Formula One Goes To Parliament

Budding young engineers showed off their car design skills at a reception held in the House of Commons on 9 March, 2004 to thank sponsors and supporters of the Jaguar F1 Team in Schools CAD/CAM Design Challenge.

The event was to celebrate the success of the F1 in Schools competition that challenges students aged 11-18, to design, analyse, make, test and race a F1 car of the future. With the help of International Founding Partners, Jaguar, BAE SYSTEMS, Denford Ltd and Pitsco, F1 in Schools aims to sweep aside stereotypes and promote engineering as an exciting and rewarding career.

Championship Season 2003/4 attracted 20,250 students from 450 schools nation-wide. The winners will be competing against teams from 12 other countries in the first International Final, to be held on 5 October, 2004.

Guest of honour, Education and Skills Secretary, Charles Clarke MP praised the initiative for the opportunities it provides to young people and the benefits to Industry and Education.

The event was hosted by Richard Burden, MP for Birmingham Northfield. Speaking on the importance of support for F1 in Schools, he said: "It is important to challenge the stereotypes about engineering which, in the past, have prevented too many young people from seeing it as an exciting career. F1 in Schools is helping to break down those stereotypes, with the financial and in-kind support from Industry, the Government and schools, and the success of the Challenge is a credit to all involved."

Chairman of F1 in Schools, Andrew Denford was overwhelmed by the support received last year and invites anyone who is not currently involved in the Challenge to contact F1 in Schools (contactus@f1inschools.co.uk) to be part of the 2004/5 winning team.