Fflam, a team of students from Ysgol Botwnnog, Gwynedd, celebrated last night after winning the Best Sponsorship and Marketing Award and receiving the Marussia Virgin Racing trophy at the 2011 F1 in Schools™ World Finals held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week. 

Bedwyr Lloyd Williams, Floyd Hughes, Lois Owen, Louis Dawson Jones and Steffan Jones formed the Cyber Express F1 Team to compete in F1 in Schools, a Formula 1™ linked technology challenge which tasks students with creating a miniature Formula 1 car. The team won their award for their innovative approach to sponsorship and marketing. Akin to the real world of Formula 1, the teams seek sponsorship to finance their entry and Fflam took a novel approach to this.

The team logo appeared on the doors of Osian Pryce and Lester Williams rally car in the Cambrian Rally and the Wales Rally GB, putting the team’s name in front of potential sponsors and the local motorsport scene. The team also linked with local, regional and countrywide businesses to secure funding and practical support, including the livery of their car, which was painted in the paintshop of the local RAF base, RAF Valley in Anglesey, (where Prince William is based) which is usually used to paint their planes.

Steffan Jones Team Manager, Fflam, said of the competition, “It’s been an incredible experience and one which we will never forget. Once we had got here and realised just how much talent there is amongst the teams we knew it was going to be a very tough competition. We’re over the moon to have won an award and to have been recognised for our efforts with our sponsorship and marketing means a lot to us. We’ve met some great people, learned so much from the other teams, how they’ve approached the challenge of building a miniature F1 car, as well as enjoying Malaysia, which is a really cool country, but very hot!”

Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools , says of the team’s success, “This year’s F1 in Schools World Finals has been the most competitive in the history of the programme and all the teams have risen to the challenge admirably. Fflam had put a tremendous effort into their marketing activities, linking with local businesses, sponsoring a rally car, and working with specialist manufacturers for funding and practical help. This commitment paid off for them with winning an award at the World Finals, well done Fflam. As ambassadors for their country and of F1 in Schools, they are excellent and demonstrate just how beneficial it can be to compete in the Challenge. I’m sure they will all go on to have further success in their careers ahead.”

The Australian team, Pentagliders, were crowned 2011 F1 in Schools World Champions at yesterday’s Awards Ceremony. They fought off intense competition, beating 22 teams from Australasia, Europe, Asia, Africa, America and the Middle East to take the title, the Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy and coveted Automotive and Motorsport Engineering degree scholarships at City University London.

Runners-up to the victorious Australian team were German National Champions, BETAGREEN, from Grootmoor Gymnasium, Hamburg. Last year’s World Champions, the USA team, UNITUS Racing from South East High School, Florida and James Madison Middle School, Virginia, took third place on the podium.

The event took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19th – 21st September with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters including the Malaysian Ministry of Education, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, City University London, Denford Limited, Sepang International Circuit and Hilton Racing.

Each team of between three and six students brings together their work to present to a judging panel with a verbal and written presentation to support their model car, which is raced on a specially designed test track. At the World Finals each team takes along a pit display, three identical cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a presentation for the judges. The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in just over one second, a speed barrier which is yet to be broken by any student team since it was set by Team FUGA from Northern Ireland at the 2007 World Finals with a time of 1.020 seconds.