​Yas Marina Circuit and Yas Island, Abu Dhabi will host the 15th running of the F1 in Schools World Finals, the pinnacle of this prestigious global education challenge that is a springboard for thousands of students’ future careers.
 
The F1 in Schools World Finals, which takes place alongside a round of the Formula 1 World Championship each year, will be held with this year’s FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2019, the final round of the F1 season, in partnership with Yas Marina Circuit, considered to be one of the most technologically advanced Formula 1 circuits in the world and the home of motorsports in the Middle East.
 
The F1 in Schools World Finals 2019 will bring together an anticipated 60 teams from over 25 countries with the competition days being held on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.  The event will start on Sunday 24 November with an opening ceremony and the first of three days of competition. The event will conclude with a glittering Awards Celebration and Dinner, which will be
hosted at Yas Marina Circuit on Wednesday 27 November. The World Finalists will then have the opportunity to soak up the Grand Prix over the following four days.
 
Abu Dhabi has hosted the F1 in Schools World Finals on two previous occasions, with the events being held at Ferrari World in 2012 and 2014. The expansion of the event has led to a move to a new venue on Yas Island this year, with the need to accommodate over 300 students and their pit displays, the F1 in Schools 20 metres race track and the judging areas required for this exciting education event.

Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman of F1 in Schools, looks forward to a return to Abu Dhabi, saying, “Abu Dhabi has always given us a very warm welcome and has been a great venue for our World Finals. We’re delighted that Yas Marina Circuit is partnering with us for the event and we look forward to working with them in the run up to the event.  It marks the 10th anniversary of our partnership with Yas Marina Circuit and we are looking forward to celebrating this at our World Finals Awards Celebration Gala Dinner.”
 
He adds, “I know our students are going to have the most amazing time in Abu Dhabi for the World Finals and then to have a chance to go to the Grand Prix, makes it extra special. These are the Formula 1 Engineers, marketeers and team managers of the future and they gain so much inspiration from experiencing the occasion first-hand, it will give them memories of a lifetime.”
 
Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said: “We are delighted to welcome hundreds of international students to the home of our iconic Formula 1 track and to experience our world-class facilities.
 
“Our partnership with The F1 in Schools progamme keeps growing year on year and is a key part of our Yas In Schools programme.  We are excited to continue to be playing our part in developing the leaders of the future. Yas Marina Circuit is proud to support the spirit of innovation in students from around the world and we wish the teams success at the F1 in Schools World Finals this year.”
 
The F1 in Schools World Finals 2019 is supported by Formula 1 and in partnership with Yas Marina Circuit, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), City, University of London, UCL Engineering, Denford Ltd and Autodesk. 

Britannia Red, a team of 13 to 15 year old students from Robert May’s School, Odiham, Hampshire, have won a place at the F1 in Schools World Finals 2019 after taking victory at the UK Finals held this week at Airbus’ West Factory in Broughton, Flintshire.  
 
Representing England at the World Finals will be Evolve, a team of three 16 and 17 year old boys from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Faversham, Kent, who took the runners-up spot. Centurion Racing from Rishworth School, Halifax, a team of four 16 to 18 year olds, who were third also secured a place at this year’s World Finals. 
 
During the competition a local team of six 13 and 14 year old Welsh students from Connah’s Quay High School, Flintshire, had the fastest car on track, smashing the UK record with a time of 1.041 seconds, four-hundredths of a second quicker than the previous record held by a Coventry team. 
 
The highest placed Scottish and Welsh teams, Overdrive from Aberdeen Grammar School and Quantum from Denbigh High School have also won through to the World Finals to represent their countries at the event later this year.
 
