STEM Racing · formerly F1 in Schools
Engineered to be swift.
We are a team of six A Level students passionate about design and dedicated to overcoming the diverse set of challenges this competition will demand. There is much more than just 20 metres of racetrack standing between us and the regional final — here you can find out who we are and how we plan to take these challenges on.
01 — Who we are
Team Swiftly
Six of us working together out of shared ambition and a commitment to a quality process and a quality product.
As long-time friends, the six of us were planning Team Swiftly long before the competition started. Between us we have hands-on experience designing planes, building cars and other electronics projects outside of GCSE and A Level Design, so this competition means a lot to us.
That meant that as soon as Team Swiftly was officially formed, we already had a sense of direction. A large part of the challenge in STEM Racing is organisation and time management, because every aspect of design, production, marketing and funding is our own responsibility.
This is why most of what decides this competition happens long before race day, and a large portion of teams drop out before even producing a car because of the workload. We have to work within strict technical regulations that govern our car's features, size and shape, and document every stage of development for the judges, who want to see our CAD and the reasoning behind every decision.
The project is judged on how it was run just as much as on how the final car performs, and our team ethic is that we would rather be strong across all of that than fast but lazy and thin.
02 — What we are building
The car
The car we make has to be built from standardised foam and is heavily restricted by the technical and competition regulations. Most importantly, it is tethered to the track and powered only by the thrust of a pressurised CO2 canister at its rear — the other regulated characteristics of the car are listed below.
The regulation envelope
Hover over a card for details
- Power PowerCO2 cartridge
- Guidance GuidanceTethered to a nylon line
- Minimum mass Minimum mass48 g
- Wheels WheelsFour, visible from side and above
- Wings WingsFront and rear
- Wing span Wing span50 mm minimum
- Wing thickness Wing thickness2–6 mm
- Body BodyOfficial STEM Racing model block
- Manufacture ManufactureCNC machining, plus 3D printed parts
- Design Design3D CAD, with aerodynamic analysis
These figures come from the published technical regulations, which are revised every season.
03 — The challenge
The competition itself
STEM Racing (known as F1 in Schools until 2024) is a worldwide competition in more than 60 countries, endorsed by Formula 1 to drive community engagement with F1 and engineering. Schools around the world submit up to five teams of three to six students to design, build, brand and race a small car with little external help.
Where points are won
Hover over a card for details
- 01 Specifications & engineering 01 — Specifications & engineering The car is scrutinised against the regulations in parc fermé, and the design is questioned in an interview covering every aspect of production: CAD, CAM, analysis and machining.
- 02 Portfolios & pit display 02 — Portfolios & pit display An engineering portfolio and an enterprise portfolio, judged alongside a pit display that we design and build ourselves — everything from the infographics to the material of the stand.
- 03 Presentation 03 — Presentation A timed in-person presentation to a panel of judges, with extra materials made especially for it.
- 04 Racing 04 — Racing Run as repeat-and-average knockout rounds over a short track. The average time is 1.5 s and the world record is 0.9 s, so everything from small aerodynamic details to reaction time counts.
04 — Where this goes
The road ahead
Here is what is in store for us. Select a stage for details.
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Stage one 22 Jan 2027
Teams register for their local Regional Final (we are in the London region, which is the most competitive) and compete against other teams from their area.
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Stage two
Regional winners progress to the UK National Final.
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Stage three
The overall National Final winners represent their country at the World Finals, held in a different location each year and usually staged alongside a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Following our season
Our plans and designs are constantly changing — design work, test data and results will land here as we make them. Follow our day-to-day updates on Instagram.
05 — Get in touch
Talk to us
Any enquiries about sponsorship, mentoring, materials, machine time, or a general question — we would be honoured to receive an email.
Sources
Facts on this page about the STEM Racing competition are from the official sites and published competition material.