October 4, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
LEARNERS from schools around the country take to the tarmac on Friday, 5 October, for the F1 in Schools race at the Kyalami Race Track in northern Joburg.
School teams from Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and North-West will race the miniature Formula One cars they designed and manufactured, on a special race track at Fantastic Racing.
The F1 in Schools project, an international educational initiative launched in South Africa in 2003, aims to prepare young learners towards careers in engineering and technology by providing an out-of-the-classroom, competitive learning environment.
On the race day, teams present their cars to a judging panel comprising of industry and education representatives, says Ramona Kruger, the F1 in Schools co-ordinator for Sangari South Africa. That company runs the challenge in partnership with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Gauteng department of education.
"The competition is open to learners between the ages of 11 and 18. The prize for the teams that come first, second and third [is] a trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, where they will take on winning school teams from countries across the world in the F1 in Schools International Race finals in March next year."
In addition, two high school learners will win bursaries for first-year study at UJ.
Aerial shot of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
In 2006, Stellenbosch High School won the national title and Joburg's Northcliff High came second. Both schools represented South Africa at the international event in Melbourne, Australia, where they came eleventh and fifth place, respectively.
Before they can race, each team is required to submit a detailed portfolio of all design, development and technical work of their miniature Formula One cars, Kruger says.
"Registered school teams design and manufacture a miniature Formula One car. After testing the miniature vehicles, teams – dressed in typical Formula One gear - participate in race events against other teams."
The car's weight and aerodynamic capabilities are key to its speed, she adds.
"The miniature cars must be designed according to specified criteria on Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. The CAD design is loaded into a Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) system and the partially finished car, made from balsa wood, is produced. The axel and wheels are then positioned, and the car is finished and painted."
The educational benefits of F1 in Schools are immense, according to Professor Theo Andrew, the executive dean of the UJ's faculty of engineering and the built environment.
"The initiative brings to life the basics of mathematics and science and introduces learners to the latest computer aided design and manufacturing technologies. Our commitment is to produce the full spectrum of engineering skills – engineers, technologists and technicians – and deliver excellent graduates into the economy. We are thus obliged to promote engineering and technology study at school level, and the F1 in Schools initiative is our flagship project in this endeavour."
Competing teams must register at 7.30am on Friday, 5 October, at Kyalami Race Track, after which judging will take place. The racing starts at 12.15pm.
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