Britannia Red, with team members Abi Bessant, 14, Tilly Wake, 13, Harriet Quarmby, 13, Caoimhe Thomas 14, Callum Green, 14 and Ted Hodgson, 15, won the Best Engineered Car Award as well as taking the National Champions title. Abi said of winning, “We really didn’t expect to win today, we didn’t think we’d get anywhere, so it was totally unexpected, especially as it was the first year for us. There’s lots of judging sessions and so there’s lots of pressure, but we were surprisingly calm. It’s a mix of fun and hard work doing the challenge, you have to dedicate a lot of time to it, but it’s great fun. It opens our eyes to the scope of Engineering too, especially coming to a place like Airbus, which has been a great experience.”
 
F1 in Schools is a hugely popular competition, engaging and inspiring students about Engineering by practical application of STEM skills to create their own Formula 1 team and a scale-model car, from scratch. The students assess their performance against other schools at a series of regional finals around the country. The best 4 teams at each regional final compete at the UK National Finals. 
 
The UK Champions win a trip to the headquarters of an F1 team and the podium placed teams win a trip to the FORMULA 1 ROLEX BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2019 weekend at Silverstone with grandstand tickets courtesy of Silverstone Circuit and F1 paddock access from Formula 1, two £5000 bursary scholarships from UCL Engineering and Denford Ltd F1 in Schools equipment to the value of £5000 for Britannia Red’s school as well as the new impressive F1 in Schools UK Champions trophy.  
 
The F1 in Schools UK Finals also featured Development Class teams, with Infinity Racing, a team of 12-13 year old boys and girls from St John’s College, Cardiff claiming the winners trophy and a place at the World Finals 2019 along with Avidity Racing from Scarborough UTC who were the runners up. A team from St. Joseph’s College, Reading, named Illusion were awarded third place. 
 
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools, said after the event, “I’m blown away  - we’ve seen the UK record beaten by nine teams, a tight race on and off the track for podium places with talented UK Champions crowned today at our biggest UK event with over 250 students, held at one of the largest manufacturing facilities in the world building the wing for the largest commercial aircraft in the world. 
 
“Airbus has been an amazing venue to house the UK Finals of the largest global STEM challenge and we’ve had outstanding hospitality and support from them, with a team of Airbus graduates and apprentices capably hosting our students and inspiring them with their experience of working in the Engineering industry.”
 
“Today we’ve seen an unbelievably high level of work from the F1 in Schools students, with skills that go far beyond the classroom and have enormous value, not only within their school education but in a broader context with increased confidence and life skills that will be invaluable to them in the future. My congratulations go to all our teams and I know they are destined to have very successful careers.” 

 
Full list of Award Winners: 

PROFESSIONAL CLASS
 
National Champions
Britannia Red
Robert May's School
Odiham

2nd Place 
Evolve
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Faversham

3rd Place 
Centurion Racing
Rishworth School
Halifax

Scotland Champions
Overdrive
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen

Wales Champions
Quantum
Denbigh High School
Denbigh

Best Engineered Car
Britannia Red
Robert May's School
Odiham

Fastest Car Award 
XLR8
Connah's Quay High School
Connah's Quay

Research & Development 
Protoanic
Calday Grange Grammar School
West Kirby

Sponsorship & Marketing
Novo
Royal Grammar School
Newcastle Upon Tyne

Verbal Presentation
Sheff1 Racing
Bradfield Secondary School
Bradfield

Pit Display 
Morson-Blackout
Sprowston Community Adacemy
Norwich

Portfolio
Imperium
Whitley Bay High School
Whitley Bay

DEVELOPMENT CLASS
 
National Champions 
INFINITY RACING
St John's College
Cardiff

2nd Place 
Avidity Racing
Scarborough UTC
Scarborough

3rd Place 
Illusion
St Joseph's College
Reading

Best Engineered Car 
Avidity Racing
Scarborough UTC
Scarborough

Fastest Car Award
Speed of Light
Harlow College
Harlow

Research & Development
INFINITY RACING
St John's College
Cardiff

Sponsorship & Marketing 
Igneous Racing
Royal Grammar School
Newcastle Upon Tyne

Verbal Presentation
Ouragan Platine
The Nelson Thomlinson School
Wigton

Pit Display 
Tîm Apex Alpha Bro Edern
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern
Cardiff

