AUSTRALIA SET A NEW WORLD RECORD AT F1 IN SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS 2016

 

 

The Australians took the first spoils of the 12th F1 in Schools World Finals being held in Austin this week. Inifinitude, a collaboration of 15 and 16 year old students from Brighton Secondary School, Adelaide and St. Bede’s College, Melbourne, blitzed their rivals on the track yesterday, smashing last year’s World Record time with an impressive race time of 0.916 seconds more than two hundredth of a seconds faster than the second quickest team.

 

The opening day of this year’s competition saw race times tumbling as the day progressed, with four teams posting sub-one second times. Australian team, Fast Payce, were the first to challenge the World Record of 0.977 seconds set by USA team, Union Racing International, last year with a time just 1 thousandth of a second wide with 0.978 seconds. Later in the day Infinitude Racing from Greece were overwhelmed when they claimed a new World Record with a run of 0.942 seconds. However, their jubilation was shortlived, with  the team holding the record for less than an hour before Infinitude blasted their car down the track and produced an unbeatable new World Record time.

 

16 year old Nicole Kascak, Team Manager of Infinitude, said of taking the F1 in Schools World Record, “We hoped to break the record, but certainly didn’t expect to do it by that much. The car had not been tested properly with the correct bearings and everything else, so we had no clue how we’d do or where we would end up. I think our catamaran design style and our innovative extended canister housing which no one has done before are the two key factors that have given us the edge.“

 

The first competition day of the F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 was formally opened by the Mayor of the City of Austin, Steve Adler. He gave a special Proclamation, recognising the importance of the event to the city, naming 16th October 2016 as F1 in Schools Day. The World Finals teams were also welcomed by Edgar Ferrara, Sustainability Director, Circuit of the Americas and Matthew Bell, Global Strategic Partnerships Manager, Autodesk Education. Edgar and Matthew were the ‘drivers’ for the traditional F1 in Schools ‘Flag Off’ race with the COTA Director, taking a narrow win.

 

Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools, said of today’s racing action, “It’s been a very special day in the history of F1 in Schools, as we’ve never had 11 race runs under one second. It was only a year ago that the World Record ducked under a second and this year, it’s been broken twice already, with four teams cracking the one second barrier. I thought the honours were with Greece today, but then Australia pipped them to the record. Well done to the Aussies!”

 

The F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 is the pinnacle of F1 in Schools, drawing together the best F1 in Schools students from around the world to compete for the ultimate prize in this global competition, to be crowned F1 in Schools World Champions. Reaching the World Finals has been a journey that teams will have been on for at least one year, and in many cases, two or three years. Their hard work and passion for the challenge of F1 in Schools has already brought them success in their home countries and now they do battle with other national winners.

 

F1 in Schools challenges students to create their own Formula One team which is commissioned to design, construct and race the fastest miniature Formula One Car of the Future; a 21cm long scale model built from the F1 in Schools modelling block and powered by a compressed air cylinder. Each team of between three and six students creates a ‘pit’ display and showcases their work in developing their race car. At the World Finals each team brings along a pit display, their cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a verbal presentation for the judges. The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in around one second.

 

The 2016 World Finals is being held from 16th to 19th October at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin, Texas, USA with three days of intense competition between 39 teams from 23 countries. After all their hard work the students will be rewarded with a trip to Circuit Of The Americas on Thursday for a pit lane walk and the opportunity to attend the 2016 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX. 

 

The F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 takes place with the assistance of a host of supporters including Formula One Management, Circuit Of The Americas, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Autodesk, City University London and UCL Engineering.

 

Ends.

 

Media are welcome to attend the World Finals:

 

Today - until 6pm

Tomorrow - 2 - 6pm

Wednesday evening - awards ceremony

For further information contact: