The Respighi team made up of the Amx and Hammer Teams participated in the championship for the first time F1 in Schools reserved for high schools, organized by Dallara and Innovation Farm. The only prerequisites: a passion for motorsport and the desire to get involved. Both teams reached the national final, after a year of training on the field, or rather on the track, with the aim of representing Italy at the world championships.
The path saw the boys simulate a real racing team, and it was possible thanks to the support of the partners who believed in the planning and above all in the kids: Petronas, Aehra, Lafer, Marelli Motorsport, Emerson, Working Process, Dachser-Fercam, Bussandri, Castagna-Univel, BCC, Confindustria Piacenza, Teco , Studio Campominosi e Tosi, Lpr, F.lli Capredoni, Siderpighi, Retelit, Sider Test, Gazzola Real Estate Consultancy, Best, Gas Sales Energia and Fonder Shell. The project favored the formation of a network with another school in the city, the Isii Marconi, which provided instruments and skills, as well as the students Piero Lopena and Michele Salvarani, under the supervision of the teacher Daniele Vetrucci, who collaborated to produce numerous 3D printed prototypes.
THE NATIONAL FINAL
Sunday 16 June at 5.30 am, departure for the national final at Dallara, in Varano de’ Melegari, everyone’s eyes reveal so much emotion and just as much determination. Upon arrival, the materials are unloaded and at 7.30 the 10 competing teams begin setting up their pit display, the exhibition space in which to tell their story. The first problems begin, the measures of the stands do not correspond to those communicated and the teams take action to resolve the inconvenience in a creative way and are ready for the deadline, at 9.30 am. Each team brought an added value that characterizes it, for example AMX a driving simulator starring the Amx car, and Hammer Team an F1 garage with the 7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.
9.30 am, in the central room of the Dallara Academy the teams are welcomed and the CEO of the Dallara Academy introduces the day of competition: presentation of the three portfolios, design & engineering, enterprise and project management, the miniature car race on the 24-meter track me knockouts in which to play for the last points.
The Dallara headquarters is invaded by young people, who move from the “cones” where the verbal presentations are held, strictly in English, in front of an expert jury: 30 minutes (10 minutes of presentation, 10 minutes of questions and 10 minutes for evaluation) in which to show your team identity and give value to your project. In the courtyard there is the track where the cars compete, driven by compressed air cartridges and launched with a start mechanism by the team’s “driver”, this is where the racing phase takes place. Next to the track is the scrutineering station where an expert jury checks the suitability of each toy car in the race, also enhancing its manufacturing.
In the meantime, the public walks around the pit displays, talks to the kids, the organizers and the hosts: it’s a real day of celebration where the absolute protagonist is the talent of the kids, of all the kids.
At 6.15pm we return to the central hall and with our hearts pounding we await the crowning of the winners. Various awards were given: best driver to the blue torpedo team, best project management to the Tachyons team, best enterprise to the Amx team. Finally the podium is announced: Amx bronze medal, Team Rabbits silver medal and Hammer Team gold medal!
THE WORLD FINAL
The next event is the world final which will be held in conjunction with an F1 grand prix in 2025: here the boys of the champion team, which will represent Italy, will not only race their international final, but will also have the opportunity to meet their F1 idols and to follow the Grand Prix. All the kids from the three teams on the podium are given a voucher to participate in an advanced training and international certification course, the 80-hour Master Green Belt of the Six Sigma Management Institute.
Therefore, a big round of applause to the Respighian students: Martina Rocca, Noemi Scarico, Tommaso Apponi, Francesco Burzoni, Alexandru Cater, Elia Emanuele Gazzola, Alessandro Morganti, Carlo Alberto Perini, Almin Salkic, Donato Lorenzo Salzillo, Andrea Maria Sassoli and Christopher Leonard Tajani, accompanied on this educational journey by teachers Samantha Aimi, Raffaella Pezzoni, Giuseppina Valentini and Elvis Nasic.
The path they have followed is visible to everyone, a school within a school where the kids discovered themselves as team managers, art designers, car designers and developers, social media managers, marketing managers, performers, but above all teams. “Call, connect, engage, enable” are the four key words that characterize the Stem F1 projects in Schools not only has it largely met expectations, it has also shown possible horizons and given us a dream.
Hammer Team: Martina Rocca, Noemi Scarico, Francesco Burzoni, Alexandru Cater, Alessandro Morganti and Almin Salkic
AMX: Tommaso Apponi, Elia Emanuele Gazzola, Carlo Alberto Perini, Donato Lorenzo Salzillo, Andrea Maria Sassoli and Christopher Leonard Tajani.
