Mehdi El Fathy - Remtek Racing Solutions

Engineering ACHIEVEMENTS

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FS Team Delft DUT26 : Chief vehicle dynamics, Controls and Testing + Co-lead of the Driver-in-the-loop project

August 2025 - August 2026

As the Chief of Vehicle Dynamics, Controls and Testing of DUT26, I was tasked to lead a group of engineers to work on improving the car performance on track while interfacing with every other design departments.
For that car, the main Top Level Concept implemented was a suspension overhaul, replacing the effective front direct-acting damper and rear rocker-assisted damper to a Decoupled Heave-and-Roll suspension system on both axis, the first-of-its-kind in the history of FS Team Delft.The preceding cars, DUT24 and DUT25, brought Delft back to the forefront of FS Germany, including a podium finish for the latter. Both cars had really similar kinematics and spring-damper systems between the both of them, as the 2025 team was to carry on a similar design philosophy. The two previous cars, were suffering from various car behavior issues :1) Very little damper travel overall etc
2) Tyre overheat
3) Rear inside lifting, preventing YRC to work (sometimes both inside wheels off the ground)
4) Front wing hitting the ground on multiple occasionsAs the 2026 team was due for a major overhaul of its platform, we tackled the aforementioned issues through different ways :1) Previously, a significant part of the load transfer was geometric instead of elastic. One of the reasons was due to the high roll center front/rear as well as short swingarm length, due to the front spring-damper system that lacked an anti-roll bar for packaging purposes. The wheel/damper motion ratio was high, effectively allowing the tyres to heat up really quickly for the skidpad and autocross dynamic event, but suffering from severe tyre overheat during the endurance race. Data from testing on similar weather conditions than competition time, measured at standstill right after a full endurance was completed, showed surface temperature being over 25% higher than the optimal window, bringing unwanted thermal degradation.Furthermore, on high-load corners, the rear inside tyre was systematically lifting off the ground, preventing any use of the Yaw Rate Control system. This technology, frequently termed "Torque Vectoring", that applies a set amount of torque on all 4 wheels independantly, cannot work correctly whenever a wheel (sometimes even both inside wheels) would not be in contact with the ground.These issues were tackled through a top-down approach along with multiple department regarding their tasks for overall car improvement. Two of the main factors in lap time, which are mass and center of gravity position, saw major scrutiny, as the early-year targets were to reduce overall car mass by 10%, including unsprung mass reduction by over 30% and a CoG drop of 3.5%. This would grant an increase of about 30 points out of 1000 in competitions according to the team's custom laptime simulator.In order achieve this, significant synergy between the multiple departments was required, most notably alongside the Suspension department regarding the novel Decoupled Heave-Roll for DUT26. Due to the presence of a new roll element that provides variable stiffness, the target roll gradient could be fine tuned outside of its heavy dependance to the roll center height, and therefore being lowered down. This had the side effect of lowering jacking forces during cornering as well as lowering lateral tyre scrub.Additional work was undertaken alongside the Suspension department. While Vehicle Dynamics engineers were tasked, amongst other things, in developing the car kinematics around multiple cornering scenarios, the Suspension engineers had to replicate the pick-up point coordinates through our CAD software and letting us know about any clearance/packaging issues. This was especially important regarding the location of our pushrods in relation to our inner wheels.
Rule T2.6.4 comes to mind : "The radial clearance between any non-rotating part and the inside of the rim must be at least 5 mm in static condition at any steering angle and any ride height".
A particular attention was taken regarding our wheel-to-damper motion ratio for our new spring-damper system that had much more freedom than the previous one, in conjuction with KONI, one of the team's long-standing partner, for the development of both single-mode dampers. The cylindrical bellcrank with its forks allowed for fine tuning of the motion ratio value and curve through the bump and rebound travel, but we kept a conservative approach on motion ratio changes for simplicity and ease of understanding for a 1st year with a DHR suspension system, tying into our team goal of a reliable and well-understood car.Teamwork was also part of our development with the Aerodynamics department. In Formula Student, keeping the car and aero package in an ideal ride height window is crucial for performance, as is the case in most high-downforce cars, but with different constraints. Our cars don't have to deal with plank wear akin to F1 cars, or kerb strikes unsettling the car.
We still have to deal with aero boundaries boxes as well as a minimum ride height as per Rule T2.2.1 : 'The minimum static ground clearance of any portion of the vehicle, other than the tires,
including a driver, must be 30 mm". Previous years had to make major compromises between ideal roll gradients according to tyre data vs keeping the aero platform well balanced, which became an issue due to the aero FW RH sensitivity, coupled to ground strikes over bumps. This became another reason of our new spring-damper system for this year, allowing for "the best of both world" regarding the aforementioned case scenario. Pitch center was also a major factor taken into account, with careful considerations and analysis from both departments, as the underbody side diffusers were deemed the most critical parts of downforce generation due to its proximity to the ground. Kinematics were therefore readjusted to allow the side diffuser height, and therefore performance, to be more stable, and provide the driver with more confidence while driving the car under high-speed braking and cornering.

