Schools get chance to play at F1 racing

F1 in Schools, challenges students from nine to 19 to design, build and race miniature Formula 1 cars made from balsa wood and powered by compressed air.

Powered by automated translation

ABU DHABI // Students are getting the chance to compete in an international Formula 1 competition in Singapore - on a small, homemade scale. The Yas Marina Circuit has acquired the UAE franchise for F1 in Schools, which challenges students from nine to 19 to use software to design, build and race miniature Formula 1 cars made from balsa wood and powered by compressed air. So far, 15 schools are involved in the competition.

The circuit will host a national championship in early June, and the winning team will travel to Singapore in September for the world championship, where the prize is a scholarship to City University in London to study automotive and motorsport engineering. "F1 in Schools is a tremendous initiative that we are proud to support," said Khaldoon al Mubarak, the chairman of Yas Marina Circuit. "It gives UAE students a genuine opportunity not only to design and create a car, but also to develop an understanding of teamwork, organisation, business and finance."

@Email:mchung@thenational.ae