As a company who support women empowerment, Bosch were delighted to sponsor the 1st and only all-girls’ team to enter the 2014 F1 in Schools Technology Challenge in KwaZulu-Natal. The 5 member team, College Ignition, from Durban Girls College were tasked with the following:
- to design, analyse, manufacture, test and race a Formula1 car of the future;
- develop a team brand;
- to create a business plan and budget in order to raise sponsorship for the process.
According to the F1 in Schools organisers, “The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership / teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.”
This historically, stereotypically male-driven competition was an opportunity for both Bosch and the College Ignition team to promote women engineering. After many months of hard work and determination, the team designed and built an F1 car that came in as the 2nd fastest car in the competition!
The competing teams then had the added opportunity to display their stands and F1 cars at the Top Gear Festival held in Durban.