A new student-led initiative is driving St Catherine’s into the world of competitive STEM Racing with the launch of Thaton Motorsport. Previously known as F1 in Schools, STEM Racing is a global education competition, endorsed by Formula 1, that challenges students to design, manufacture, brand and race a miniature F1 car. Teams progress from regional events to national and world finals, presenting their work to expert judges and competing head-to-head on the track.

Although new to St. Catherines, 14 schools from across Greece competed in the STEM Racing Greece last year alone, with Greek teams establishing a tradition of success on the international having won the global competition in 2016, as well as achievements including Fastest Care, Best Team Identity, Best International Collaboration Team, Best Sponsorship and Marketing and Digital Media Awards.  

“This is not just about racing a car. It is about building confidence, technical skill and a shared sense of purpose,” shared Charalampos V, one of the students whose ideas sparked the new initiative. “Right now, we are focused on entering the STEM Racing competition in Greece and succeeding. But we have an even bigger vision of establishing a tradition of STEM Racing at St. Catherine’s so that younger students can continue to learn, grow and challenge themselves for years to come.”

Thaton Motorsport reflects the best of St Catherine’s: curiosity, collaboration and learning beyond the classroom. For students, it is far more than racing. The programme mirrors real-world engineering, motorsport, management, and marketing careers—demanding creativity, precision, collaboration and resilience at every stage, all while representing the school on a national and possibly international stage.

From Design to the Starting Line

The Thaton team came together in late September driven by their shared enthusiasm for the world of F1. In the months since, the team has started its car development while also building their brand, in their effort to get the needed elements for their bid to compete in the STEM Racing regional finals. Now, deep into the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) phase, the technical part of the team is focused on optimising the design of every element of the car – shape, weight, airflow and performance – ensuring that it complies with STEM Racing’s strict technical regulations while also giving the team an edge over the competition.

As a student-led initiative, the team is benefiting from encouragement across the community – from sharing expertise to helping connect students with resources and opportunities. Just this week, Mercedes F1 Junior Formula 3 driver Rashid Al Dhaheri met with the Thaton team, engaging in a constructive conversation and agreeing to take up a mentorship role for the team.

Just as one part of the team is analysing data, refining aerodynamics and making informed engineering decisions to prepare a competition-ready car, other team members are focused on branding, marketing and sponsorships – ensuring all aspects of a Formula 1 team are emulated.

The sponsorship efforts are particularly important for the team in its start-up year. Like all STEM Racing teams, Thaton Motorsport needs to secure the specialised equipment and regulation components required to participate in the competition. To submit their portfolio to STEM Racing Greece in January and secure a place in the competition, the team must first raise the funds required for the needed equipment.

Meet the Thaton Team

Thaton Motorsport is a fully student-led St. Catherine’s team, with each member taking on a specialist role:

• Charalampos V – Team Leader: Oversees planning, workflows and delivery, bringing leadership experience from previous STEM Racing teams and nonprofit projects.
• Anson J – Head of Engineering: Leads all technical development, drawing on experience in CAD, CAM, CFD simulation, advanced manufacturing and competitive karting.
• William A – Data Engineer: Builds the team’s digital infrastructure, including simulation tools and the official website, using Python and C-based systems.
• Paris D – Aerodynamics Engineer: Focuses on aerodynamic optimisation through CAD and CFD testing, with a background in robotics and autonomous systems.
• Diony P – Marketing & Media Engineer: Leads storytelling and media, while expanding into technical areas such as CAD and manufacturing.
• Yulika T – Branding Engineer: Develops the team’s visual identity, merchandise concepts and supports fabrication using digital manufacturing tools.

As Thaton Motorsport moves from an idea to reality, the team’s ambition extends beyond this first competition. Their goal is to build something lasting at St Catherine’s: a student-driven programme that inspires innovation, collaboration and real-world problem solving for years to come.

By stepping forward to encourage and support Thaton Motorsport, our families, alumni and friends can help enable a student-driven initiative that reflects the very best of St Catherine’s—curiosity, care, integrity and dedication - on a national and, potentially, global STEM stage.

We cannot wait to see where the road leads!

Want to be part of the journey?

Follow Thaton Motorsport online, on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates and milestones.

Members of our community who wish to discuss sponsorship or financial support can reach the Development Office at DevelopmentOffice@stcatherines.gr.