Motorsport Collaborations
From the real world to the virtual one. While 3D printing turns an abstract idea into something tangible, the 3DRap brand is increasingly making its way from reality into the virtual world of esports, particularly Sim racing. Its collaborations in virtual and real-world motor racing are continuing. The 3DRap logo will soon appear on the new season’s car of the Formula SAE team at the University of Tor Vergata. The team consists of around 70 engineering and economics students who, driven by their passion for motorsport, compete in the design and construction of an open-wheel, single-seater vehicle. The car is subsequently subjected to static and dynamic tests and then judged by a team of engineers from the world of motorsport, including Formula 1. 3DRap is developing the gearshift and clutch paddle mechanisms to be integrated into the single-seater’s steering wheel at the request of Scuderia Tor Vergata’s technical director, Antonio Lecce, who said: “We are interested in collaborating with 3DRap because of its know-how and the excellent quality of its products, which we tested at the Maker Faire in Rome. The company impressed us with both its execution and design quality, essential factors for the successful outcome of a competition.”
Another extremely important and prestigious partnership is the one established with champion Artūrs Bondars, who, at just 16 years old, has already received numerous awards and accolades. The Latvian driver and four-wheel enthusiast won the Latvian Drift Games, in which 60 drivers took part. Before every race, Bondars trains on simulators using 3DRap-branded steering wheels. 3DRap is now the official sponsor of the young champion, whose 700-horsepower BMW bears the 3DRap logo.
Roots-Based Clothing Collaboration
Not only Sim racing and motorsport. Last but not least is a sponsorship that stems from the young engineers’ own roots. The request to collaborate with the 3D printing company came from Alessandro Melchiorre, a native of Irpinia and CEO of Roots, a clothing brand based on a concept very similar to 3DRap’s: celebrating passions and one’s roots. “This is one of those collaborations that makes us very proud,” explained Giovanni Di Grezia, IT Manager at 3DRap. “Melchiorre is from Irpinia, just like us, and he knows very well what it means to remember your roots—so much so that he included this element in his logo. He discovered us through social media and decided to tell our story through an image and a slogan that highlight the pride with which we bring Made in Irpinia to the world.”
Whether around the world or in its homeland, 3DRap proudly displays its most important achievement: fulfilling the dreams of a group of young engineers who followed their passions and abilities, putting their knowledge at the service of innovation without ever forgetting their roots.
