Bernie Ecclestone supports F1 in Schools

Bernie Ecclestone races Andrew Denford at F1 in Schools World Finals

Bernie Ecclestone returned to racing today, putting his reaction time to the test in an F1 in Schools race at the F1 in Schools World Finals Singapore 2010 supported by LG. Ecclestone visited the event at the Conrad Centennial Hotel in Singapore, taking time out of his busy schedule to see first-hand the work of the F1 in Schools World Finals teams.

Bernie Ecclestone has been a long-time supporter of F1 in Schools World Finals, with a trophy which he commissioned especially for the initiative given to the World Champions each year. Ecclestone was given a tour of some of the team’s pit displays by Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman of F1 in Schools, before taking on the F1 in Schools boss in a head to head race with LG branded cars on the specially designed track used by the students as part of the competition. Ecclestone beat Denford with the faster reaction time to win the race.

Of F1 in Schools Ecclestone said, “It is super, super for the kids, it’s really great and it gets them interested in Formula One and a lot of adults as well are asking what this (F1 in Schools) is all about." He was also supportive of the initiative’s focus on engineering, saying, “It’s magic. These guys will go somewhere, for sure," and he also believes they will end up in Formula One, adding, “Yes, for sure, absolutely, they get exposure, people know them and they will get a good position."

Denford said of Ecclestone’s visit to this year’s F1 in Schools World Finals, “We are very privileged to have the support of Bernie Ecclestone and although he has met F1 in Schools World Champions in the past, this is the first time that he has had the chance to see the initiative in action and to view for himself the work of the students. I know he was very impressed with the standard of work that he saw, the lengths that the teams have gone to in their pursuit of success and the overall professionalism of the event.

The F1 in Schools World Finals culminated in a celebratory awards ceremony this evening. An American team, Unitus Racing, a team from James Madison Middle School, Virginia and Southeast High School, Florida took the World Champions title after three days of intense competition. Their victory brought with it Automotive and Motorsport Engineering scholarships to City University, London, LG LED screens and the coveted Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy.