- Aramco STEM Racing World Finals is the ultimate proving ground to cultivate the next generation of F1® paddock talent
- The pinnacle of the STEM Racing program brings together the competition’s elite teams to compete for the World Champions title
- Proven pathway illustrated by alumni careers at Red Bull, Aston Martin, and GM Performance Power Units
The Aramco STEM Racing World Finals 2026, taking place from October 3 to 7 at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, will discover the brightest and most innovative STEM talent representing future generations of professionals working in the motorsport industry, including at its pinnacle, Formula 1®.
STEM Racing, supported by Formula 1, challenges students to create their own miniature F1 team, designing and manufacturing a 1:25 scale model F1 car to run on a 20-meter STEM Racing track. With over 90 teams of students ages 13 to 19 competing for the title of 2026 Aramco STEM Racing World Champions, this prestigious competition attracts the cream of young talent and is a proven route to a career in the pitlane.
Former World Finals competitors have described the competition as a pivotal stepping stone toward achieving their ambitions of working in Formula 1, including with one of the 11 teams currently competing in one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. Lewis Fowler at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team, Kyriakos Theofanidis at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Merritt Kendzior at General Motors are just three of the current pitlane pioneers from STEM Racing.
Lewis Fowler competed in F1 in Schools (now known as STEM Racing) from 2016 to 2019, and he was a team member of Evolve UK, the 2019 F1 in Schools World Champions. Fast-forward to today, and Lewis is an aerodynamic design engineer at Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team.
Lewis said of the impact of F1 in Schools on his career: “Competing opened my eyes to the career opportunities that F1 brings. It certainly set me on my path to F1 and definitely helped open the door to working in the sport. I’m still passionate about programs like STEM Racing, and I enjoy sharing my story with current competitors, as I know how much it means to hear ‘from the horse’s mouth’ that your F1 dreams don’t have to be just dreams. Would I be in F1 if I hadn’t been involved with the STEM Racing program in school? Without it, I think it would have been a much more difficult journey. Standing out from other candidates is always tough, but being able to share my miniature F1 experience was a great talking point and demonstrated my passion and technical understanding to my future employers.”
Kyriakos Theofanidis, a junior mechanical engineer at Oracle Red Bull Racing, Bull Racing, was a member of Infinite Racing from Greece, the 2016 STEM Racing World Champions. Having grown up immersed in motorsport through rallying alongside his father, Kyriakos already had a passion for cars and racing. It was STEM Racing, however, that turned that passion into a career, giving him his first opportunity to apply engineering to a real-world motorsport project and opening the door to Formula 1.
Reflecting on his journey, Kyriakos said: “I don’t know if I would have been in Formula 1 if it hadn’t been for STEM Racing. Becoming World Champions was a turning point, giving me the passion, the drive, and the belief that I could have a career in Formula 1. The program inspired me to take an engineering career path and ultimately roles in Formula 1 teams – first at Mercedes and now with Red Bull Ford Powertrains. I don’t think I realized that getting involved with designing a small model Formula 1 car in my teens would be the catalyst for my success.”
Merritt Kendzior, a design engineer at GM Performance Power Units, competed in STEM Racing USA in 2013/14, representing her country at the World Finals and finishing as the runner-up in 2013. Today, alongside her motorsport career, she is the program and competitions manager for STEM Racing USA.
Merritt is a passionate advocate for the merits of the program. She stated: “Without a doubt, STEM Racing changed the course of my life. Getting involved with the program at the age of 14 introduced me to the world of Formula 1, provided me with the opportunity to develop a skill set outside of the classroom that has helped me get ahead in my career, and gave me the confidence to pursue a career in motorsports, which is a historically male-dominated industry. GM Performance Power Units is developing the propulsion system for the Cadillac Formula 1® Team, and it has been a privilege to be part of a new team entering the sport and bringing the US to the grid.”
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, STEM Racing, added: “Seeing former students working trackside at Grands Prix and in the factories of Formula 1 teams is the greatest validation our program could ask for. Lewis, Kyriakos, and Merritt aren’t just success stories — they’re proof of what is possible when young people are given the right environment to discover their potential. STEM Racing exists to find the engineers, designers, and innovators that Formula 1 needs, and it helps to make sure that the path from classroom to pitlane is one that any talented young person can walk. The World Finals is where that journey begins in earnest, and I can’t wait to see who steps forward in 2026.”
The Aramco STEM Racing World Finals 2026 is proudly supported by title sponsor Aramco and key partners including Denford, Autodesk, Ansys, Maaden, Singapore Grand Prix, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, UCL Mechanical Engineering, Singapore Tourism Board, and the FIA.
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