25 Years. Thousands of Schools. One Incredible Journey.

Another Aramco STEM Racing World Finals completed, and what an incredible experience it has been.

Every year, I come away from the World Finals feeling immensely proud of what has been achieved. Not just the competition itself, but the enthusiasm, commitment and sheer hard work that goes into making it happen.

Watching talented young people from around the world put their engineering, design, manufacturing and teamwork skills to the test is something very special. The standards continue to rise, and the professionalism and determination of these students never cease to amaze me.

And, of course, the World Finals are just the culmination of a much bigger journey.

With thousands of schools now participating in STEM Racing across 77 countries (and counting) around the world, the programme reaches far beyond the teams we see on the world stage. 

Regional and National Finals provide opportunities for so many young people to get involved, develop their skills and experience the excitement of competition. Just reaching the World Finals is a tremendous achievement in itself.

None of this happens without the dedication of so many people.

The teachers, mentors and families who give up countless hours to support their teams. The students who spend months designing, testing, refining and occasionally going back to the drawing board, and also the fantastic people at Denford and STEM Racing, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help bring it all together.

We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the many sponsors (we can list them), supporters and industry partners who get behind the programme. Whether supporting individual teams, providing expertise and resources, or helping us deliver competitions at regional, national and international level, their contribution is invaluable.

I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved.

It also makes me reflect on a conversation I had with Bernie Ecclestone over 25 years ago.

At the time, we were discussing an idea I had that would bring the excitement of Formula 1 into the classroom, using the sport to inspire young people to develop an interest in engineering and manufacturing.

I'm not sure either of us could have imagined quite where that conversation would lead.

A quarter of a century later, we have thousands of schools involved, competitions taking place around the world and young people developing skills, building friendships and, in many cases, taking their first steps towards careers in engineering and technology.

To have played a part in that journey is something I'm enormously proud of.

But what makes it particularly rewarding is knowing that the programme continues to evolve.

It's great to see the new ideas, new technology and new generations of students bringing fresh enthusiasm every year.

So, congratulations to Lynx Racing, this year's winners, all the teams who made it to Singapore, and indeed every student who has taken part in STEM Racing this year, at whatever level.

And a sincere thank you to the teachers, mentors, sponsors, supporters, partners and everyone behind the scenes who helped make it all possible.

Who would have thought that a conversation over 25 years ago could lead to all this?

Andrew

2026 World Finals Gallery