Dear F1 in Schools partner,

The F1 in Schools challenge was launched in the United States in 2002 amid great excitement and expectation. The competition grew over the years and achieved many new distinctions, both nationally and internationally. We saw the bar rise each year, driven by the competitive spirit of the students and the passion of their mentors and teachers to help them achieve their goals.

While the teams excelled in the events, we were not able to raise participation and funding to a level of sustainability. After exhausting every avenue, we found ourselves faced with the reality that we could no longer continue the program.

Consequently, a decision was made to discontinue the F1 event at of the end of the 2010 season, on July 2, 2010. F1’s sponsors, Pitsco, Denford and Solid Works, supported the national event in Baltimore, and the winners of both the 2009 and 2010 nationals will be allowed to compete in the international venue.

Dr. Harvey Dean, the F1 in Schools, Inc. board chairman, once remarked that in entrepreneurial ventures good ideas don’t work for a lot of reasons and those that do depend on the most unusual circumstances. The F1 in Schools challenge was a good idea that did not catch the imagination of a wider audience. We can point to a number of factors, such as the low popularity of the F1 Circuit in the U.S., the cost of participation in the challenge, and the struggling economy. The fact remains: we have not achieved our goal. The fault does not accrue to the students or their mentor teachers. Rather, it lies with the larger F1 in Schools community that was unable to secure a sustainable model in the current environment.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the board of directors listed below.

With respect,

The F1 in Schools Board of Directors