• Home
• /
• F1

Dubai students win F1 prize

A team of four 12th standard students from the Indian High School, Dubai, won two major prizes in the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge final in Singapore recently.

The UAE team’s Zero.9 car, in collaboration with Australia’s Pine Rivers State High School, bagged the second prize in the prestigious event, which saw the participation of 25 teams from all over the world. The Dubai school students also won the ‘Team collaboration award.’

In the annual worldwide competition, students, aged 9 to 19, compete against each other to design, manufacture and race their own Formula One car models.

The competition inspires students to use information technology to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacturing, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership, teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative and exciting way.

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, sponsored the team of Vivian Britto, Sidhant Shetty, Prateek Mahindra and Saif Mahmood, whose collaborative team members from Brisbane were Josh McClennan, Greg Mills and Alyshya Limmer.

Asked about their achievement, team leader Britto said: “It was an unbelievable feeling. In a span of less than a year, nine months to be exact, we have accomplished what other teams take four-five years to do.”

About Unitus Racing, the US team which won the first prize, Britto said: “Our car was faster than theirs, but they were better than us in certain other aspects, including presentation.”

At a press conference held at the Indian High School, the students said the judges were impressed by Team ABB’s innovative magnetic freefall car.

“We are delighted that ABB could be part of something that gets students excited about engineering,” said Frank Duggan, region manager for ABB in India, Middle East and Africa.

“We are proud of what our team achieved,” he added. Two teams from the UAE participated in the global event. Team Impulse, which won the Yas Marina Circuit F1 in School Challenge in Abu Dhabi in June, was the other team from the country. The students from Dubai College also won the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award in Singapore.

The three-day competition at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Convention Centre challenged students to use computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CADCAM) software to design and manufacture miniature F1 cars. The mini cars then raced with one another on a special 20-metre track.

A total of 17 trophies were presented at the awards ceremony, attended by F1 drivers Lucas di Grassi

from Virgin Racing and Sauber F1 driver Komui Kobayashi.

Working in teams of between three and six, each student is assigned specific roles.

The team prepares a business plan, develops a budget and raises sponsorship. Using 3D Cad, the teams design a F1.

Teams are judged on car speed, as well as supporting evidence of its design, verbal presentation and marketing display stand in the pits.

pradeep@khaleejtimes.com

Wunners

world champions: Unitus Racing, USA

second place: Zer0.9, UAE/Australia collaboration team

third place: Aixtreme Racing, Germany

best engineered car: Basilisk Performance, Australia

fastest car: Aixtreme Racing, Germany

best team identity: Schaeffler Hypersonic, Singapore

perseverance in the face of adversity: Celeritas, South Africa

innovative thinking award: Aixtreme Racing, Germany

best pit display: Govannon Racing, Ireland

best team sponsorship and marketing award: Unitus Racing, USA

team collaboration award: Zer0.9, UAE/Australia collaboration team

outstanding sportsmanship award: Impulse, Dubai, UAE

best portfolio: Basilisk Performance, Australia

best verbal presentation: Dynamic, UK

best newcomer award: Impact , Saudi Arabia