Racing ahead of the competition

ONE of Formula One’s leading engineers called into the classroom to help inspire young designers in their bid for glory in the global F1 in Schools competition, writes Stan Szecowka.

Stuart Green, 35, revealed the blood, sweat and tears that go into ensuring the world’s fastest men have the machines to match their desires to step onto the grand prix podium.

He is former world champion Lewis Hamilton’s ‘front end’ mechanic at Mercedes GP and before the driver moved from McLaren this season he worked with recently retired German legend Michael Schumacher.

“We’re doing the same thing, except my job’s on a bigger scale!” he told the enthusiasts from Years 7 to 11 at St Christopher’s School.

“Formula 1 in Schools is a fabulous initiative and is clearly motivating and encouraging young people to challenge themselves in a creative and positive manner.”

Seven teams of six young engineering enthusiasts have dedicated months to meticulous planning, designing, building and testing miniature racing cars and will be competing in June to win a coveted place representing Bahrain in the world fnals to be staged in Austin, in the US state of Texas.

Members of the second place team may also get another chance of reaching their American dream by joining up with a team representing a combination of schools from the Gulf.
The youngsters are working under the supervision of Martin Plunkett, design and technology teacher, who is also the F1 in Schools director.

They have to design and manufacture miniature race cars out of balsa wood using computer-aided 3D design software. The cars are powered by carbon dioxide cartridges and are attached to a track by a thin wire, travelling at 20 metres per second. The cars are timed by a computer from the moment they are launched until they pass the fnish line.

Around 30 children aged between 12 and 16 were given a glimpse into the personalities of the drivers too when Stuart was asked to compare working with Schumacher and Hamilton.
He said the German was an inquisitive taskmaster wanting to know in minute detail the reasons why any changes or adaptations were being made to his car.

Hamilton, however, was a totally different kettle of fsh: he lets the engineers do their bit and prefers to concentrate on the driving, said Stuart.

It appears to be working. In the four races since joining Mercedes he has already made two podium fnishes and in Bahrain had a fve place penalty for a gearbox change but fought back strongly from ninth on the grid to fnish ffth. When Schumacher returned to racing after a break away from the sport he could not repeat the stunning success of his heyday with Ferarri.
Stuart described both drivers as ‘incredible’ characters and it appears that the team that plays together, stays together. He was invited skydiving with Schumacher and Hamilton has already taken the team out bowling.

The F1 cars undergo constant tweaking within the limitations of the governing body’s rules but the machine that starts in Australia in March will be completely different to the car passing the fnishing line in Brazil at the end of the year.

The leading teams also employ professional photographers to snap away at their rivals cars so that the images can be studied to identify any modifcations in the cutthroat world of motorsport, which every fraction of a second can make the difference between winning and losing.

Mr Plunkett believes Stuart’s visit has really paid dividends. “Our students had the opportunity of sharing ideas on Formula One and hearing about how science technology, engineering and racing mathematics are vital tools in producing a quality product.”

Stuart lives close to the famous Silverstone circuit in England but took a short break in the kingdom after the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix with his wife Nikki to visit his father Christopher, executive director of the Schools Review Unit of the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training in the kingdom.

The school visit was organised through parent governor David Axtell, a friend of Mr Green Snr.