Why F1 in Schools?
The Formula 1 (F1) in
Schools initiative creates a fun and motivating
environment for students to experience the
engineering process. The worldwide popularity of F1
racing lends excitement while providing a relevant
background for simulating critical elements of
engineering in the real world.
Experiencing
Engineering
Students form their own
F1 teams to research, design, manufacture, and
ultimately race their own scale model F1 cars. The
process simulates many facets of real F1 racing.
From a design and
manufacturing perspective, students use CAD
(computer-aided design) software to create virtual
3-D models of their cars and translate their designs
into reality by means of CNC milling machines.
Team organization is
critical to the project. Teams must have a minimum
of three to a maximum of six members who fill the
following roles: team manager, resources manager,
manufacturing engineer, design engineer, and graphic
designer.
Teams must also promote
their cars through a variety of marketing efforts:
procuring sponsors (if possible); developing
sponsorship decals and consistent color scheme, and
producing a design folder with initial design ideas,
design development information, testing evidence,
and graphical renderings.