If you’ve ever tried building something from scratch with your mates—like a Lego city or a go-kart with shopping trolley wheels—you’ll know the buzz that comes from making it work. Now imagine doing that, but with a mini Formula 1 car, a proper team name, and national glory on the line. That’s exactly what a bunch of teenagers from Scarborough UTC pulled off.
At the Lenovo F1 in Schools UK National Finals 2024/25, a team of students aged 15 to 18, calling themselves Unity Racing, didn’t just show up—they absolutely smashed it. After months of designing, engineering, testing, and fine-tuning, they were crowned the UK Champions. And no, it’s not just a fancy title. This win means they’re heading off to the ARAMCO STEM Racing World Finals 2025 in Singapore—yep, that Singapore, during that Grand Prix.
Let’s break down what happened, who else is tagging along for the world stage, and why this school competition is way more than just an after-school project.
Unity Racing: from second place to top of the podium
Last year, Unity Racing came second. Close, but not quite. But that silver lining turned out to be solid gold this time around. Competing again gave them the experience—and the fire—to go one better.
As Ryan, the team manager, put it:
“We came second last year so were lucky enough to compete at the World Finals… we learned so much. To go again will be another life-defining experience.”
Their win came at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, where over 300 students from across the UK raced, presented, and battled it out for the national crown. With four racing lanes for the first time ever in the UK finals, the pressure was sky-high, but Unity Racing held their nerve.
They didn’t just win the big one either. Their mini race car also took home:
- Best Engineered Car
- Fastest Car
- Verbal Presentation Award
So yeah, not exactly a fluke.
Who else is off to Singapore?
Unity Racing won’t be going solo on their trip to the world stage. They’ll be joined by three more UK teams representing England, Scotland, and Wales:
- Tori Veloci – All-boys team from St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington. Runners-up overall, and taking England’s flag with them.
- Vega Racing by ASAM – A solid third-place team from Linlithgow Academy, heading to Singapore on behalf of Scotland.
- Parabolica – A fierce all-girls team from Bro Edern in Cardiff, flying the flag for Wales after finishing 5th overall.
Not bad for a school project, right?
Wait—what actually is F1 in Schools?
Imagine trying to start your own Formula 1 team… but you’re still in school. That’s the basic idea.
Now officially rebranded as STEM Racing, F1 in Schools is a global competition backed by Formula 1, running in 54 countries. Teams of students are challenged to:
- Design and build a mini F1-style car
- Run marketing and sponsorship like a real race team
- Deliver technical portfolios and presentations
- Race their model car on a track at insane speeds
In short, it’s real-world engineering, science, and business—disguised as an epic competition. And yes, winners like Unity Racing get to tour a real F1 factory, visit the paddock at Silverstone, and even bag a full scholarship to Aston University for one lucky team member.
It’s a serious launchpad for future careers in tech, motorsport, and design.
Other standout winners
It wasn’t just the top dogs getting glory. The Lenovo F1 in Schools UK Finals had tons of categories across both the Professional Class and Development Class (for younger or newer teams). Here are some of the teams that walked away with silverware:
🏁 Professional Class Highlights
- Project Management: Ceres Racing – The Crypt School, Gloucester
- Sponsorship & Marketing: Vega Racing by ASAM – Linlithgow Academy
- Portfolio Award: Parabolica – Bro Edern, Cardiff
- Pit Display: Ventaurus Competative – Harrow School
🚀 Development Class Podium
- Winners: Echo – Robert May’s School, Odiham
- Runner-up: Hyperstorm – St Olave’s Grammar School, Orpington
- 3rd Place: Blitz – Also from St Olave’s
Echo also nabbed awards for Fastest Car and Verbal Presentation, showing they’ve got potential to jump into the pro category soon.
Special mentions
Some awards celebrated more than just speed or design:
- Girls on Track and Race for Diversity both went to Lilith Racing from The Tiffin Girls’ School.
- Judges’ Choice Award: Mach 3 – Jersey College for Girls
- Lightning Reaction Time: Mogul – Manchester Grammar School (because, apparently, they’ve got the reflexes of cats)
Why this actually matters
We hear all the time about getting more young people into STEM—science, tech, engineering, maths—but it’s not always clear how to do it. Competitions like F1 in Schools give students a reason to get excited. They turn classroom theories into something real. Tangible. Competitive. Even fun.
As Andrew Denford, the founder of F1 in Schools, said:
“We’ve seen an unbelievably high level of work from the students, with skills that go far beyond the classroom… I know they are destined to have very successful careers.”
Katie Limerick from Lenovo, who sponsor the event, added:
“It was inspiring to witness the remarkable talent and innovation… A special congratulations to Unity Racing, whose hard work and dedication truly shone through.”
One last thing
If you’re a student reading this and wondering if this is something you could do—yeah, it is. If you’re a teacher or a parent, maybe think about how something like this could work at your school.
Because watching these students build their own racing team, win trophies, and fly off to Singapore… that’s the kind of education that sticks.
Bold move, Unity Racing. We’ll be watching.
