The F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 was won by a student team from Athens, Greece, tonight, with Infinite Racing from Mandoulides School, taking the World Champions crown and lifting the famous Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy, the first team from Greece to be on the World Finals podium. The team won an impressive haul of trophies, with the Pressure Challenge Award, the Knockout Competition Award and Team Website Award.
Australian team, Infinitude were runners-up to Infinite Racing, with Endeavour from Germany taking the third place podium spot. A total of 23 awards were presented at the glittering Awards Celebration Gala Dinner held this evening with a star-studded audience of Formula 1 team representatives, drivers and paddock personalities. The World Champions win coveted City University London and UCL Engineering scholarships.
Andreas Papamavros from Infinite Racing said of being crowned World Champions, "It was an amazing night. We were very surprised to be Champions, we did everything we could and hoped for a good position, but we really didn't expect to win. Our secret to success was the teamwork and our manufacturing which was excellent, it was good solid engineering and getting the best results from every team member is the key to our win. We are just amazed to be Champions, it's been such a lifetime experience, we are all thrilled with our achievements."
The evening kicked off with the final round of the popular knockout competition, contested by eventual champions, Infinite Racing and their Thessaloniki rivals, Aeolous. Infinite Racing coped with the high pressure atmosphere to win both races and take this title, which brought with it a very special opportunity - to race a McLaren Racing F1 in Schools car.
Two graduate engineers at the championship winning Formula 1 team had taken on the tough challenge of designing and making an F1 in Schools car, as well as their own Launch Energy Recovery System (LERS). Infinite Racing, Knockout Racing Champions raced the McLaren prototype, just pipping the newcomers to take another win.
Andreas added, "It was very close racing, but we had the passion, our reaction time was good and we won, both against our Greece rivals and the Formula 1 team. Our car has run superbly and has proved to be quick, both with and without LERS, we're really pleased to have won tonight."
F1 in Schools challenges students to create their own Formula One team which is commissioned to design, construct and race the fastest miniature Formula One Car of the Future; a 21cm long scale model built from the F1 in Schools model block and powered by a compressed air cylinder. Each team of between three and six students creates a ‘pit' display and showcases their work in developing their race car. At the World Finals each team brings along a pit display, their cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a verbal presentation for the judges. The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in around one second.
The 2016 World Finals was held this week at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin, Texas, USA with three days of intense competition between 39 teams from 23 countries. After all their hard work the students will be rewarded with a trip to Circuit Of The Americas tomorrow for a pit lane walk and the opportunity to attend the United States Grand Prix.
The F1 in Schools World Finals 2016 takes place with the assistance of a host of supporters including Formula One Management, Circuit Of The Americas, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Autodesk, City University London and UCL Engineering.
Full list of award winners:
World Champions supported by Formula One Management, City University London, UCL Engineering: INFINITE RACING -Mandoulides Schools - Greece
2nd Place supported by Circuit of the Americas: Infinitude - Brighton Secondary School & St Bede's College - Australia
3rd Place supported by The IET: Endeavour - Gymnasium Unterrieden Sindelfingen, Karl-Friedrich-Gymnasium Mannheim, Kurfürst-Friedrich-Gymnasium Heidelberg - Germany
Best Engineered Car Award supported by Williams Racing: Knight Hawks - The Indian High School, Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Research and Development Award supported by McLaren Honda: Knight Hawks - The Indian High School, Dubai - United Arab Emirates
The Best International Collaboration Team Award supported by Shell: Fusion Racing - Pelizaeus Gymnasium Paderborn & Wilmington Grammar School for Boys - Germany & United Kingdom
Innovative Thinking Award supported by Renault Sport F1 Team: Panteras Racing - Universidad Panamericana Preparatoria - Mexico
Team Sponsorship and Marketing Award supported by Manor Racing: Tachyon - Denbigh High School - Wales
Women in Motorsport Award supported by The FIA Women in Motorsport Commission: Tachyon - Denbigh High School - Wales
Team Website Award supported by Fantastic Media: INFINITE RACING, Mandoulides Schools - Greece
Image of the Week Award supported by Sutton Images: Fast Tech Crew - Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium - Germany
Knockout Competition Winners supported by Haas F1 Team: INFINITE RACING - Mandoulides Schools - Greece
Social Media Award supported by ID PR & Marketing: Fast Tech Crew - Alexander-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium - Germany
Enterprise Portfolio Award supported by F1 in Schools: Enigma UK - Robert May's School - UK
Verbal Presentation Award supported by Pirelli: Tachyon - Denbigh High School - Wales
Pit Display Award supported by Scuderia Toro Rosso: Kinetikos Racing -Inveralmond Community High School - Scotland
Pressure Challenge Award supported by Autodesk: INFINITE RACING, Mandoulides Schools - Greece
Outstanding Sportsmanship Award supported by Sahara Force India Formula One Team: Airy Eagles - HTBLA Steyr & Vienna International School - Austria
Team Identity Award supported by Scuderia Ferrari: Kinetikos Racing -Inveralmond Community High School - Scotland
Fastest Car Award supported by Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team: Infinitude - Brighton Secondary School & St Bede's College - Australia
Chair of Judges Recognition of Achievement Award supported by Red Bull Racing: Harlem United -Harlem High School - USA
Scrutineering Award supported by F1 in Schools: Supermac's Racing - St. Brigid's College, Ireland
Best Newcomer Award supported by Sauber F1 Team: Finkas -Markham College - Peru
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