Victorian Students Take to the Stage at the Australian Grand Prix for the STEM Hub Green Grid STEM Challenge Australia Finals

There are few classrooms in the world that can compete with the Formula 1 Grand Prix stage.

Last Thursday, the top Victorian teams in the STEM Hub Green Grid Challenge had the extraordinary opportunity to present their ideas live at the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026. In front of an audience at one of the world’s biggest sporting events, students pitched their innovative solutions and demonstrated the science, engineering and creativity behind their projects.

For many of these students, it was their first time presenting on a professional stage and they rose to the challenge with confidence, resilience and impressive technical thinking.

Even when faced with a few technical hiccups on the day, every team showed professionalism, adaptability and determination. Watching these students persevere and deliver their presentations was a powerful reminder of what young minds are capable of when given the opportunity.

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Primary School Division

The Primary School teams impressed the judges with their creativity, teamwork and enthusiasm for STEM.

Winner

St Kevin’s College (Team V8 Avengers)

They competed against two outstanding finalist teams:

St Kevin’s College (Team Need 4 Speed)

Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School

Each of these teams demonstrated exceptional effort and ingenuity. Reaching the Top 3 teams in Victoria is an extraordinary achievement.

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Junior Secondary Division

The Junior Division delivered thoughtful and well structured solutions, with teams demonstrating a strong understanding of engineering and sustainability concepts.

Winner

St Joseph’s College (Team Turbo Titans)

Finalists included:

St Joseph’s College (Team Aero We There Yet)

Glen Waverley Secondary College (Team Regenesis)

The quality of work in this division was exceptional and judging decisions came down to extremely fine margins.

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Senior Secondary Division

The Senior Division showcased some truly sophisticated thinking, with students presenting innovative ideas and well developed technical explanations.

Winner

Glen Waverley Secondary College (Team Tinkered Tyres)

They competed against:

Scotch College (Team Formula H2)

Glen Waverley Secondary College (Team Green Team)

These teams demonstrated impressive problem solving, strong technical reasoning and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.

A Huge Achievement

Reaching the Top 3 teams in the state is a remarkable accomplishment. Every student who stood on the Grand Prix stage should be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

The winning teams received trophies, prizes and exclusive paddock tours, and had the opportunity to meet Max Verstappen and they were provided with a behind the scenes look at the incredible engineering and technology that powers Formula 1.

But perhaps the greatest prize was the experience itself. Presenting ideas at a global sporting event and seeing how STEM connects directly to the real world.

Special Recognition Awards

The standard of submissions this year was exceptionally high, and several teams narrowly missed out on the Top 3 positions by the smallest of margins.

To recognise the outstanding quality of their work, Distinction Certificates were awarded on stage at the Australian Grand Prix to teams whose submissions demonstrated exceptional effort, creativity and technical thinking.

Primary School Division

St Kevin’s College (Team Crimson Circuits)

St Kevin’s College (Team Nitro Speed)

Junior Secondary School Division

Glen Waverley Secondary College (Team Hyper Tyre)

Albert Park College (Team Aleenka + Liam)

These teams delivered impressive projects and should be incredibly proud of their achievements.

The Future of STEM Challenge Australia

The STEM Hub and Australian Grand Prix Challenge Series continues to grow each year, giving students the opportunity to explore real world science and engineering challenges while developing skills in teamwork, communication and innovation.

Each year the challenge focuses on a different theme connected to real industry problems. In 2026, students tackled The Green Grid Challenge, exploring ideas related to energy, sustainability and engineering.

Through the program, students connect classroom learning with the real world of motorsport, engineering and advanced technologies. Presenting their ideas during the Australian Grand Prix provides a powerful experience that shows students how STEM skills translate directly into exciting careers.

The curiosity, creativity and determination shown by these students gives us great confidence in the future of Australia’s next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators.

Through the continued partnership between STEM Hub and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the challenge series aims to inspire more young people to explore STEM and consider future pathways in engineering, motorsport and advanced technology industries.

Acknowledgements

Events like this are only possible because of the people who generously give their time and expertise to support students.

We would like to sincerely thank our judges who represented the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Victorian State Emergency Service. We are particularly grateful to Hamish and Jack (Australian Army), Molly (Royal Australian Navy), Shiv (Royal Australian Air Force) and Tracy (Victorian State Emergency Service) for contributing their expertise and helping ensure a rigorous and meaningful judging process.

We also extend our thanks to Seara and Kevin from Melbourne Robocats, who supported the judging process and helped the event run smoothly.

A special thank you goes to the outstanding team at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. We work closely with them to ensure the challenge continues to inspire more young people to pursue careers in STEM, particularly in motorsport and engineering.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge the teachers across Victoria who supported their students throughout the challenge. Their encouragement, preparation and commitment made it possible for these students to participate and succeed.