Our Design & Technology students across the trust have been taking part in F1 in Schools competitions over the last term and the results have been a great success for Invictus with both competitions being won by an Invictus school!
The Crestwood School F1 team, Rizing Racers, were crowned Entry Class Champions and the Rapid Ravens F1 team at Leasowes took home the Development Class Championship Award and have qualified for the F1 in Schools UK National Final!
Mr Stuart Chatterton, Curriculum Manager for Design & Technology at Leasowes High School, has seen first-hand the benefits of the programme, having guided teams through the entry, development and professional classes and has competed at the national final on several occasions. He added:
‘’We are extremely proud of the success of the Invictus F1 in Schools teams, winning nine awards across the Entry and Development Class divisions and being crowned champions in the two categories for the West Midlands. The success of the teams was a reward for the hard work and commitment to the challenge by our students and teachers, spending many hours at lunch and after school sessions. The Rapid Ravens team have qualified for the National Final, which will be held at the Autosport International show, NEC. The final will be a four-day competition starting on Thursday 12th January 2023.’’
What is F1 in Schools?
F1 in Schools is an international STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) competition for school children (aged 11–19), in which groups of 3–6 students have to design and manufacture a scaled car out of the official F1 Model Block using CAD/CAM design tools. The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and are attached to a track by a nylon wire. They are timed from the moment they are launched to when they pass the finish line by a computer. The cars have to follow extensive regulations, in a similar fashion to Formula 1. The cars are raced on a 20m long track with two lanes, to allow two cars to be raced simultaneously. Before racing cars are developed and tested, using an air trace visualisation tunnel and using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate air resistance on the “cars” made in the CAD. The competition is currently operational in over 40 countries. The competition’s aim is to introduce younger people to engineering in a fun environment. The competition is held annually, with Regional and National Finals. The overall winners of the National Finals are invited to compete at the World Finals, which are held at a different location each year, usually held in conjunction with a Formula One Grand Prix. In the UK competition there are four classes of entry: Professional Class aimed at 11 to 19-year-olds, Development Class aimed at 11 to 19-year-olds in their first year, Entry Class aimed at 11 to 14-year-olds and Primary Class (new to Primary schools).
F1 in Schools 2022 - West Midlands Entry Class and Development Class Awards
Entry Class Awards
Entry Class Champions | Rizing Racers, Crestwood School |
Fastest Car | Austineto, Kinver High School |
Verbal Presentation | Austineto, Kinver High School |
Team Identity | JLFC, Wombourne High School |
Star Quality | A.Martinz, Leasowes High School |
Best Engineered Car | Rizing Racers, Crestwood School |
Development Class Awards
Development Class Champions | Rapid Ravens, Leasowes High School |
Fastest Car | Rapid Ravens, Leasowes High School |
Sponsorship & Marketing | Red Square Racing, Kinver High School |
For a flavour of what our students have to look forward to you can see a blog that we put together from the regional event that we competed in back in January 2020
F1 in Schools Region Final Video
Check out the Development Class Champion's Verbal Presentation (Rapid Ravens, Leasowes High School)