Blitz Racing set for F1 in Schools final
Blitz Racing is this year's Formula 1 in Schools team for 2024, hoping to maintain the Marist College's incredible record of reaching the World Finals, and to build on the success the school has had in the past.
Led by team project manager and primary engineer Bruce Hollmann, Blitz Racing is comprised of three passionate young students from Marist College Athlone, with Boris Zhang as graphic and marketing manager and Mohammad Hamzah Mateen as secondary design engineer and finance manager.
Their journey over the last few months has consisted of meticulous design and preparation of their portfolio and presentations. This has all been balanced with the work they are doing in 5th year, which is quite the challenge, but it hasn't stopped them.
F1 in Schools is an international STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) competition in which groups of students must design and manufacture a miniature Formula 1 car out of the official F1 Model Block using CAD/CAM design tools.
Other than trying to design and build a winning car, teams in the F1 in Schools competition are required to develop a comprehensive business plan, marketing strategies, budgeting, and sponsorship acquisition. The competition gives young people an excellent opportunity to get an insight into how the real world operates, dealing with financial issues, building skills for their CV, and careers, such as time & resource management and communication.
The Marist College has a very accomplished record in the competition, with five of its teams competing in world finals previously, and the 2016 team emerging as outright national winners. It was only in September that a team placed 5th out of the over 65 teams at the world finals in Singapore, the highest ever placed by a Marist team.
The team has currently qualified for the National Finals, which will be held in the University of Limerick, on May 31 with over 50 schools from across the country
Blitz Racing are hoping to once again break another barrier and need support to do so! If you would like to follow their journey, please reach out to: Blitzracing.contact@gmail.com or Instagram: blitzracing2024