F1 in Schools will stage its ninth World Finals event in Austin, Texas, alongside the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in November.
The return of Formula 1 to the United States last year was the natural impetus for F1 in Schools to consider the continent as the host nation for the event.
Commenting on the decision to hold the event in Austin, F1 in Schools founder and chairman, Andrew Denford, said: “The city, the circuit and the local government were right behind us with their support for bringing F1 in Schools to the State of Texas. They understand the value of reaching out to the younger F1 audience and a wider fan base of young people and the F1 in Schools World Finals will sit very neatly with the ambitions of Austin.”
The event is expected to be staged in one of the leading downtown conference facilities in the run-up to the 2013 Grand Prix, with an Awards evening rounding off three days of competition for the students. All the competitors will be given the opportunity to stay on for the race weekend and enjoy the experience of watching the Grand Prix trackside.
“Circuit of The Americas is pleased that the F1 in Schools World Finals will be held in Austin prior to our Grand Prix,” the Circuit’s vice president of public and media relations, Julie Loignon, said. “F1 in Schools provides a unique educational platform that leverages Formula 1 and provides students with a chance to apply science, math, technology and engineering subject matter to the live racing action they experience on track. It’s a unique and impactful educational experience.”
F1 in Schools aims to help change perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) 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. Students are given a brief to design a model compressed air powered F1 Car of the future using CAD/CAM Engineering techniques. Cars are then manufactured on a CNC machine. Each team of between three and six students brings together their portfolio of work to present to a judging panel with a verbal and written presentation to support their model car. The cars race on a 20m track, covering the distance in just over one second.
The F1 in Schools programme operates in over 40 countries.
