WELSH STUDENT TEAM CELEBRATES AWARD SUCCESS AT 2011 F1 IN SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS
Dated: 26/09/2011
WELSH STUDENT TEAM CELEBRATES AWARD SUCCESS AT 2011 F1 IN SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS
Fflam, a team of students from Ysgol Botwnnog, Gwynedd, celebrated last night after winning the Best Sponsorship and Marketing Award and receiving the Marussia Virgin Racing trophy at the 2011 F1 in Schools™ World Finals held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week.
Bedwyr Lloyd Williams, Floyd Hughes, Lois Owen, Louis Dawson Jones and Steffan Jones formed the Cyber Express F1 Team to compete in F1 in Schools, a Formula 1™ linked technology challenge which tasks students with creating a miniature Formula 1 car. The team won their award for their innovative approach to sponsorship and marketing. Akin to the real world of Formula 1, the teams seek sponsorship to finance their entry and Fflam took a novel approach to this.
The team logo appeared on the doors of Osian Pryce and Lester Williams rally car in the Cambrian Rally and the Wales Rally GB, putting the team’s name in front of potential sponsors and the local motorsport scene. The team also linked with local, regional and countrywide businesses to secure funding and practical support, including the livery of their car, which was painted in the paintshop of the local RAF base, RAF Valley in Anglesey, (where Prince William is based) which is usually used to paint their planes.
Steffan Jones Team Manager, Fflam, said of the competition, “It’s been an incredible experience and one which we will never forget. Once we had got here and realised just how much talent there is amongst the teams we knew it was going to be a very tough competition. We’re over the moon to have won an award and to have been recognised for our efforts with our sponsorship and marketing means a lot to us. We’ve met some great people, learned so much from the other teams, how they’ve approached the challenge of building a miniature F1 car, as well as enjoying Malaysia, which is a really cool country, but very hot!”
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools , says of the team’s success, “This year’s F1 in Schools World Finals has been the most competitive in the history of the programme and all the teams have risen to the challenge admirably. Fflam had put a tremendous effort into their marketing activities, linking with local businesses, sponsoring a rally car, and working with specialist manufacturers for funding and practical help. This commitment paid off for them with winning an award at the World Finals, well done Fflam. As ambassadors for their country and of F1 in Schools, they are excellent and demonstrate just how beneficial it can be to compete in the Challenge. I’m sure they will all go on to have further success in their careers ahead.”
The Australian team, Pentagliders, were crowned 2011 F1 in Schools World Champions at yesterday’s Awards Ceremony. They fought off intense competition, beating 22 teams from Australasia, Europe, Asia, Africa, America and the Middle East to take the title, the Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy and coveted Automotive and Motorsport Engineering degree scholarships at City University London.
Runners-up to the victorious Australian team were German National Champions, BETAGREEN, from Grootmoor Gymnasium, Hamburg. Last year’s World Champions, the USA team, UNITUS Racing from South East High School, Florida and James Madison Middle School, Virginia, took third place on the podium.
The event took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19th – 21st September with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters including the Malaysian Ministry of Education, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, City University London, Denford Limited, Sepang International Circuit and Hilton Racing.
Each team of between three and six students brings together their work to present to a judging panel with a verbal and written presentation to support their model car, which is raced on a specially designed test track. At the World Finals each team takes along a pit display, three identical cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a presentation for the judges. The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in just over one second, a speed barrier which is yet to be broken by any student team since it was set by Team FUGA from Northern Ireland at the 2007 World Finals with a time of 1.020 seconds.
FULL LIST OF AWARDS AND WINNERS
2011 F1 in Schools World Champions supported by City University London
WINNER Pentagliders, Brooks High School, Australia
Second placed Team Award supported by the Malaysian Ministry of Education
WINNER BETAGREEN, Grootmoor Gymnasium, Germany
Third placed Team Award supported by The Institution of Engineering and Technology
WINNER UNITUS Racing, South East High School and James Madison Middle School, USA
Best Engineered Car Award supported by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
WINNER Pentagliders, Brooks High School, Australia
Collaboration Award supported by Team Lotus
WINNER Trident Racing, Sebastopol College and Raffles Girls’ School, Australia and Singapore
Fastest Car Award supported by Petronas Mercedes GP
WINNER Pentagliders, Brooks High School, Australia (run time: 1.084 seconds)
Verbal Presentation Award supported by Williams F1
WINNER Dynamic, St John Payne Catholic School, UK
Team Identity Award supported by Ferrari
WINNER Axis, Dubai College and Aminudin Baki Secondary School, UAE and Malaysia
Knock-out Racing Award supported by Sepang International Circuit
WINNER The Golden Geckos, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Canada
Pit Display Award supported by Toro Rosso
WINNER Octane Racing, Dundalk Grammar School, Ireland
Outstanding Sportsmanship Award supported by Force India Formula One Team
WINNER Cyber Express F1 Team, Gymnázium J.K.Tyla, Czech Republic
Team Portfolio Award supported by F1 Racing Magazine
WINNER Velospeed SIC, Sekolah Menengah Sains Hulu Selangor, Malaysia
Sponsorship and Marketing Award supported by Marussia Virgin Racing
WINNER Fflam, Ysgol Botwnnog, Wales
Perseverance in the Face of Adversity Award supported by Red Bull Racing
WINNER Phoenix Team Kenya, St. Andrew’s School, Kenya
Best Research and Development Award supported by Pirelli
WINNER BETAGREEN, Grootmoor Gymnasium, Germany
Best Innovative Thinking Award supported by Lotus Renault GP
WINNER Team RedShift, Dubai College, UAE
Best Newcomer Award supported by Sauber F1 Team
WINNER Dresser Racing, Kongsberg High School, Norway
Best Team Website Award supported by Denford Ltd
WINNER Octane Racing, Dundalk Grammar School, Ireland
Notes to editors
Photo caption: Fflam, left to right – Bedwyr Lloyd Williams, Floyd Hughes, Lois Owen, Louis Dawson Jones and Steffan Jones
About F1 in Schools
F1 in Schools is the only global multi-disciplinary challenge for students aged 9 to 19. The founding constitution of F1 in Schools stipulates that it shall remain a not-for-profit organisation. Based in London and supported by the Institute of Engineering and Technology, funds are raised through sponsorship and invested in administering, developing and expanding the challenge. The competition inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership, teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative and exciting way.
F1 in Schools challenges students to use software to design, build and race a miniature Formula 1car made from balsa wood and powered by a single compressed air cylinder. Participating teams all receive a starter kit that includes all basic materials, including a block of balsa wood from which their car will be fabricated. They write a business plan, prepare a budget and raise sponsorship through cooperation with the business community. Using CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology, the teams design a Formula 1car before analysing its efficiency in a virtual reality wind tunnel.
The cars are then fabricated with the use of CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture) software before being tested in wind and smoke tunnels. The final part of the challenge is the race, with teams competing along a special 20-metre straight track. The cars must cover the distance as quickly as possible – the current record is just 1.020 seconds! Each school finds its own winning team and they then move to regional, national and international competition at the F1 in Schools World Finals. The overall winners receive the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Champions trophy and all members of the winning team receive a university scholarship.
