UK National Finalists set for tough race to the flag this weekend
Dated: 07/01/2009
One of the most prestigious titles among engineering students will be contested this weekend with the National Final of the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge taking place at the motorsport industry event of the year, Autosport International racing car show, in Birmingham.
Formula One in Schools is searching for a new British Championship winning team. The teams in the pits ready to take to the track are budding engineers who have designed and created a miniature Formula One car and will race to be crowned the F1 in Schools UK National Champions. This year the National Champions will win an exclusive tour of the Williams F1 team headquarters as part of their prize, as well as the once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to apply for their work experience programme. One member of the team is guaranteed a place on the programme and the chance to work within the Williams Formula One Team.
After a three month search for the best young engineering talent in the UK with a total of 10 regional finals and over 200 competing teams, the top 30 have been selected to compete at the National Final. From this just one team will become National Champions and go on to represent the UK at the F1 in Schools World Championships, racing for the Bernie Ecclestone Trophy and a coveted university scholarship at the City University London.
The F1 in Schools competition challenges students to design, construct and race a scale Formula 1 car, made from a block of balsa wood and powered by a compressed gas canister. Last year the UK National Champions were ‘Blaze’ from Ynysawdre Comprehensive School in Bridgend. In January they will be back at the National Finals to defend their title, in a bid to become the only team to win the UK National Finals two years in a row.
The reigning World Champions are a British team, ‘Pulse’ from Devonport High School, Dorset. They have had a once in a lifetime adventure since winning the F1 in Schools World Championships at the F1 Grand Prix in Malaysia. The team has met HRH Prince Andrew in St. James’s Palace, attended the British Grand Prix and had exclusive access to the teams’ garages, as well as visiting the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman of the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge commented ahead of the National Finals, “This year the regional finals have been a closely fought battle, the prizes on offer to the winning teams are unique to this Technology Challenge, so the students are keen to win. There is a wealth of talent within the teams this year, they’ve improved year on year, and the fact that the World Champions are currently a British Team shows that the standards in this country are phenomenally high.
“The students work so hard to get to the National finals and its great to see the efforts that they put in to trying to beat all their rival schools and grab a place at the World Championships. The Autosport Show is the perfect venue for us to hold our National finals, as it gives the teams the opportunity to soak up the motor racing environment.”
The Autosport International Show is the UK’s premier motor racing event. The F1 in Schools National Finals take place on 10 and 11 January in Hall 9 of the NEC, Birmingham.
Full list of finalists:
| Team Tigerzzz | Ridgewood School | Y&H | 11-14 |
| XLR8 | Lochgelly High School | Scotland | 11-14 |
| Shooting Starz | Richard Rose Central Academy | North West | 11-14 |
| Pressure Point | Neale-Wade Community College | Central | 11-14 |
| Memphis | St. Dunstan's Community School | South West | 11-14 |
| Team Dragon | Dyffryn Taf School | South Wales | 11-14 |
| Leoneons F1 | St Leonards Catholic School | North East | 11-14 |
| Pelydr-X | Morgan Llwyd | North Wales | 11-14 |
| Lightning Strikes Again | Chelmer Valley School | London | 11-14 |
| Team Formula Xtreme | Ballycastle High School | Northern Ireland | 11-14 |
| Team Raptor | Salendine Nook High School | Y&H | 14-19 |
| Road Rippers | Lochgelly High School | Scotland | 14-19 |
| Falcons | Richard Rose Central Academy | North West | 14-19 |
| Mach 1 | Lutterworth College | Central | 14-19 |
| Team Velocity | The Gryphon School | South West | 14-19 |
| Blaze | Ynysawdre Comprehensive School | South Wales | 14-19 |
| St Bede's Babes | St Bede's Catholic Comprehensive School | North East | 14-19 |
| Gwib | Ysgol Botwnnog | North Wales | 14-19 |
| Velocity | St. John Payne Catholic Comprehensive School | London | 14-19 |
| DNA | Ashfield Boys High School | Northern Ireland | 14-19 |
| Baysgarth Bullets | Baysgarth High School | Y&H | Rookie |
| Atoms and Airbags | Jordanhill School | Scotland | Rookie |
| Red Kites | Little Lever Specialist Language College | North West | Rookie |
| Team Terminator | Harris School | Central | Rookie |
| Firebirds | Beechen Cliff School | South West | Rookie |
| Dash | Fitzalan High School | South Wales | Rookie |
| Team Rapido | Spennymoor School | North East | Rookie |
| Team Hippo | Eirias High School | North Wales | Rookie |
| Faversham Fire | Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School | London | Rookie |
| 2Fast4U | The Royal Belfast Academical Institution | Northern Ireland | Rookie |
| Worldwide Racers | Ysgol Cae Top | North Wales | Primary |
| Team Talwrn | Ysgol Y Talwrn | North Wales | Primary |
| Storm Racers | Mortimer Primary School | North East | Primary |
| Caldew Lea Comets | Caldew Lea Primary School | North West | Primary |
| Team Firebolt | North Kilworth Primary School | Central England | Primary |
| Jagah | St. Teresa's Primary School | Northern Ireland | Primary |
| Thunderstrike | Donemana Primary School | Northern Ireland | Primary |
| Dynamite | West Park Primary School | South Wales | Primary |
| Corneli Pocket Rockets | Corneli Primary | South Wales | Primary |
