UAE teams shine in F1 at Singapore

Team Zero.9 win second place in Schools World Finals and honours for best collaboration while teens get best sportsmanship award.

There was delight for the UAE's Team Zero.9 as they were awarded second place in the F1 in Schools World Finals Singapore 2010 yesterday. The team, comprised of students from the Indian High School Dubai, and The Australian Pine Rivers High School from Brisbane, also received the best collaboration award for their efforts. To complete a strong day of success for the UAE, the country's champions, Team Impulse, from Dubai College, took the best sportsmanship award.

The challenge involved students designing and building their own miniature Formula One cars out of wood, which are then fabricated with the use of CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture) software before being tested in wind and smoke tunnels. The final part of the challenge was a race, with teams competing along a special 20-metre straight track. The cars had to cover the distance as quickly as possible.

They also had to form a business plan, prepare a budget and raise sponsorship through co-operation with the business community. The teams travelled to Singapore this week to show off their designs and see how they shaped up against other schools across the world. Richard Cregan, Chief Executive Officer of Yas Marina Circuit, said: "We are delighted with the efforts of both Zero.9 and Impulse in the first F1 in Schools world championships. We may not have the glory of first place, but these awards demonstrate the commitment and team collaboration that our teams possess, and we are proud of their work."

* Agency