Talented STEM students race for top honors in F1 in Schools World Finals

Over the past 18 months, the word “zoom” has come to mean meeting virtually. With the Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals, however, “zoom” has been reclaimed as a description of what more than 400 students from across the globe managed to get their meticulously designed F1® models to do on the race track.

Drawn from over 26,000 schools across 51 countries worldwide, the 43 teams that made it to the World Finals designed, tested, and manufactured model F1® cars using project management tools, engineering and enterprise portfolios, and sponsorship and marketing campaigns to race at the F1® in Schools U.K. headquarters and virtually from around the globe.

Inspiring Generation Z

The nonprofit F1® in Schools takes Formula 1 into the classroom, delivering exciting STEM learning opportunities, inspiring the next generation to embrace careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Held from June 4 to 8, the World Finals combined a live racing event from the U.K. with appropriately powered zoom presentations to create an immersive, interactive, world-class competition. Welcoming the finalists at the event's opening session, Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser said, “The skills you have learned in this competition are ones that will last a lifetime. Not just in engineering or in project management, but in how to share your ideas. Making it all the way to the world finals is a great achievement. The experience you have gained will benefit you as you go on to do even bigger things.”

World champions crowned

The student teams attended the event virtually through 15 interactive zoom sessions, covering four different time zones. Across the packed five-day schedule, judged activities, head-to- head racing, and technical analysis concluded with the crowning of the new world champions, the British team “Britannia Red” from Robert Mary's School — no small feat with such worldwide talent on display. With University College London Mechanical Engineering scholarships awarded to the winners, as well as the prized F1® in Schools World Champions trophy, Britannia Red shared their victory with their school support team, friends, and family- a truly life changing event.

Second place went to the Irish team “Quintolux” from St. Brigid's College. Third place went to the Australian team “Nebula Racing” from Wesley College.

A passion for engineering

Complimenting the winners, Fahad K. Al-Dhubaib, general manager of Public Affairs, said, “Over 1.3 million students across 26,000 schools around the world have taken part in this competition. You have made it all the way to the top. This is something to be proud of.

“Aramco is proud to serve as title sponsor of the F1® in Schools World Finals, not only because of our commitment to support STEM growth in new and exciting ways, but also because we see in these bright young students the very same passion for engineering and innovation that drives our work. As they think outside the box to build a better race car, they inspire us all with their ingenuity. In turn, we hope to inspire them to use their talents to change the world.”