Testing has also been at the forefront of my involvement for the second part of the year.While most engineers are focusing on building parts and assembling a car that is worthy of winning FSG, I have the responbility to oversee the preparation of testing plans to make sure the car has FSG-winning-worthy pace on track for all dynamic events.We first started the testing season in March, running legacy cars, to do our internal Driver Selection, enabling us to set the basis of our run plans, team organisation and checklists. In Formula Student, cars are expected to do a endurance, lasting around 25 minutes. This leaves with very little driving time before having to recharge the high-voltage accumulator, therefore we need to carefully plan on-track and off-track duties to maximise driving time within a day.

During our car development, we undertook a new project, that was initially a small personal project from a previous year's team member, but became a new subdepartment of its own, which is the Driver-in-the-loop project.With my professional esports background in simracing, I always understood the importance of driving in the sim. In real motorsport, testing time on track is very limited, as testing is very costly. A set of Hoosier tyres, for instance is upwards of €800, which is a significant but necessary burder for FS teams. However, it doesn't mean that teams would buy tens of sets every year. Furthermore, driving a Formula Student car, let alone from a top team, is unlike anything one can encounter on track, due to its very advanced technologies, some of them not even being used in top-tier motorsport. Therefore, it would take an immense amount of time for a driver to get used to the car and drive it to its absolute limit, even more so when you factor into account that track width is limited by the rulebook, and in between rows of cones.From experience on the sim, drivers would get within 0.25% (about 0.2s off in a 90s lap) of their peak lap times after about 300 laps. Unfortunately, this doesn't even come close to the amount of driving time that a driver would get on the same track. For reference, a driver can only do 2 Autocross laps, and around 10 Endurance laps before he's done driving in a competition.As you can then conclude, there is a major gap to be gained on track performance, which is why I have been a major proponent of including DIL as a development system for DUT26 and beyond.Driver-in-the-loop simulation has become a key pillar of motorsport performance, particularly in Formula Student where on-track running is extremely limited. As mentioned above, a team cannot fully explore the limits of either the car or the driver. As a result, driver preparation becomes a decisive, yet often underestimated, factor in overall team performance.To address this, we are developing a driver-in-the-loop simulator designed to accurately replicate the tracks visited during competition. The objective is straightforward: allow drivers to train extensively in a controlled environment, long before arriving at the event. By recreating the nuances of each circuit, drivers can build familiarity, refine racing lines, and develop consistency — all from home. This approach shifts preparation from reactive to proactive, reducing the learning curve typically faced during the very limited real-world running.The simulator is built using Simulink for the vehicle and system modeling, coupled with Unreal Engine 5 to deliver a high-fidelity graphical environment. This combination allows us to bridge accurate physics-based modeling with immersive visual feedback, creating a tool that is both technically robust and intuitive for the driver.Beyond driver training, the long-term vision extends further. The simulator provides a platform to study the impact of setup changes in a repeatable environment, enabling more informed engineering decisions before reaching the track. It also opens the door to developing and validating autonomous driving systems on realistic circuits, accelerating their learning process without the constraints of physical testing.I have worked in bringing partners for this project, most notably RS Simulations, a leading company in high-end driver-in-the-loop simulators. Their work spans professional motorsport, including collaborations with top-tier racing teams, and focuses on delivering highly accurate, real-time simulation environments used for driver training and vehicle development. Leveraging their expertise ensures that our platform is built on proven methodologies and aligned with industry standards.

