Team Vicsino and Perrone (right) with the students’ Pit Display Award prize, which included Ricciardo’s racing overalls, at Aramco Formula 1 In Schools World Finals in Singapore.
STUDENTS from Seremban’s SMK King George V (KGV) and Kolej Tunku Kurshiah (KTK) won the Pit Display Award at Aramco Formula 1 In Schools World Finals in Singapore.
Team Vicsino, comprising Megat Rashidi Mohd Razdi, Leong Kar Shen and Amirul Zafran Aqil Shahrul Najib from KGV, and Sheza Farasofea Abdul Syahid, Mariah Azmir Faizal and Tengku Sarah Aisyah Tengku Asmadi from KTK, emerged winner in the category against some of the world’s brightest young minds.
Their winnings were presented by Formula One’s Scuderia AlphaTauri Sporting Direction head Marco Perrone.
These included a trophy and a surprise prize – AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo’s racing overalls.
A record-breaking 68 teams from 33 nations competed in the three-day challenge which offered 23 awards.
KGV teacher-coach Gan Bin Hoon said the students worked tirelessly since April to complete their tasks for the finals.
“They were practically the design and manufacturing engineers, as well as graphic designers and resource and marketing managers for the project.
“The competition was not only about mastering CAD/CAM software in designing and manufacturing a racing car.
“The team must also acquire sponsorship and manage budgets as well as find partnerships with local universities and colleges,” she said.
The coach for KTK was teacher Muhammad Dzul-Harith Remlle.
Gan said F1 In Schools was essentially an engineering and design action learning project for students, implemented in high schools around the world.
It is also an international STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) competition for school children aged 11 to 19, in which groups of three to six students have to design and manufacture a miniature car out of the official F1 Model Block using CAD/CAM design tools.
“The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and are attached to a track by nylon wire.
“They are timed by computer from the moment they are launched to when they pass the finish line,” Gan said, adding that the cars had to adhere to extensive regulations, in similar fashion to Formula 1.
The cars were raced on a 20m track with two lanes, to allow two cars to be raced simultaneously.
“Other than that, members who hold posts such as resource manager need to create plans to obtain sponsorships and the graphic designer has to design portfolios, team uniform, pit display and other graphics-related items,” she said, adding that the competition first took place in the United Kingdom in 1999.
The team, she said, collaborated with Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University and Multimedia University in design and manufacturing, during which participants learned 3D design and analysis as well as things like material testing.
Team Vicsino also collaborated with Kolej Uniti for graphic design, Institut Kemahiran Tinggi Belia Negara Chembong for pit display and car airbrushing, and F1 In Schools In Malaysia for milling processes.
According to the F1 In Schools website, the main objective of the challenge is to help change the perceptions of science, technology, engineering and math.
This is by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, Formula 1, science, marketing and technology.
F1 In Schools Ltd works with industry partners to provide an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the magnetic appeal of Formula 1.
The awards were sponsored by F1 teams, key industry partners and professional bodies.
