F1 in Schools Sponsor

We had the opportunity to sponsor a local F1 Highschool Team by supporting their trip to the Nationals competition at the Michigan International Speedway. Team AXIUM placed second in the Nationals competition ensuring a spot in the International competition taking place later this year. They also achieved the award for Best Team Identity and their car is considered the third fastest in the nation.

Students design and create miniature gas-powered cars
made of balsa wood

F1 in Schools Ltd. is a not for profit organization for students ages 9 - 19. The goal of this educational program is to teach students different aspects of engineering, science, and technological fields.

Students put a lot of work into preparing for the competition. Engineering software, such as AutoCAD, is used for designing the shape of the car. Once the design has been tested, the manufacturing process begins. The design is transferred to a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) Software. This software is used to create instructions for a CNC machine which will cut the design out of the balsa wood block. Once cut, the car is prepped for painting, adding wheels and a CO2 cartridge.

Designing the car is only one of the many tasks each team must complete. Other design projects include the team uniforms, display stand, and portfolio. Each of the team’s display stands provides information about the team members and their design process for the competition. The teams must also create written and visual presentations to demonstrate to the judges. Completing these tasks gives the students experience in multiple aspects of design, manufacturing, branding, marketing, and finance.