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Metz Racing Team EMRT-18 : Mech Chief Technical Officer + Suspension Lead / Test Driver

August 2024 - August 2025

The start of that yearly project oversaw many engineering challenges. My main goal as the Mechanical Chief Technical Officer was to promote as much technical synergy as possible between all subsystems, that included the Suspension department alongside the Chassis, Aero and Electrical subsystem, and develop the overall car performance by targetting weight reduction with other leads, aero improvements and other areas.The main change that year was on the powertrain side, as the team elected to switch from one central electric motor to one electric motor per rear wheel, with an in-hub configuration. This configuration, the first to happen in a French Formula Student team, allowed the team to get closer to the top competitors, one step at a time.It effectively allowed the car to be designed with more packaging freedom at the rear, since transmission was now done through planetary gears instead of using a chain drive and a differential. With a much narrower chassis, this allowed a larger volume for the side diffuser, significantly increasing downforce.Furthermore, the previous team had shown the lack of tyre temperature on most conditions compared to the requirements from our Goodyear tyres.On the vehicle dynamics side, I worked extensively on kinematics development, with a strong focus on aligning the suspension geometry with the tyre model. The previous car struggled to generate and maintain tyre temperature.Combined with the absence of a front anti-roll bar, this required a fundamental reassessment of the roll centre heights on both axles to improve load transfer characteristics and tyre energy input. The goal was to create a much more responsive platform, allowing the tyres to operate consistently within their optimal window as well as providing quicker changes of direction in the numerous slaloms encountered on FS tracks.In parallel, I refined the longitudinal dynamics through adjustments to the pitch centre location and anti-dive geometry. By moving the pitch centre further forward and increasing anti-dive, we aimed to stabilise the front ride height under braking. This was critical for maintaining a consistent aerodynamic platform, particularly in preserving front wing performance during transient phases.Weight reduction was another key development area, with a targeted overall mass decrease of approximately 10%. This was approached through detailed subsystem optimisation, including the accumulator, steering system, and pedal box. Each component was reviewed with a focus on material efficiency, packaging, and structural requirements, ensuring that weight savings did not compromise reliability or performance.Alongside the Chief Aerodynamicist, I also contributed to the aerodynamic development of the car. This involved maximising the allowable volumes defined by Formula Student regulations, ensuring we extracted the maximum potential from the regulatory boundary boxes. The design philosophy placed a strong emphasis on generating high levels of raw downforce to enhance overall vehicle performance.From a production standpoint, we leveraged additive manufacturing extensively, particularly through the use of carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon 3D-printed components. This approach allowed rapid iteration, reduced manufacturing constraints, and enabled the creation of complex geometries that would have been difficult to achieve with traditional methods, all while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for aerodynamic applications.

My tasks in the Suspension department were not only technical, but also has strong ties in management. With the aforementioned major car changes, I redesigned the entierety of the car kinematics throughout the use of Optimum Kinematics. Wheelbase was not constrained anymore by the rear packaging, and could be reduced very close to the minimum allowed by the rule book, as well as an increased track width, that also benefitted the aerodynamics department.

