The Re-Engineering Australia Foundation has hosted the 2020 F1 in Schools National Finals at the headquarters of Robert Bosch Australia in Melbourne.
F1 in Schools become the biggest STEM competition in Australia and the largest in the world. Globally, over nine million students from 51 nations take part. There are more than 25,000 Australian high schoolers involved each year.
F1 in Schools challenges students to form teams akin to Formula One with a manager, design engineer, and a person in charge of manufacturing and resources. They have to design, make, test and race a miniature powered F1-style racer with an aerodynamic body and wings that can accelerate from 0-80 KM/H in less than two seconds. Students were also judged on their presentation and ability to work together.
There were 36 teams from the various states and territories. The National Finals of the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge was a demonstration of passionate boys and girls pushing themselves to new limits to master industry-standard software, equipment and processes and use them to innovate.
Following three days of intense competition, with race times separated by fractions of a second, the winners were announced at the awards ceremony. The VIP list included Andrew Denford from England (founder of F1 in Schools), Paris-based Thierry Chevrot (Education division of Paris-based software giant, Dassault Systemes), Professor Richard Hopkins (former Director of Operations, Red Bull Formula One), Tim Richardson MP (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Education John Merlino), Robyn Frampton (Visual Connections), Associate Professor Warren Smith (UNSW) the Chief of Judges, Engineers Australia and the Australian Institute of Project Management.
The recipients of the 40-plus awards came from across Australia showing that STEM is being promoted and led by a large contingent of educators. As expected, STEM strongholds Perth and Melbourne starred, along with Tasmania. The Gold Coast was a delightful newcomer.
A team of students from Wesley College in Perth earned the title of National Champions in the Professional class. They will now prepare for the next World Finals which will be held in conjunction with a round of the Formula One championship. Australia's World Finals tally is 6 world championships, 5 runners-up, 3 third places, the reigning world speed record (0.916 seconds), 8 Best Engineered Car Awards and 6 Fastest Car Awards.
The competition is supported by the Department of Defence, Department of Industry, Visual Connections, Bosch, Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, Engineers Australia, Australian Institute of Project Management, Denford, Jetta Excess Baggage and Motorsport Australia.