Portfolio 
Illusion
St Joseph's College
Reading

Social Media
Blue Rockets Racing
The Castle School
Thornbury

FIA Women in Motorsport
Illusion
St Joseph's College
Reading

Team Identity
Aspire6
Leasowes High School
Halesowen

The F1 in Schools™ STEM Challenge UK National Finals will showcase high flying talent, with 48 student teams competing for the F1 in Schools UK Champions title and a place at the World Finals later this year. The event being held from 11 – 12 March at Airbus’ West Factory in Broughton, Flintshire where wings for the company’s entire family of commercial aircraft are manufactured, will celebrate the best young minds and engineering flair. 
 
Winning student teams from regional finals around the country will race their bespoke designs of miniature Formula 1 cars on the Official F1 in Schools 20 metre track, present their business plans, display their engineering designs and showcase their work to a panel of industry and engineering experts. The two-day competition tests their F1 car designs to the limit on track, as well as the students supporting work with a busy timetable of judging sessions. 
 
The UK Champions will win tickets to the FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX, including exclusive paddock access at the event from Formula 1, a Formula 1 team factory tour, two £5,000 scholarships for UCL Mechanical Engineering and, for the winning school, a F1 Branded Race Track and Race Control System with Car Deceleration System worth £5,000 from Denford Ltd.
 
The elite of the UK National Finals teams will be rewarded with a place at the F1 in Schools World Finals 2019. These students compete for the coveted F1 in Schools World Champions trophy, and highly valued City, University of London and University College London Engineering scholarships.
 
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools, said, “We’ve had an exceptionally strong series of regional finals with outstanding car designs, innovative ideas and highly professional presentations, so I’m very excited to see how they all perform, and I’m sure they will all have raised their game for the National Finals. Bringing Formula 1 into the classroom with this programme really inspires the students and nurtures a passion for engineering as well as developing the students’ life skills. They all learn so much, without realising it!”
 
Lucy Brooks, Team Manager from reigning F1 in Schools UK Champions, Unity from Emmanuel College, Gateshead, looked back on winning last year saying, “It has been the most amazing experience for us. After winning the UK Champions title we had the time of our lives at the British Grand Prix, meeting and having our photos taken with Formula 1 drivers. We then went to Singapore for the World Finals, which was the trip of a lifetime, the memorable experience, a really special time. Not only has it been the best fun, it’s also really helped our career opportunities, opening so many doors and introductions, it is such an advantage to have F1 in Schools on our CVs.”
 
The F1 in Schools National Finals 2019 takes place with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters. In addition to Airbus, these are the IET, Autodesk, Denford Ltd, City, University of London and UCL Engineering. 

​Aerospace giant Airbus has partnered with the leading global education STEM challenge, F1 in Schools, for its UK National Finals 2019.
 
The two-day event will be held at Airbus’ West Factory in Broughton, Flintshire, where wings for the company’s entire family of commercial aircraft are manufactured.
 
The F1 in Schools UK National Finals 2019, from 11th – 12th March, brings together the top 40 teams from around the country competing for the National Champions title. Over the two days the teams will undertake a busy timetable of judging elements, with an expert panel of professionals from Formula 1 teams and industry, including Airbus personnel, appraising the students’ work.
 
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools, said: “We are very privileged to be partnering with such a prestigious organisation and are delighted to take our UK National Final to Airbus and house it in one of the biggest factories in Europe. The Airbus factory will provide our students and teachers with an exclusive experience that adds a new dimension to the event and will undoubtedly be a highlight of the competition.”
 
He added: “F1 in Schools inspires a passion for engineering, with many of our ‘alumni’ choosing this as a career path. I’m sure that Airbus will be able to benefit from our partnership with access to some of the brightest young engineers and I’m sure we’ll see former F1 in Schools students joining Airbus in the future.”
 