Furthermore, I helped negotiate partnership between the team and third-parties, the two most notable ones being Red Bull France for a small-scale partnership, and bringing Romain GROSJEAN as a team ambassador for EMRT-18

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Saintéloc Racing : Data/Performance Engineer Intern (2023 Spanish Formula 4)

August 2023 - December 2023

As a Data and Performance Engineer Intern, I was responsible for monitoring the reliability and performance of the team’s three cars competing in the Spanish Formula 4 Championship. This involved producing structured data summaries and KPI analysis using WinTAX and SYSMA, amongst other softwares, to support the race engineers in their decision-making process.I quickly developed a strong understanding of the Tatuus F4-T421 and its key reliability sensitivities. A core part of my role was to oversee all engine fire-ups in real time through SYSMA, closely monitoring engine and embedded system sensors to ensure safe and consistent operation. This required constant attention to telemetry feedback, allowing early detection of anomalies and reducing the risk of trackside issues.In parallel, I was responsible for extracting and structuring key performance indicators from WinTAX into concise, engineer-ready reports. These documents enabled rapid identification of both reliability concerns and performance trends, ensuring that engineers could react efficiently during sessions.I also contributed to performance analysis through both standard laptime software and internal team-developed tools. This included competitor benchmarking, where I analysed data across teammates and rival teams to provide context on performance gaps, race pace evolution, and strategic positioning. This work supported the race engineers in building a clearer picture of the competitive landscape throughout each event.While my role was one component within a much larger team effort, it contributed to the overall performance that led Théo Naël to secure the 2023 Spanish Formula 4 Championship title.

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Panis Racing : Engineer Intern (2022 European Le Mans Series, LMP2)

August 2022 - December 2022

During my internship, I was tasked with designing and delivering a bespoke engineering workstation tailored for trackside operations. The objective was to create a compact yet highly functional setup capable of accommodating three engineers seated side-by-side, each with two external screens and their own laptop integrated directly into the workstation.A key constraint was balancing performance with practicality: the solution had to be cost-effective, quick to assemble, and robust enough for repeated transport and installation in a track environment. To meet these requirements, I developed a modular architecture built around a two-part system.The primary structure consisted of a folding base, designed to simplify transportation and enable rapid deployment trackside. Onto this base, an aluminium section was mounted, forming the backbone of the workstation. The screen assembly was engineered as a dedicated submodule, using aluminium profiles to support the displays. This subassembly was then mounted onto two custom steel side plates, manufactured via waterjet cutting, which provided both structural rigidity and adjustability. These plates allowed precise control over screen height and angle, ensuring ergonomic positioning for each engineer.Beyond the physical structure, the workstation was designed as a fully integrated engineering hub. It incorporated dedicated charging stations, a server unit for real-time data storage and access, and radio intercom panels to maintain clear communication during sessions. This integration ensured that all critical tools required for trackside engineering operations were centralized within a single, efficient workspace.The project required a combination of mechanical design, ergonomics, and systems integration, with a strong focus on usability in high-pressure environments. The final result was a scalable and practical solution that enhanced collaboration, improved operational efficiency, and aligned closely with the fast-paced demands of motorsport engineering.Furthermore, I had the opportunity to be the assistant tyreman at the last ELMS race of the year at Portimao. I was tasked in keeping track of the tyres being at the correct pressure, ensure the tyres were brought to and from the manufacturer in good condition, as well as having the fire extinguishing responbility during pitstops

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R8G Esports : Sporting Director

January 2021 - December 2025

As the Sporting Director of Romain Grosjean's professional simracing team, I dealt with multiple duties across different platforms throughout the years.I was tasked on handling the iRacing roster for the multiple competitions we took part in, such as all major endurance races of the year, the Porsche Esports Supercup, the BMW Sim GT Cup and IMSA Esports. This includes organising practice sessions, driver recruitment, race engineering and real-time strategy.The rFactor2 roster was mainly focusing on the Le Mans Virtual Series competition, working closely with real-life high-profile professional drivers, such as Will Stevens, Mathias Beche, Alex Smolyar and more, winning the 24H of Le Mans Virtual in 2023 with the latter.The RENNSPORT roster dealt with the R1 competition, handled by ESL, one of the major esports organisers. The first year saw R8G clinch both the driver title and the team title, leading to a partnership with Team Vitality, France's biggest esports club.

