Ben: So Andy, how do you design an F1 in Schools car?

Andrew: The design process of a car for the F1 in Schools competition is one that involves months of research, prototype creation and testing. Over two years in the competition has allowed me to develop my engineering skills and has taught me exactly what is required for a fast and innovative car. Our process begins with the creation of concepts, modelled in CATIA v5. After modelling a concept, depending on the change applied to the car, we run different kinds of tests to visualise how different geometries and placements of components affect overall performance. My favourite part of the design process is the CFD analysis and development stage, especially when a new innovation is implemented. It’s always extremely rewarding to see when a new innovative element does its job and contributes to a faster car on the track.

Ben: Speed in this competition is essential. What makes a fast F1 in Schools car in your opinion?

Andrew: From my previous experience in the competition, I would classify the most important aspects to a fast F1 in Schools car as being its aerodynamic performance and initial launch efficiency. Our team has always put immense focus on these two sectors in order to increase performance when racing. We partnered with Leap Australia and Ansys to use their industry-standard software to visualise the aerodynamic performance of our prototypes. This has enabled our team to further our knowledge and allowed our car for the State Finals to be our best ever.

Ben: What did you focus on when designing Proton EB-M8?

Andrew: Unfortunately I can’t reveal too much about the design of Proton EB-M8 but here’s what I can tell you: When designing our car for the State Finals, our team focussed on a broad range of factors and testing techniques to ensure our car is not only of high performance but also adheres to the technical regulations for the competition. This meant using both physical and digital testing techniques including CFD Analysis, Slow Motion Track Testing and Wind Tunnel Testing.

Ben: How did you optimise our car’s aerodynamic performance for the State Finals?

Andrew: The airflow over our car can be broken down into its interactions with different components. I find that optimising a car’s aerodynamic performance often comes down to the airflow connection on the rear of the car. From previous experiences, I find optimising the front airflow to be the most enjoyable experience, as there are so many different front wing designs to be explored, all of which can have different effects on airflow interactions with components further rearwards. Proton EB-M8’s design involved much research into this area and we’re excited to see it race on the track!