Ron Dearing UTC students have been crowned regional champions in the world’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition for the third consecutive year.
Ron Racing went head-to-head with 19 other teams from schools and colleges to take pole position in the regional finals in the F1 in Schools challenge at the National STEM Learning Centre in York.
The team, comprising of Year 13 students Heidi Porter, Harry Tyler, Jasper Gourley, Elliot Johnson and Will Jones, also won the award for Best Pit Display.
They will now go on to compete in the national finals at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Sheffield on March 14 and 15.
Heidi, 17, who is studying Triple Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC’s sixth form and would like to pursue an engineering-based career, said: “We had a great day at the regional finals. We put in a lot of hard work but there were lots of other very good teams, so we didn’t expect to win.
“It’s been a really good experience and I’ve learnt lots from it. We met people from lots of different companies, my communication skills have improved and I’ve learnt a lot more about engineering.
“It will be a big step up from the regional finals but I’m looking forward to the nationals and we’re ready for it.”
Harry, 17, who is studying Double Engineering and Physics at the UTC, hopes to become a Formula 1 aerodynamicist in the future.
He said: “Winning was the most exciting part of the regional finals, closely followed by sending the car down the track.
“Being part of F1 in Schools has helped with my public speaking and confidence and also improved my Computer Aided Design (CAD) skills.
“It’s a great stepping stone to get into the F1 industry and it’s brilliant to have on your CV if you want to go down that route.”
This is the third consecutive year Ron Dearing UTC students have entered the development class of competition and secured the top spot.
Previous Ron Dearing teams included Mach Racing and Vortex Racing and various awards were secured, from Lightening Reaction Time and Star Quality: Verbal Presentation, to Team Identity and Sponsorship and Marketing.
The F1 in Schools challenge sees more than one million schoolchildren from 40 countries take part each year. Each team designs and manufactures a miniature car based on the official F1 model using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM).
The cars are powered using CO₂ cartridges and are attached to a 25m track by a nylon wire and raced. The teams also design their own branding and logos, plan social media and marketing strategies to promote themselves, deliver presentations and raise sponsorship for their teams.
Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal – Employer Engagement at Ron Dearing UTC, and Cieran Dowling, the UTC’s F1 in Schools Coordinator, are supporting Ron Racing throughout their F1 in Schools journey.
Porsche Centre Hull, a Major Partner of the employer-led school, is the team’s official sustainable partner and donated two Porsche Taycan electric sports cars to transport the team to and from York, offsetting their carbon footprint.
The business also hosts regular fundraising events for the teams, enabling them to showcase their work and pitch their ideas to potential sponsors at the Porsche showroom in Hessle.
Glenn said: “We’re so proud of the Ron Racing team and these accolades are testament to all the hard work they have put in over the past 18 months as they worked towards the regional finals.
“They have really put themselves out there, presenting pitches to our governing board, potential sponsors and working with the team at Porsche Centre Hull to ensure they approached everything in the most sustainable way possible.
“Their pit stand was outstanding and really stood out from the crowd. The judges were highly impressed by their engineering portfolio and everything they’ve done to make their team a success.
“It’s fantastic to see how our students have put their mark on this global competition and we wish them every success for the nationals next month.”
