We are delighted to share that one of our GIS F1 in Schools’ teams, Team Velocitas, has won a place in the World Finals of this global competition! But what is F1 in Schools all about, and why is this such an incredible achievement? Read on to learn more!
F1 in Schools Ltd is a not-for-profit company which describes itself as “providing an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the magnetic appeal of Formula 1”!
F1 in Schools is a global multi-disciplinary STEM challenge in which teams of students aged 9 to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature compressed air-powered cars, made from F1 model block.
The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design and manufacture – and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. It is truly a fantastic STEM Challenge! But it doesn’t end there: the students must also work together effectively to raise sponsorship, promote their brand and successfully manage budgets to fund research, travel and accommodation! It really is a STEM challenge like no other.
The Stages of the Competition
At GIS, we have supported F1 in Schools Malaysia for many years, and regularly host the first stage of the competition. We hosted the first stage in March 2019, which saw 30 teams from international schools all over Malaysia come together to race their cars and battle it out for a place in the final.
The SouthEast Asian Finals took place in June, and were held at the Australian International School Malaysia in June. During the one-day event, teams raced their cars, showed off their pit displays and gave verbal presentations about their models. Our very own Team Velocitas reigned victorious, winning these regional finals and earning themselves a place in the World Finals in Abu Dhabi!
At the World Finals, 55 student teams from around the globe will battle it out for glory and the chance to be crowned the world F1 in Schools champions.
Team Velocitas: The Journey
Team Velocitas consists of Year 10 students Gavin Gan, Nicq Ayub Khan, Symren Gill, Nadya Kumar & Aresh Arul.
Their F1 journey began i n the 2017-2018 year, where they formed their team and raised money through a bake sale for the first round of the F1 in Schools competition. They then did so well in that first round – hosted right here at GIS – that they secured a place in the SouthEast Asia finals! Yet again they emerged triumphant, and by winning those regional finals, they secured their spot in the World Finals in Abu Dhabi. In preparation for the finals, they recently went to the Sepang Circuit last week to meet with the circuit CEO, Dato Razlan Razali – an amazing experience!
Winning a place in the World Finals of this incredibly demanding competition is an incredible accomplishment. To begin with, the students had to design a car capable of achieving lightning speeds. This involved an extensive process of drafting ideas, testing materials, finding parts & testing different car prototypes – a long process to ultimately come up with their region-winning design. On top of this, the team had to do all of their own branding, design work and marketing, and successfully seek personal and corporate sponsorship. Each member of the team had specific roles and responsibilities, helping to ensure the overall success of the group.
Bravo! Sincere congratulations to every member of Team Velocitas, and to their parents and DT teachers who have supported them throughout the journey.
A special thank you must go to the team’s sponsors, and to the GIS Communications team for their ongoing support.
We wish them Team Velocitas every success in the World Finals next week, and know they will make us proud. Congratulations & Good Luck on behalf of all of us at GIS!
To follow the team’s progress, check them out on Twitter: @TeamVelocitas. And if you’d like to learn more about how we promote & encourage a love of design, engineering and STEAM at GIS – we’d love to welcome you. Book a personalised school tour and see our world-leading Design & Technology, Computing & Science labs for yourself.
