Pupils on the fast track to success

DUBAI // They had hoped to break the 0.9-second record with their F1 car. Instead, four 17-year-olds from the Indian High School's Team Zer0.9 bagged the second place trophy with a time of 1.091 seconds. "We used first-class facilities and development tools," said Vivian Britto. "The same ones that Boeing uses to design its planes."

"Our car took nearly three months to build," added Prateek Mahindra. "It was the only one in the competition that had a metallic finish." Their enthusiasm had been whetted by the F1 in Schools competition, which has spread to 28 countries and arrived in the Emirates in 2008. Teams of three to six students develop a model car to race against those from other schools. Three of the 11 UAE teams that participated this year made it to the world championships in Singapore last week: Team Zer0.9 (which was second in the local challenge and worked with an Australian team to win Best Collaboration), Team Impulse from Dubai College (which took the Best Sportsman title), and Team AM Rockets from Al-Motanabi High School in Abu Dhabi (the only government school to take part).

"The take-up to the F1 in Schools project is not as strong in government schools as it is in international schools," said Donald Sankey, the manager of the F1 in Schools centre at Yas Marina Circuit. "We need the seal of approval from the Ministry of Education and local authorities. "The school day ends by 2pm and the idea of staying back after school for activities is not a common practice." Mr Sankey said designing the car is only 20 per cent of the project: students are also expected to build a brand, find sponsors and manage the team.

"What the students are actually doing is forming a mini-enterprise," he said. "You can have the fastest car in the world, but without a business plan, good team identity and the other components, you won't get far in this competition." Team Zer0.9's Sidhant Shetty and Prateek used their skills to build the car on CAD software, while Saif Fazal Mahamood and Vivian managed the accounts and roped in sponsors for the Dh200,000 project.

"It's a lesson in teamwork," Mr Sankey said. The F1 in Schools centre holds sessions for educators interested in the programme and provides software and a starter kit to motivate students.

* Afshan Ahmed

aahmed@thenational.ae