Accelerating Futures
Supporting STEM Racing through a pivotal transition away from F1 in Schools, creating a new global identity that could stand independently while retaining the credibility, energy and recognition built over 25 years.
STEM Racing is a global education initiative designed to remove barriers, nurture talent, and inspire future careers in STEM, motorsport and beyond.
Students aged 9–19 design, build, brand and race miniature cars as part of a hands-on competition. Active for 25+ years across 65 countries, it impacts 29,000+ schools annually and is supported by Formula 1®, alongside partners including Autodesk, UCL, Ansys and leading F1 teams (McLaren, Ferrari and Oracle Red Bull Racing).
Formerly known as F1 in Schools, the programme needed to transition away from the Formula 1 name and branding as the partnership was changing. Our role was to create a new identity under the name STEM Racing that could retain trust, recognition and global credibility, while standing confidently on its own.
We partnered with the team to deliver a complete rebrand, including brand strategy, naming support, visual identity, logo design, guidelines, and rollout assets — all designed to carry the same sense of excitement, authority and motorsport energy that made the programme iconic.
The challenge
The risk was high. Moving away from “F1 in Schools” meant stepping away from one of the strongest identities in global sport — and with it, the instant trust and recognition that comes with the F1 logo.
The new brand had to prove itself immediately, globally, while still holding onto the motorsport DNA that made the programme exciting in the first place. At the same time, it had to feel connected enough to the programme’s heritage without conflicting with Formula 1 intellectual property.
Our approach
We built the identity around a clear anchor: Accelerating futures, positioning STEM Racing as a launchpad for careers and skills. The logo uses “SR” letterforms shaped like a racetrack with dynamic angles, supported by typography designed to feel fast and progressive.
The colour and graphic system draws from CFD-style aerodynamic mapping used in motorsport, with bold shapes and gradients derived from the logo, all wrapped into a design system. To unify imagery, we developed a distinctive photography treatment using motion blur to create energy and scale, without losing clarity or student-appropriateness.
To support a global rollout, we created a modular logo system, flexible lockups and localisation rules, then applied the identity across key touchpoints including events, merchandise and marketing materials.
“It's amazing to see what has been produced. The F1 branding team love what you’ve created.”
Anabelle Denford
Project Director, STEM Racing
The outcome
The new identity was successfully adopted across regions and channels, helping STEM Racing retain global presence and partner confidence while no longer being restricted by the F1 name.
Most importantly, STEM Racing now has a brand that stands on its own two feet, with official endorsement from Formula 1, a strong global system, and an identity built for the next chapter of the initiative.
