A GROUP of budding engineers from Brighton Hill Community School were given the opportunity to visit the Williams F1 Factory, based in Oxfordshire.

On Thursday, July 4, the students had the chance to learn about the team’s heritage, sim racing, and to develop and advertise their own remote-controlled robot.

Students were given a tour of the factory, which is where all the team’s planning and logistics occurs for their E-Sports and Formula 1 teams.

They also got to see how motorsport works in the world of work, and how much partnership and communication is needed to generate so much success into becoming such a world-renowned team.

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Brighton Hill Community School students had a go on Williams' simulators  (Image: Brighton Hill Community School) The young engineers were also given the opportunity to see Ayrton Senna’s helmet and the Williams FW17, designed by Adrian Newey, and driven by both Damon Hill and David Coulthard in the 1995 Formula 1 World Championship. This car then went on to finish second in the Constructor's World Championship in the same year.

As part of the trip, the students explored the E-Sports section of the factory, which is a new addition to the team. It involves driving on simulators to compete against other drivers.

Williams has its own E-Sports team and is becoming more popular by the day.

During the day, the group was tasked to design a remote-controlled robot and present why someone should by their version. 

The pupils produced and managed this project themselves, which included skills, such as: marketing, branding, engineering, and coding.

The six overall winners received a Williams Racing cap each, as well as a certificate to document their achievements.

One student said: "It was an incredible experience. As someone who has an interest in Formula 1, it taught me a lot more about Williams’ heritage as a team and the way that they work." 

Written by Zoe Reed, Year 10 student at Brighton Hill Community School