A team of six 17-year-old students from Australia lifted the Aramco F1® in Schools World Champions trophy at Silverstone this week, as the global STEM initiative held its 17th World Finals.
'Hydron' with team members Will Johnson, Benjamin Noonan, Alexander Liu, Andrew Yeang, Timothy Crichton and Alastair Murphy fought off intense competition, beating 52 teams from 25 countries to win coveted university scholarships to study at UCL Engineering in London and the prestigious World Champions title.
Hydron also won the Fastest Car Award supported by Mercedes AMG F1 Team and Best Engineered Car Award supported by Williams. They were nominated for three other awards: Scrutineering Award, Best Pit Display and Best Application of Project Management.
The Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals 2022 featured 21 awards, with presenters from award supporter companies and F1® personalities. Teams from 14 countries were among the award winners, including two awards for the host nation.
The F1® in Schools competition provides an opportunity for teams of students to research, design, test, manufacture and race a miniature Formula 1 car, using some of the advanced technology applied within real F1® teams. All the teams competing this week spent hundreds of hours producing their models, and it was Hydron that rose to the top.
Taking the World Champions title was a proud moment for Hydron with Will Johnson, Team Principal saying: “When we set out it was our dream to come to the World Finals and here we are now, it's crazy to think how far we've come. We can't believe we've done it. It's not one person, it's a real team effort. It's the teamwork, the relationship between us and our shared ambitions, all going for one thing that makes it so special.
“Our engineers did a fantastic job of designing our cars, hours and hours of work, thousands, doing the CAD modelling, but it's the gelling of the team and working together that made our car the best too. Some of us are keen to look at the opportunity of the scholarship which is great too. We've put in so much work, late nights, staying back at school, getting through to the end was a big challenge, but it's paid off for us. We're just over the moon!”
Blackout from Wales took the runners up spot in the competition, with SBA Avidity from the UK completing the podium and winning Best Application of Project Management Award.
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman of F1® in Schools commented: “I am always blown away by the work of the students taking part in F1 in Schools and they continue to surprise me with the innovations and quality of their cars and the supporting presentations. Just as in the sport of Formula 1 we see teams pushing the boundaries of the rules and regulations in their determination to produce the best car; putting many hours into testing and perfecting it, and paying close attention to detail in the visual identity of their team. Hydron developed an outstanding car and showed fantastic teamwork to earn a well-deserved victory.”
“But it is not only the academic excellence that we have seen at the World Finals,” adds Denford. “F1 in Schools changes lives around the world and these boys and girls will have formed friendships which will last a lifetime. I know that they will all have learned life skills which will be invaluable throughout their careers.”
Talal H. Al-Marri, General Manager, Public Affairs at Aramco commented, “As a title sponsor of the Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals, we are now providing a platform for the brightest young STEM minds from around the world to test their skills and be inspired to pursue a career in solving some of the most pressing challenges facing the world. Our sincere congratulations to Hydron who won the coveted university scholarships to study at UCL Engineering in London and the prestigious World Champions title.”
The Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals 2022 is held with the support of a host of sponsors, including Formula 1®, Aramco, Denford, Autodesk, FIA Women in Motorsport, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, UCL Mechanical Engineering, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, FIA Action for Road Safety and F1® Manager 22.