F1 protests great and small
21 November 2014
Von: Maurice Hamilton
In 10 years, the F1 in Schools initiative has grown from 11 entries for the first competition in England to 38 for the 2014 World Finals in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night. It is a truly global championship, with teams from as far afield as Brazil and Mexico to Europe and here in the UAE. This year, there was a new twist. For a competition that is F1 in miniature (research, design, funding, building, testing and racing 21cm balsawood miniature F1 cars powered by compressed air), it was somehow appropriate that the finals should be rocked by technical controversy for the first time. Colussus F1 was protested for using an ingenious invention that powered the English team to a best time of 1.003 seconds, beating the eight-year-old World Record by 0.013 seconds. Collusus F1, from Robert May's School in Hampshire, developed an innovative air cushion starting device that managed the air more efficiently and improved acceleration. When formal protests asked for clarity after the first day's running, Gary Anderson, the head of judging, and Jo Bauer (FIA technical delegate) had a problem on their hands, one which is typical of F1. Innovation is the driving force behind F1 in Schools and the so-called air cushion was not breaking a rule simply because none existed to cover this grey area. But it was felt that the boundaries had been pushed too far. The team gracefully accepted the decision and removed the device. Their world record, however, was allowed to stand and Collusus F1 was given a re-run the following day after their initial times were withdrawn. Had such an equitable conclusion not been reached, rivals would have been forced overnight to make air cushions of their own. "Throughout this, Colossus F1 have been understanding and shown great sportsmanship, not only in their conduct, but also in the way they have managed a difficult situation," said Anderson. "They decided to share the research and design files for the device with all competitors, a decision which underlines the mutual respect and camaraderie between the rivals teams. I think F1 could learn a few things from our judging process and our teams!" All was not lost. Collusus F1 received the Innovative Thinking Award and went on to win the World Championship outright, sharing the podium with students representing teams from Australia and Germany. Collusus F1, apart from performance, also mastered the use of Autodesk 3d software and a unique water tunnel testing programme. A few of the team members were in tears as they accepted the Bernie Ecclestone Trophy at the conclusion of a gala dinner in Ferrari World, expertly hosted by Sky F1 presenter David Croft and attended by leading technical members from several F1 teams. The top award from the F1 boss was appropriate too. In 1978, Ecclestone's Brabham team dominated the Swedish Grand Prix with the BT48 'Fan Car'. The ingenious machine from the pen of Gordon Murray, used a fan - allegedly for cooling - to suck air from beneath the car. The Brabham was never declared illegal but Ecclestone withdrew it from further races. "Sometimes, you have to do these things" was how Ecclestone summed up his decision. On the eve of the F1 Abu Dhabi Etihad Airways Grand Prix, it was a lesson copied with equal tact by the 2014 F1 in Schools World Champions in a series that can truly claim to be F1 in miniature in every respect. |
Partner     F1 Partner           |