Podium finish for Eden College F1 team
Made from paper and cardboard, the car was fuelled by a Co2 canister.
LEARNERS from Eden College claimed victory at the Mahle F1 Schools Challenge recently. The Eden College team, Matrix Mechanix, took their design to the track on September 1.
The competition entails building a miniature F1 car which they raced against other schools. Made from paper and cardboard, the car was fuelled by a Co2 canister which propelled it forward.
Eden College excelled in several aspects of the competition.
The team won an award for the best pit display as well as the best project management and sponsorship. They also placed first overall.
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“The F1 car was just one of the aspects of the competition. The team also had to set up a pit display, answer questions in an interview and organise sponsorship and marketing for their design. The specifications and design of the car were submitted the week before the competition, and Eden College scored highly in this category, as well – they were at the top of the board,” said educator Sheri Williams.
Williams added that there were two rounds to the competition, with six teams competing on each day. Eden College took part on the first day of the competition.
“There were two rounds. On our day, we came first. When the scores from all the teams were sent to us via email, we saw that we were the winners overall,” said Williams.
Speaking to Berea Mail ahead of the competition, team manager Dhruv Shah said learners are given a basic template for the design and only minor modifications are allowed.
They must design and build the car to withstand the track – and complete the circuit in the fastest time. Through the project, learners make use of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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“In terms of science, we have to think of how aerodynamic the design is and how the car would move in different scenarios. We used mathematics as we had to measure the car and ensure it fits the rules and regulations. It was a challenge – it took a while, and we had many prototypes. This one seems to be working,” he said.
The competition was a great experience for the team. For more information about the challenge, visit the website, www.mahle-f1schoolschallenge.co.za
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