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On a cold Sunday morning, Firefly racing took to the historic Goodwood track for the Greenpower International Finals.

Their car, FF03-B, had received another huge batch of upgrades in the past few weeks and the team had worked tirelessly to prepare it and set it up for the last race day of the 2024 season.

Electronics issues in morning practice meant limited running and the knock-ons bled into the first F24 race of the day. However, with characteristic determination, the team overcame these obstacles and completed set-up for the senior F24+ lunchtime race. Competing against 16–25-year-olds from across the UK and Europe, the team of primarily Fifth and Sixth Form students got driver, James (Upper Eighth), onto the grid ready for Round 13 of the F24+ Championship – an hour-long charge to the chequered flag.

A good start for Firefly led in to the long middle stint of the race – just behind the leading pack, the team took a calm and measured approach, knowing the race was likely to come to them in the latter stages. Using data from the morning and the team’s custom telemetry systems, they were able to control the car’s race pace accurately, gradually gaining on the cars ahead through the first 40 minutes.

As other teams’ batteries began to empty and their cars’ pace began to drop, the Firefly team remained patient, knowing they had enough energy in reserve to mount a late charge. The timing of this charge would prove critical – the cold temperatures were affecting battery performance and saw some championship-leading cars slow dramatically.

With just minutes of the race to go, with the car on the opposite side of the circuit, the pit wall strategy team made the call to turn up the car to try to make it on to the final lap before the flag dropped. Their timing was perfect: the car crossed the line with just seconds to spare, and from a seemingly lowly 11th place, the car – now fastest on track – was rapidly picking up places.

The team took to the pit wall to look on nervously as back-markers came through and, although the two lead cars crossed the line ahead, FF03-B – having made up six places on the last lap – came in to sight at the last corner to the cheers of the team and watching parents and supporters.

Roared to the line, the team claimed a third podium of the season, and second place overall in the F24+ Kit Car Championship – a stunning achievement for a young school team.

After that excitement and drama, and with the car turned around for the afternoon race (eventually featuring a highest-ever finish for the team in F24 Kit Cars), the team wowed the judges as they explained the huge range of complex projects they have taken on this season: from electronics to aerodynamics, carbon composites to advanced additive manufacturing, the team demonstrated the breadth and depth of their engineering skills and knowledge, leading to them winning the Ford International Engineering ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ for the third year in a row – their fourth engineering title in six years.

The team are now planning their winter development programme – with a new scratch-built car in the offing – and are already looking forward to the 2025 race season.