Renault awards engineering prize

Mark Caldwell was named the inaugural winner of the Altran Renault F1 Team Engineering Academy Prize yesterday at Enstone.

Two months ago, the Renault F1 Team and Altran, the innovation consultants, launched a unique competition: the Altran Renault F1 Team Engineering Academy. The idea was very simple - to create opportunities for some of the best young engineering talent that Britain has to offer, on an annual basis.

Today, as the Renault F1 Team mechanics busied themselves with the R24 race-cars fresh from their trip to Hockenheim, a corner of the Renault F1 Team's Oxfordshire factory in Enstone was given over to developing the talent of the future.

Contestants had initially been called upon to present a case study of one of the scientific disciplines covered by Formula 1: for example, aerodynamics, power, performance engineering, vehicle dynamics, control systems, electronics, materials, transducers and fuel technology. They were then set the challenge of approaching a project to improve safety, reliability or performance in their chosen area.

Nearly two hundred initial entries where whittled down to five finalists, who were invited to Enstone today: Ming Thien, Matthew Jordan, Mark Caldwell, Samantha Rose and Akbar Abu Seman. Each was called upon to present their project to a specially-convened panel including Renault F1 Head of Reasearch and Development Robin Tuluie, and after long deliberation, there was unanimous agreement on the winner: Mark Caldwell, who presented a project on brake calliper and wheel upright assembly.

Mark will now join the Renault F1 Team for a six month placement, working on the development of this year's R24 and the team's 2005 challenger. With the support of his own Altran mentor, he will work as a fully functioning member of one of the most dynamic organisations in Formula 1. It's the opportunity of a lifetime!

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