Wellington Greenpower Team Secures Double Podium Finish and Goodwood Qualification

Visitors to the Design, Engineering and Technology (DET) Exhibition during Speech Day could hardly have missed the growing fleet of Greenpower racing cars proudly on display. The programme, led by Head of DET Robert Winter and John Carrington, continues to provide students with an exceptional hands-on engineering experience, combining design, manufacturing, teamwork and problem-solving with the excitement of competitive motorsport.

The Greenpower cars on display had only recently returned from competition, where Wellington students put their engineering skills to the test against schools from across the country.

The result was a superb double podium finish, with Wellington’s 2026 Greenpower Racing Team securing second place in both races at Mallory Park Circuit on Wednesday, 7 May, competing against a field of 42 cars.

The result means that Wellington’s flagship car, The Beef, has automatically qualified for the prestigious Goodwood Greenpower Final in October. The team also plans to compete in another qualifying event at Dunsfold Park in September as they continue to refine and develop the car.

The team enjoyed a smooth and successful day of racing, with drivers, mechanics and pit crew working seamlessly together. Across the two races, The Beef completed more than 87 miles on battery power alone, the equivalent distance from Wellington College to Bristol!

What is Greenpower?

The Greenpower Challenge is an international engineering competition that takes place at some of the UK’s most iconic motorsport venues, including Goodwood, Castle Combe, Dunsfold Park and the Lotus Test Track.

Schools can either build a car from an approved kit or design and manufacture their own vehicle from scratch. The objective is simple in theory but challenging in practice: complete as many laps as possible during a 90-minute endurance race using just one pair of batteries, with three driver changes required during the event.

Every vehicle must comply with a detailed set of technical regulations and safety requirements, all of which are rigorously inspected before racing begins. Success depends on achieving the perfect balance between battery efficiency, aerodynamic performance and minimal rolling resistance.

The Beef has already established itself as one of the most competitive cars in the country, finishing fifth overall in the 2025 season against approximately 300 teams nationwide. The team is determined to build on that success during the 2026 campaign.

The cars are designed, built and maintained by Fifth Form and Lower Sixth students as part of Wellington’s Global Citizenship programme on Wednesday afternoons, providing invaluable experience in engineering, project management and collaborative working.

The team is already focused on the future, with a new car currently under development under the working title Project Wagyu – “Beef, but better.”

Scheduled for completion ahead of the 2027 season, the new vehicle will be built using the same moulds as The Beef, also constructed from carbon fibre. Students are exploring a range of innovative weight-saving measures as they seek to create an even faster and more efficient car.

Wellington faces a unique challenge in competition. Our youngest eligible drivers are Third Form students, while some rival schools field Year 7 drivers, giving them a significant weight advantage in an endurance event where every kilogram matters.

In battery-powered racing, reduced weight can make a substantial difference to performance and efficiency, making weight reduction a key focus of Project Wagyu’s design philosophy.