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HAVERFORD WEST SCHOOL TEAM WINS THROUGH TO NATIONAL F1 IN SCHOOLS FINAL WITH SUCCESS IN THREE AWARD

Dated: 31/01/2012

HAVERFORD WEST SCHOOL TEAM WINS THROUGH TO NATIONAL F1 IN SCHOOLS FINAL WITH SUCCESS IN THREE AWARD CATEGORIES

A team of students from Ysgol Sant Dewi, St. David’s, Haverfordwest raced to victory in the South Wales Regional final of the 2012 F1 in Schools™ Formula One Technology Challenge this week. The team called themselves Motion Racing and they certainly lived up to their name, with the students winning the Fastest F1 Car Award and the Innovative Thinking Award, then capping this with overall victory in the Formula 1™ Class in the Regional Final held at Swansea’s Waterfront Museum. Their success has earned them a place in the UK National Finals to be held at the Big Bang Science and Engineering Fair in March this year. Victory at that event grants the winning team a place in the 2012 F1 in Schools World Finals which will be held to coincide with a international Formula 1 Grand Prix and offers the winners university scholarships to City University London and the prestigious Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy.

Taking the chequered flag to victory for Ysgol Sant Dewi were Miles Isted, Kelly Dixon, Chloe Robertson-Steel, Isabell Hughes and Cathlin Macevoy . The competition challenges students to design, construct and race a Formula 1™ car of the future, made from a block of balsa wood, and powered by a compressed air canister. The car is raced over a 20 metre track and the fastest time is recorded. The Ridgewood Racers car recorded the quickest time of the day at 1.254 seconds.

Aside from the on-track action, teams also produce supporting evidence of their design, with a written portfolio and a verbal presentation of their work, develop a sponsorship and marketing campaign and create team merchandise, with all these elements presented with their race car at the regional finals.

The Challenge, in its twelfth year, was introduced to the UK in 2000 and since this time has expanded to over 40 countries, with millions of students taking part around the globe. Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of Formula One™ Management gave his support to F1 in Schools by granting the challenge a world-wide protected trademark and a new logo in 2005. Since this time the initiative has built close links with teams and personalities within Formula 1.

The South Wales regional finals took place with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters. Amongst these are The IET, Jaguar, Silverstone Circuit, Autosport, Denford, Tomorrow’s Engineers, SolidWorks and City University London.

Full list of winners:

1st place, Formula 1 Class Motion Racing, Ysgol Sant Dewi, St. David’s, Haverfordwest

1st place, Bloodhound SSC Class Team Burn, Amman Valley School, Ammanford

Best Rookie Team Nitro Racing, Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School, Swansea

Best Engineered Car BCS Racing, Barry Comprehensive School, Barry

Fastest Formula 1 Class car Motion Racing, Ysgol Sant Dewi, St. David’s, Haverfordwest

Fastest Bloodhound SSC Class Fury 5, Lliswerry High School, Newport

Best Team Identity Team Burn, Amman Valley School, Ammanford

Innovative Thinking Award Motion Racing, Ysgol Sant Dewi, St. David’s, Haverfordwest

Best Sponsorship & Marketing Fury 5, Lliswerry High School, Newport

Perseverance in adversity Pen Y Bryn Special School, Swansea

TATA Award for Best Use of CAD BCS Racing, Barry Comprehensive School, Barry