Emily Merrison, Head of Education Liaison for Airbus in the UK, said: “Airbus was a key sponsor of the F1 in Schools competition last year, and we are very excited to take the partnership even further in 2019 by hosting the national finals at our A380 Wing factory here in North Wales. The students participating in this competition demonstrate the right behaviours and technical mindsets that the company looks for in its engineers of the future, which is why we’re proud to support and mentor them on their journey and we wish them the best of luck.”
 
Researching, designing, making and racing a miniature Formula 1 car is at the core of the F1 in Schools challenge, with the students producing a portfolio and pit display as well giving a business presentation and showcasing their engineering design, research and development work for the judges. Each team’s car is also put to the test, racing head-to-head on the F1 in Schools 20-metre track within the factory.
 
The UK Champions will win tickets to the FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX, including exclusive paddock access at the event from Formula 1, a Formula 1 team factory tour, two £5,000 scholarships for UCL Mechanical Engineering and Denford equipment worth £10,000 for their school.
 
The elite of the UK National Finals teams will be rewarded with a place at the F1 in Schools World Finals 2019. These students compete for the coveted F1 in Schools World Champions trophy, and highly valued City, University of London and University College London Engineering scholarships.
 
The F1 in Schools National Finals 2019 takes place with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters. In addition to Airbus, these are the IET, Autodesk, Denford Ltd, City, University of London and UCL Engineering. 

​Unity, a team of 16 and 17 year-old students from Emmanuel College, Gateshead, celebrated winning the F1 in Schools UK National Finals 2018 this week, proving that determination and perseverance is rewarded, taking the UK Champions title at their fourth attempt. Their success wins them a place at the F1 in Schools World Finals 2018 in Singapore in September, alongside the FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, 
 
Tickets to the FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX courtesy of Silverstone Circuit, exclusive paddock access at the event from Formula 1, a Formula 1 team factory tour, two £5000 scholarships for UCL Mechanical Engineering and Denford equipment worth £10,000 for their school were also prizes for the victors. Unity also won the Best Engineered Car Award on their way to the UK crown with the judges commending the team on the design, manufacturing and Engineering of their F1 in Schools car. 
 
Amid tears of joy on the top step of the podium, Unity Team Leader, Lucy Brooks, said, “I’m speechless. It’s unbelievable; we’ve all worked so hard for this, so I think we deserved it. It’s been a long road, but so worth it. We’ve been together a long time now, so our teamwork is certainly a factor in our success. We have a huge amount of work now to prepare for Singapore, making sure our car is as good as it can be. We know that competing at the World Finals can open doors to careers in Engineering so that is a great opportunity for us. We’re very excited to be heading there.”
 
Joining Unity on the podium after two days of fierce competition were Origin, a team from Robert May’s School, Odiham, who will represent England at the World Finals and Hawk Racing from Colyton Grammar School, Devon, who have the opportunity to collaborate with an overseas podium-winning F1 in Schools team at the World Finals.  Also heading to Singapore will be DRIVE from Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni representing Wales and Velocity Racing from Inveralmond Community High School, Livingston flying the flag for Scotland. 
 
Team AcceleRace powered by Inoapps, an F1 in Schools Development Class team from Linlithgow Academy, Scotland, also won a place at the World Finals, after taking the F1 in Schools Development Class Champions title earlier this week. 
 
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools said of this year’s UK National Finals, “I’m blown away by the standard we’ve seen this year. The students have put in an amazing amount of work, displaying an exceptional level of Engineering, design, and business skills and being excellent ambassadors for their schools and for STEM learning. I’m delighted to see Unity finally take the crown, they’ve shown such perseverance and have never given up on their dream of representing the UK at the World Finals.”
 
“The skills developed by the students is almost unnoticed as their passion and motivation to design the best car possible takes over. It is only at the conclusion of this event when they reflect on their work that they realise how far they have come and their skills have developed whether that is confidence, CAD/CAM expertise, leadership, time management, or Engineering. I’m very proud of every student, team and teacher involved in the programme, they demonstrate just how STEM in action can be invaluable in education.”
 
