DRIVEN BY STEM CURRICULUM
Think Like a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
Have you ever wondered what goes into getting a car on the track at a race weekend?
Explore the STEM concepts that help a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team design, test, and produce the fastest car possible.
Through curriculum activities and the Microsoft MakeCode challenge, students can discover how STEM powers performance in the world of motorsport.
Complete each checkpoint to work your way to the finish line
Aerodynamics
Shape the Car, Control the Air, Improve the Lap Time
Aerodynamics is how a car interacts with the air around it. At Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, engineers shape the car to control airflow by reducing drag on straights and creating downforce in corners, helping the car stay fast and stable on the track.
In this activity, students explore how speed, resistance, and design choices affect performance!
Learn from Hillary Cheng, Senior Aerodynamic Thermal Engineer.
PAPER PLANES
Test, throw, and retest your paper plane skills in this activity about drag, acceleration, and speed.
BOTTLE DROP
Using materials from the kitchen, discover how Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team maximizes speed and limits resistance.
AIR RESISTANCE
See how different shapes move through the air and why some shapes are ideal in motorsports.
Composites are strong, lightweight materials used to build key parts of the car. They help engineers keep the car as light as possible while staying strong enough to handle high speeds, intense forces, and impacts during a race.
In this activity, students explore how material choices affect performance, durability, and design!
Composites
Choose Materials That Keep the Car Light and Fast
Learn from Sophie Castle, Head of Composite Manufacturing.
CARBON FIBRE BALLOONS
Durable materials make up racing cars, in this activity, create your own materials and see how strong you can make it!
STRONGER STRUCTURES
Using different shapes, create your own structure using household materials in this activity.
PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
Composites create materials in the lab, use your own materials to create a boot- just like one that a driver would use!
Inspection and quality assurance processes ensure every part of the car is checked before it hits the track. In motorsport, even the smallest flaw can cause a failure, so engineers carefully test, measure, and inspect components to ensure the car is safe, reliable, and race-ready.
In this activity, students explore how precision, testing, and attention to detail support race-day success!
Inspection & Quality Assurance
Find Tiny Flaws Before They Become Big Failures
TOAST TESTING
Strive for perfection! Test out a partners toast making skills in this activity, highlighting your eye for detail.
MIRROR MIRROR
Take your time here to create the other end of the car parts received, learning about how parts are made in the lab.
GRAPH IT OUT
Develop your graphing skills to plot points and unveil a part of a car, pay attention to your plotting!
Finance
Make Trade-offs That Help the Car Succeed All Season
Finance is how a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team plans and manages its budget. With strict spending limits, teams must make smart trade-offs, deciding where to invest to maximize performance over an entire season.
In this activity, students explore how strategy and decision-making influence results on and off the track!
Learn from Natisha Kali-Rai, Financial Regulation Manager, about the financial world of motorsports.
COSTS OF A CAR
The car is essential to performance in the race. Use your budget to create the most effective car possible!
COST CAP CONSIDERATIONS
Can you stay below the cost cap? Explore your options and report back to on your ability to stay within the budget.
KITTING OUT THE CREW
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is at every race, they need to be properly outfitted for all climates!
LIVE CHALLENGE - MAKECODE ARCADE
Driven
by STEM
Amplify Your Learning with Microsoft MakeCode
Take your learning further with the Driven by STEM coding challenge built in Microsoft MakeCode. This coding experience enables learners to experiment with race strategy concepts like setup, conditions, and pit decisions, reinforcing engineering thinking through iterative testing and immediate feedback.
Students can step into the role of a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team engineer by testing decisions, exploring strategy, and seeing how different choices affect performance in real time!
10
Stages
Real
Learning
Immediate
Results
CURRICULUM PARTNERS
Driving change with Girls on Track UK
Girls on Track UK is an initiative from the FIA and Motorsport UK that encourages girls and young women to explore opportunities in motorsport. Through events, community connection, and access to role models, the program helps participants build confidence and discover pathways in STEM.
Through Driven by STEM, students can explore curriculum resources developed in partnership with Girls on Track UK and continue building their skills. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to expanding access and helping more young people imagine a future in motorsport and beyond.
Connect with Girls on Track UK by signing up for their newsletter and following them on social media!
