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F1 in Schools World Finals
‘When we set out, it was our dream to come to the [F1 in Schools] World Finals,’ Team Hydron Principal Will Johnson (Year 11) said. ‘We can’t believe we’ve done it. It’s not one person, it’s a real team effort.’
Will and the team, which includes Timothy Crichton and Alexander Liu (both Year 12), and Alastair Murphy, Benjamin Noonan and Andrew Yeang (all Year 11), were crowned the new F1 in Schools World Champions at the World Finals in Silverstone, UK in July.
‘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!’ Will added.
F1 in Schools is a global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiative. This event brought together 53 teams of the best STEM students from across 25 countries. Students work in teams to design, analyse, manufacture, test and race miniature compressed-air-powered cars along a track. They are judged across a range of criteria, from marketing strategies to aerodynamic engineering. Additionally, teams secure their own sponsorship and manage their own budgets, with specific roles for each team member.
‘The experiences which have come through our involvement have been remarkable,’ commented team member Ben Noonan. ‘Our engineers use the same software that SpaceX uses to test their rockets, and the same computer design program used by Airbus and Boeing. Through this, our car – which is smaller than a shoebox – accelerates seven times faster than gravity. It travels down the 20-metre track in just over one second.’
Team Hydron were awarded the Best Engineered Car and Fastest Car Award, and were nominated for Project Management, Pit Display, Scrutineering, Sponsorship and Marketing awards. After a challenging three days of competition, being crowned World Champions was a wonderful achievement for the students. As a part of their awards, they were presented with scholarships to study at University College London.
Peter Clinton, the Teacher-in-Charge of the F1 in Schools program, commented how proud the school is of the students’ outstanding dedication, performance and passion for their project, highlighting that they are excellent ambassadors for Australia, Victoria and Trinity, who are the only school to have had three World Champion teams. Team Hydron has been working together for three years to reach the World Finals and were crowned the Australian National Champions in 2021.
'World Champions aren’t made alone. Through the support of our teachers, sponsors and mentors, plus countless hours of hard work, we made it to the top podium step – a feeling that we’ll remember forever,' concluded Will.
Team Principal Will races Hydron's mini compressed-air-powered car at the World Finals in Silverstone, UK
