A student team from Athens, Greece have won the 2016 F1 in Schools World Finals, held this week at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin, Texas, USA, earning themselves the legendary Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy, and becoming the first team from Greece to be on the World Finals podium in the process.
Infinite Racing, from the Mandoulides School, took the crown having won a notable amount of trophies, which include the Pressure Challenge Award, the Knockout Competition Award and the Team Website Award, during three days of intense competition between thirty-nine teams from twenty-three different countries
F1 in Schools is a fantastic initiative that provides a unique test to students, as they are tasked with creating their own Formula One team. The mandate states they must design, construct and race the fastest miniature Formula One Car of the Future. Each team of students is asked to produce a ‘pit’ display and present the work they undertook in developing their race car.
Infinite Racing F1 in Schools car. Credit: F1 in Schools
At the World Finals each team races their car on a 20 metre track, aiming to cover the distance in around one second. As well as their cars, they must also bring along their pit display and portfolio, and present a verbal account of their progress for the judges.
Andreas Papamavros, a representative from Infinite Racing, expressed his delight at winning the competition.
“It was an amazing night. We were very surprised to be Champions, we did everything we could and hoped for a good position, but we really didn’t expect to win.
“Our secret to success was the teamwork and our manufacturing which was excellent, it was good solid engineering and getting the best results from every team member is the key to our win.
“We are just amazed to be Champions, it’s been such a lifetime experience, and we are all thrilled with our achievements.”
F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 podium. Credit: F1 in Schools
Australian team Infinitude took the runners-up spot, with Endeavour, a team of German students taking third.
The final round of the knockout competition took place on Thursday 20 October, and was contested by soon to be champions, Infinite Racing and their fellow countrymen and rivals, Aeolous, in what was a high pressure environment. Infinite Racing coped well to win both races and take the reputation and honours, as well as a special prize to race a McLaren Racing F1 in Schools car.
The car in question, was designed and produced alongside a Launch Energy Recovery System (LERS), by two graduate engineers at the McLaren Formula 1 Team. They took on Infinite Racing and Aeolous, with the recent Knockout Racing Champions adding further to their win tally.
Papamavros was again thrilled to have taken victory.
“It was very close racing, but we had the passion, our reaction time was good and we won, both against our Greece rivals and the Formula 1 team.
“Our car has run superbly and has proved to be quick, both with and without LERS, we’re really pleased to have won tonight.”
A total of twenty-three awards were presented at the glittering Awards Celebration Gala Dinner, which boasted a star-studded audience of Formula 1 team representatives, drivers and paddock personalities.
As main prize for the newly crowned World Champions, they will receive Engineering scholarships at City University London and UCL, and will also be rewarded with a trip to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Friday, for a pit lane walk and the opportunity to attend the 2016 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
It is thanks to a number of supporters that the F1 in Schools World Finals are able to take place, with the likes of Formula One Management, Circuit of their Americas, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Autodesk, City University London and UCL Engineering all contributing to the event.
The full list of award winners on the night are below:
World Champions supported by Formula One Management, City University London, and UCL Engineering
INFINITE RACING – Mandoulides Schools – Greece
2nd Place supported by Circuit of the Americas
Infinitude – Brighton Secondary School & St Bede’s College – Australia
3rd Place supported by The IET
Endeavour – Gymnasium Unterrieden Sindelfingen, Karl-Friedrich-Gymnasium Mannheim, Kurfürst-Friedrich-Gymnasium Heidelberg – Germany
Best Engineered Car Award supported by Williams Racing
Knight Hawks -The Indian High School, Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Research and Development Award supported by McLaren Honda
Knight Hawks – The Indian High School, Dubai – United Arab Emirates
The Best International Collaboration Team Award supported by Shell
Fusion Racing -Pelizaeus Gymnasium Paderborn & Wilmington Grammar School for Boys – Germany & United Kingdom
Innovative Thinking Award supported by Renault Sport F1 Team
Panteras Racing – Universidad Panamericana Preparatoria – Mexico
Team Sponsorship and Marketing Award supported by Manor Racing
Tachyon – Denbigh High School – Wales
Women in Motorsport Award supported by The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission
Tachyon – Denbigh High School – Wales
Team Website Award supported by Fantastic Media
INFINITE RACING, Mandoulides Schools – Greece
Image of the Week Award supported by Sutton Images
Fast Tech Crew – Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium – Germany
Knockout Competition Winners supported by Haas F1 Team
INFINITE RACING -Mandoulides Schools – Greece
Social Media Award supported by ID PR & Marketing
Fast Tech Crew – Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium – Germany
Enterprise Portfolio Award supported by F1 in Schools
Enigma UK – Robert May’s School – UK
Verbal Presentation Award supported by Pirelli
Tachyon – Denbigh High School – Wales
Pit Display Award supported by Scuderia Toro Rosso
Kinetikos Racing –Inveralmond Community High School – Scotland
Pressure Challenge Award supported by Autodesk
INFINITE RACING, Mandoulides Schools – Greece
Outstanding Sportsmanship Award supported by Sahara Force India Formula One Team
Airy Eagles – HTBLA Steyr & Vienna International School – Austria
Team Identity Award supported by Scuderia Ferrari
Kinetikos Racing -Inveralmond Community High School – Scotland
Fastest Car Award supported by Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team Infinitude – Brighton Secondary School & St Bede’s College – Australia
Chair of Judges Recognition of Achievement Award supported by Red Bull Racing
Harlem United -Harlem High School – USA
Scrutineering Award supported by F1 in Schools
Supermac’s Racing -St. Brigid’s College, Ireland
Best Newcomer Award supported by Sauber F1 Team
Finkas – Markham College – Peru
