Airbus Broughton plays host to 48 teams competing in UK National Finals to F1 in Schools STEM Challenge

Airbus’s West Factory in Broughton is playing host to the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge UK National Finals over the next two days.

48 student teams will compete for the F1 in Schools UK Champions title at the factory where wings for Airbus aircraft are manufactured.

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.

Wow team XLR8 from @ConnahsQuayHigh have just broken the UK Fastest Time and set a new record of 1.041, can anyone beat them? #fastestcar #newrecord pic.twitter.com/jgFDI19GIl

— F1 in Schools UK (@f1inschoolsUK) March 11, 2019

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 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.

Live YouTube feed from the event. 

The UK Champions will win tickets to the Formula 1 British Grand Prix including exclusive paddock access at the event a Formula 1 team factory tour,.

There will also win 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.

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.”