Hong Kong Secondary Students Shine at the F1 in Schools Hong Kong Development Class Competition, Vying for a Spot on the International Stage

(Hong Kong, 25 May 2024) Today, Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and F1 in Schools Hong Kong Region Coordinator successfully held the “F1 in Schools Hong Kong Development Class Competition”. A group of secondary school students showcased their exceptional talents in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields by competing with self-designed and manufactured car models. F1 in Schools is the world's largest educational programme related to Formula 1 racing, with a presence in over 26,000 schools across approximately 50 regions, including the United States, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. The Development Class competition attracted 10 teams comprising 55 students from seven secondary schools. After intense competition and rigorous selection by a professional judging panel, six teams have been selected to advance to the Professional Class programme, where they will compete for the opportunity to represent Hong Kong in the “F1 in Schools World Finals 2025” and take the stage at the international level. The top three teams of the Hong Kong Development Class Competition are as follows:

Champion team: Prism (AD&FD POHL Leung Sing Tak College)
1^st Runner-up: Shazoom (Sha Tin College)
2^nd Runner-up: Ødyssey (Canadian International School of Hong Kong)

The champion team, Prism, stated “We are delighted to be able to participate in this competition and win the preliminary championship. The entire process of the competition was unforgettable. We rarely have the opportunity to engage in this type of competition, so we are extremely grateful for the strong support from our school and HKPC. In particular, the course provided by HKPC introduced us to software and knowledge related to CAD/CAM for the first time. This played a crucial role in our performance in the competition." Additionally, Lingnan Dr. Chung Wing Kwong Memorial Secondary School has sent student teams to compete for the third consecutive year. This year, their student team VOOM Racing shared, "We started receiving the 30-hour training programme provided by HKPC three months before the competition. We learned a lot of knowledge beyond the school curriculum, including fluid dynamics, using CAD/CAM software to design the race car, team management, and collaboration. This not only increased our interest in STEAM and physics knowledge but also allowed us to put theory into practice during the competition."

In addition to the secondary school competition, a sharing session for the primary school category was also held on the same day to recognise their exceptional performance in international competitions. The primary school programme and competition were first launched in 2023, and the “F1 in Schools Hong Kong Primary School Finals 2023” was held in February this year, with the following winning teams:

Champion team: Redstone Sword (Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union Logos Academy)
1^st Runner-up: Ice Dragon (Yew Chung International School / Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School)
2^nd Runner-up: Meteor Hammer (Yan Tak Catholic Primary School)

Two of the elite teams, Redstone Sword and Ice Dragon, were invited to participate in the "F1 in Schools UK Primary School Finals 2024" international competition in Sheffield, England, in March this year, and they achieved outstanding results. Redstone Sword and Ice Dragon stood out among the many teams, winning the "International Achievement Award" with their meticulously designed model race cars. Redstone Sword also impressed the judges with its excellent presentation skills, winning the "Judges' Choice" award and a nomination for the "Verbal Presentation" category. These young students demonstrated remarkable dedication and creativity, shining on the international stage and setting new milestones for Hong Kong's STEAM field.

HKPC has always considered nurturing local technological talent as a key priority. Since 2022, with the support of the HKSAR Government's Innovation and Technology Fund's General Support Programme, HKPC has introduced the F1 in Schools STEAM curriculum to Hong Kong, actively promoting STEAM education and laying a solid foundation for students' innovation and technology pathways. Through the collaboration between HKPC, the F1 in Schools Hong Kong Region Coordinator, and other Hong Kong innovation and technology education partners, more than 500 students from over 100 local primary and secondary schools have so far been provided with F1 in Schools STEAM experiences and training activities. In September 2023, the HKPC also led three elite secondary school teams to represent Hong Kong in the "F1 in Schools World Finals 2023" held in Singapore, where they competed against 65 teams from around the world and showcased Hong Kong's outstanding engineering and innovation capabilities.

F1 in Schools was established in the UK in 1999. Similar to the real Formula 1 race, students will learn to use various computer-aided design tools to design and manufacture race car models made from official Formula 1 model bricks, then use compressed gas to power the cars for testing and competition, while also gaining experience in sponsorship, promotion, and project management. Through participating in the competition, students can showcase their talents and demonstrate their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Moving forward, HKPC and the F1 in Schools Hong Kong Region Coordinator will continue to provide engaging professional training courses and competitions, allowing students to gain more interactive and enjoyable learning experiences, enhance their interest in engineering, and nurture more future innovation and technology talents, thus contributing to Hong Kong's development as an International Innovation and Technology Centre.

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Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and F1 in Schools Hong Kong Region Coordinator successfully held the “F1 in Schools Hong Kong Development Class Competition”. After fierce competition and rigorous evaluation by the professional judging panel, six teams will advance to the next round of the F1 in Schools Hong Kong programme, and compete for a spot in the “F1 in Schools World Finals 2025”.