ABU DHABI TO HOST F1 IN SCHOOLS™ WORLD FINALS 2012
F1 in Schools™ eighth World Finals will be held in Abu Dhabi from 29th October to 31st October, with this prestigious event being held to coincide with the 2012 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX.
Over 250 students from around the world will have secured a place at the F1 in Schools World Finals after winning the National Finals in their home country. Yas Marina Circuit and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will be the destination for the competitors and expectations are high for a closely fought title fight, as well as the event being the trip of a lifetime for all the students attending.
Previous year’s events held in Australia, England, Malaysia and Singapore have all been a resounding success and Abu Dhabi promises to be an outstanding venue for the World Finals of this global challenge.
Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1 in Schools, says of the announcement, “We are delighted that Yas Marina Circuit and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will together be the focus for our eighth F1 in Schools World Finals event. Having Ferrari World Abu Dhabi hosting our World Finals is already creating an incredible excitement and anticipation for the participating teams."
F1 in Schools aims to stage its World Final events alongside a Formula 1™ event, as Denford explains, “We are privileged to have the support of the Formula 1 fraternity and the Formula One Group, so it is only fitting that we showcase the F1 in Schools programme to them. Hosting the event just before a Grand Prix™ also offers the students a chance to attend one of the most exciting, technologically innovative sporting events in the world, and as these participants have been living and breathing Formula 1 as they compete in the F1 in Schools challenge and prepare for the World Finals, it is a great opportunity for them to experience the reality of the sport.”
Richard Cregan, CEO Yas Marina Circuit commented, "We're delighted to be welcoming the F1 in Schools World Final teams to Abu Dhabi as it represents our increasingly active role in the world of F1™. Our own National Schools programme, with the support of Mubadala, is going from strength to strength and this helps us prepare our young generations to participate at the next level. Not only is F1 in the hearts and minds of Abu Dhabi but it's our goal to see it as part of our classroom learning too."
Andy Keeling, Park Manager, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi added, "Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is delighted to be hosting the F1 in Schools World Finals. The Finals will be part of our Speed Week event which will run throughout the Formula One week, providing an exciting venue for guests and participants to experience the thrill of Ferrari. The guiding principles of Ferrari have been passion, excellence, performance and technical innovation for more than sixty years and we hope that the finalists will find Ferrari World Abu Dhabi an inspirational venue.”
The F1 in Schools programme operates in over 40 countries. Each of the National Champions is invited to compete at the World Finals and runners-up are invited to participate by forming a collaboration team, linking with a runners-up team from another country. The collaboration teams communicate by virtual technologies such as CISCO WebEx before finally meeting each other for the first time when they arrive in Abu Dhabi.
The F1 in Schools World Finals 2012 is held over the course of three days with the teams brought together for the biggest challenge of their life, competing for the prestigious Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy and coveted automotive and motorsport engineering scholarships to City University London.
F1 in Schools aims to help change perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, Formula One, Science, marketing and technology. Students are given a brief to design a model compressed air powered F1™ Car of the future using CAD/CAM Engineering techniques. Cars are then manufactured on a CNC machine. Each team of between three and six students brings together their portfolio of work to present to a judging panel with a verbal and written presentation to support their model car, which is raced on a specially designed test track. At the World Finals each team will bring along a pit display, their cars and portfolio, as well as having prepared a verbal presentation for the judges.
The cars race on a 20 metre track, with the cars covering the distance in just over one second, a speed barrier which is yet to be broken by any student team since it was set by Team FUGA from Northern Ireland at the 2007 World Finals with a time of 1.020 seconds.
The F1 in Schools World Finals take place with the assistance of a host of sponsors and supporters including Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World, Etihad Airways, The IET, and City University London.