The F1 in Schools UK National Finals, held at the home of British motorsport, Silverstone circuit, brought together the top 42 teams from around the UK, who had won through from ten Regional Final events held earlier this year. The teams had taken up the challenge to design, build, test and race a miniature F1 car, with the last two days being spent having their entries judged in a number of categories including scrutineering, Engineering, verbal presentation, pit display and enterprise portfolio as well as the car’s speed being tested on the Official F1 in Schools track, a 20 metres long drag strip, which the F1 in Schools F1 cars cover in just over a second. 
 
The F1 in Schools National Finals 2018 took place with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters. Amongst these are the IET, Autodesk, Denford Ltd, Airbus, City, University of London and UCL Engineering. 

The leading global educational Initiative, the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge, unveiled a new logo at the F1 in Schools UK National Finals held at Silverstone Race Circuit last week. Incorporating the new Formula 1 logo launched last year, F1 in Schools’ new look visually reinforces the challenge’s status as Formula 1's official education initiative. 

The logo will be used by the F1 in Schools programmes that run in 45 countries with a phased introduction around the world through 2018 and replaces the original logo that has been used for the last 13 years. The new look for F1 in Schools complements the recent launch of a new suite of official F1 in Schools equipment from Denford. 

Andrew Denford, Chairman and Founder of F1 in Schools explains, “We are very proud to have the support of Formula 1 and with the new era of the sport under Liberty Media, it was appropriate to review our visual identity and to bring it into line with their new branding. We would like to thank Liberty Media for allowing us to incorporate the new F1 logo into the F1 in Schools logo. 

“Our relationship is continually developing with Liberty Media, as we have seen with the grid and podium access granted to our World Champions in Sepang, Chase Carey’s attendance at our World Finals Awards and Formula 1’s online promotion of our activities. We look forward to building on this further and supporting Formula 1 through our programme in the coming months and years.” 

Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Formula 1, added, “We’re delighted to continue working so closely with F1 in Schools as we break down barriers and engage the next generation in STEM and the opportunities within Formula 1. With the rebranding of Formula 1 and its new identity it was only fitting to extend it into this education programme that is reaching a global youth audience.” 

The new Official F1 in Schools product range is spearheaded by the Official F1 in Schools Race Track that brings together an ergonomic design with a lightweight track, high tech digital display Start/Finish gates with Wifi data transmission and an integrated cable management system It also includes rugged Start Boxes, a Deceleration System, Air Trace Visualisation System, F1 Model Blocks, CO2 Power Packs and Car Manufacturing Fixture for CNC Routers. The new hardware is complimented with Denford CNC machinery and a suite of CAD software. 

The F1 in Schools STEM Challenge has forged ever-closer links with Formula 1 over its 19-year history. In 2005 Bernie Ecclestone 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, F1 in Schools has provided the sport with a platform for promotion to the younger generation, taking the sport right into the classroom, educating and inspiring a passion for Formula 1 with one of the most important audiences for a sustainable youthful future. 

The competition challenges students to create their own Formula 1 team which is commissioned to design and manufacture a miniature Formula 1 Car starting with an F1 in Schools model block and a CAD software programme, with the car being powered by a compressed air cylinder. Each team of between three and six students creates a pit display and showcases their work in developing their race car. The cars race on a 20-metre track, with the cars covering the distance in around one second.   The students compete at regional, national and international level, with the national winners having the potential bonus of travelling internationally. The World Finals have been held in a variety of countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and the USA where the events are held in conjunction with the F1 Grand Prix being held in that country. The World Finals brings together the best students to compete for the coveted World Champions trophy and valuable university scholarships and bursaries.
​
F1 in Schools is a not-for-profit company established with committed partners to provide an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the popularity of Formula 1. Spanning age ranges of 9 to19 its main objective is to help change perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in Engineering, Mathematics, Science, Formula 1, Marketing and Technology.