Engineering at Full Throttle: Meet This Year's F1 STEM Racing Teams

At British International School of Chicago, South Loop, we create a personalized experience for your child’s education that is wholly unique from “launch”to the finish line. One of the most notable opportunities we offer as a student activity for our High School studentsis F1 STEM Racing. Studentswork in small teams to design, engineer, manufacture, and race miniature Formula 1-style cars powered by compressed air or CO₂. 

Competing on a national level involves skills beyond engineering; teams are judged on project management, data analysis, marketing, branding, and presentation, mirroring how a real Formula 1 team operates.

We wanted to hear from the teams themselves about what it’s like to participatein such an immersive program.Take a look at what our Team Principals had to say!

I think you’ll all agree that F1 STEM Racing is just as much of a team sport as, for instance, basketball. Can you tell me what the dynamics are like on your teams and what some of your initial challenges were?

Emma L. (PACE Racing Team):At the beginning of the season, our focus was on creating a good foundation by learning to work together as a team, especially with our new members. Whilst preparing for the regional finals, we also focused on improving our car design, as well as our portfolios.

Arthur L. (Chicane Racing Team):Our team faced the challenge of being made up entirely of freshmen, which meant trying tocompete at the same levelas other, more experienced teams. Luckily,STEM Racing included both regional and national competitions, providing us with two opportunities to make a name for ourselves.

Sahana T. (IONIX Racing Team):This year, our team has included me and five other members handling various commitments from Team Branding & Identity Management, Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Sponsorship & Marketing Management, and Graphic Design. Each of us has unique skills that came together to make us a unified team. We wanted to present ourselves as a team with a core value of sustainability, and throughout regionals we did this through how we planned the resources that we used. 

Working on your cars requires both short-term and long-term problem-solving, creativity, and endurance. How did you approach growth and improvement over the year?

Arthur:At regionals, we fell short of our expectations. Our car failed, and we didn’t get to race. But after that, our team doubled down and spent long hours improving every judged aspect for nationals. After months of dedication, we built three identical race cars, developed detailed portfolios, and created a full pit display to showcase our work, which will be presented at the ECA showcase.

Sahana: We developed our portfolios and car using computational fluid dynamics to help with our aerodynamics and predicted performance. We had to continuously adapt and refine our submission elements to make sure that it fit the rigid scorecard. STEM Racing requiresthree portfolios: Engineering and Design, Enterprise, and Project Management. Additionally, we had to produce four cars and an 8-foot Pit Display showcasing our journey. Completing these elements helped us develop our understanding of these different areas of growth.  

Emma: On our journey to reach the national event, rather than attempting to make significant changes to our design, we focused on making small but purposeful changes using performance data review and testing. At the national event, we faced some of the best teams in the country and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to compete at such a high level and learn from the experience.

Finally, how do you see the skills and experiences you’ve had participating in F1 STEM Racing translating into other parts of your life as a student and even in a future career?

Sahana: Throughout our STEM Racing journey, each of us learned so much across manySTEM subjects. This competition taught us how to engineer, manufacture, manage a team by ourselves, and solve problems. These skills will bevery useful for us in any field that any of us choose to go into.

Emma:We developed a deeper understanding of STEM principles, especially the importance of data analysis and design trade-offs. We also learned that successful engineering depends not only on technical skill, but also on collaboration and the ability to continuously improve.

Arthur: Formula 1 is fast, innovative, and constantly evolving, pushing engineering to its limits both on and off the track. STEM Racing embodies all these qualities, while also making them accessible to the next generation of engineers and racing enthusiasts.

Thank you not only to our STEM Racing teams, but also to our incredible Engineering and Design staff who support and guide our students. We appreciate your dedication and expertise. We can’t wait until next year!