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Team Vitality : RENNSPORT Team Manager

May 2024 - December 2025

As part of the operating partnership between R8G Esports and Team Vitality, I oversaw the continuity of the RENNSPORT roster for the competition, that now included the simracing scene as an integral part of the Esports World Cup.The roster, unchanged from 2023, managed to finish in 2nd for EWC 2024, bringing much needed points for the Club Championship, ensuring the club would earn over $1M of prize money that year.
EWC 2025 was also a successful year for the partnership, with a 3rd place position for our 4-drivers line-up and guaranteeing Team Vitality to earn $3M in that year's prize pool.Having most events directly on-site, I put a strong emphasis on ensuring drivers would be in their comfort zone as much as possible, making the direct link between race control, race organisation and the club's top management/owners, while bringing unparalleled energy on stage to motivate the drivers and keeping a close link with the club fans on social media.

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Drago Racing : Freelance Race Engineer

February 2025 - December 2025

Drago Racing, founded by professionnal footballer Bartłomiej Drągowski, is one of the winningest teams on the iRacing platform at the highest level. I had the opportunity to become their race engineer before the iRacing Sebring 12H for all of their lineups during the 2025 season.My tasks were mainly around calculating strategies for the lineups in LMDh and GT3 during endurance events, handling live communications across different lineups simultaneously and ensuring continuous adjustments.My involvements in the team happened during the following main endurance events of the year :
- P1 in LMDh in the 2025 iRacing Sebring 12h
- P1 in GT3 in the 2025 iRacing Sebring 12h
- P1/P2 in GT3 in the 2025 iRacing Watkins Glen 6h
- P1 in GT3 in the 2025 iRacing Indy 6h
- P2 in LMDh in the 2025 iRacing Petit Le Mans 10h

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CV / RESUME

My motorsport and simracing experience, resumed on one page

My CV can be viewed below. To download, right click on the picture and click "Download".

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Driving ability showcase

iRacing French cup 2-times finalist,

Alongside my engineering work, I have developed a strong background as a driver, primarily through simracing. Competing on iRacing, I have reached the top 2% worldwide in the road racing discipline — a level that demands consistency, significant practice time, and precision.My competitive experience includes multiple high-level events. I have been a two-time finalist in the iRacing French Cup, competed twice in the top split (Division 1) of the iRacing Indy 500 (30th in qualifying out of 2000+ participants), and secured 2nd place in the 2021 French National Acer Predator Cup. In addition, within the Virtual Formula Student Alpe Adria competition, I achieved two race wins and reached the finals on two occasions, demonstrating adaptability across different car concepts and track environments and my skills as a Formula Student driver on the sim.Beyond simulation, I have also gained real-world driving experience as a test driver for ENI Metz Racing Team. I had the opportunity to drive Vulcan multiple times, the team’s final internal combustion car, including at the EMRT-18 car rollout on Circuit de Chambley, and at the Formula Student Showdown in Magny-Cours, as well as Hermès, the car I was directly involved in from a technical standpoint. This dual role, both as an engineer and as a driver, provided valuable feedback loops between vehicle development and on-track performance, particularly during pre-competition testing phases before my transition to FS Team Delft.You can see some of my simulator driving in the videos below, featuring onboard footage across a variety of cars and circuits. These include performances such as a seasonal world record in TCR machinery at Lime Rock Park, highlighting both pace and execution in competitive conditions.

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Photography

CAMERA BODY : Sony A6400

Lenses : SIGMA 56mm F1.4 + SIGMA 100-400mm F5.6-6.3

Photography grew naturally out of my time at the track. What started as simply documenting cars and race weekends quickly turned into a genuine interest in capturing the moments that define motorsport. Being trackside offers a unique perspective — not just the cars at speed, but the atmosphere, the precision, and the intensity that often goes unnoticed.Over time, I became more intentional with it. Instead of just taking pictures, I began focusing on telling a story: the split-second of a car on the limit, the subtle details in the machinery, or the human side of racing between sessions. It complements my engineering mindset — both require attention to detail, timing, and an understanding of motion.All pictures on this page have been shot and edited by myself.