across the call announcing that the company was looking for staff for its Formula 1 project. I applied for every possible position, and in the end, I was successful,” he recalled.
As he noted, a significant part of his tasks focuses on next-generation developments, although the current race weekends also play an important role in his life.
Gergely Vojnits, head of the Arrabona Racing Team, shed light on the first steps of a motorsport career from a student perspective. As he explained, their team currently works with nearly 70 members to achieve ever-better international results.
“As team leader, my goal is to ensure that our members encounter as many opportunities as possible through which they can gain experience and make their way into teams at the very top international level,” he stressed.
He advised his fellow students to focus only on what genuinely interests them, as the examples of the round-table participants clearly show that a motorsport career requires a great deal of hard work and true dedication.
