Our College's F1 in Schools (F1iS) team has been rapidly gaining momentum. This co-curricular club, led by teachers Henry Franck and Patrick Hedder, meets twice a week, supplemented by after-school sessions for training and manufacturing. During these sessions, Henry, a former Design Engineer and current Technology teacher, along with Physics teacher Patrick, guide the teams through the intricate process of designing and developing miniature F1 cars.

The students are fortunate to have some of the best facilities available at a high school level, including a professional track, CNC machine, and wind tunnel, with plans to acquire a high-quality carbon fibre 3D printer. What began with a single team’s trip to Australia last year has burgeoned into a robust programme, now featuring six full teams. These teams range from Year 9 to Year 13 students, with FERNZ, a Professional Class team, aiming for the World Championships later this year. Their mission, according to team member Matthew Stubbs, “is to establish a national competition throughout New Zealand and to be able to offer a high-level engineering and business programme to students.”

F1iS combines the technical skills of building and racing the cars with business acumen. Beyond applying the design process to create F1 car prototypes and racing them at speeds of up to 75km/h, teams also design booths and portfolios. They are responsible for their teams’ brand and marketing, which is assessed by the judges at each competition.

The wider enterprise aims to promote the learning of STEM subjects, as students use industry-level software for various aspects of their F1 car development. Teams are also required to fund themselves through acquiring industry sponsorship. The secured sponsorship allows them to compete overseas. For companies interested in sponsorship, they receive marketing through social media and overseas promotion via branding on cars, uniforms, and booths. These skills are invaluable as students move into professional settings post-high school, particularly in engineering and commerce.

The programme’s rapid growth and success are a result of the students’ passion and the dedicated support of their mentors. We look forward to FERNZ’s campaign as they continue to work towards a berth at the World Championships in Saudi Arabia this November.

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