Yas Marina the venue for children to race their Formula One cars

ABU DHABI // UAE school students could soon be showing off their racing prowess at Yas Marina by creating their own miniature racing cars, as the Abu Dhabi track acquires the F1 in Schools franchise. The programme challenges students to use software to design, build and race a miniature Formula One car made from balsa wood and powered by a single compressed air cylinder. Working in teams of three to six, the students must also prepare a business plan, develop a marketing strategy and make a presentation to a panel of judges. Yas Marina will host an invitational national final of the competition on June 2, which will see a UAE school team qualify for the 2010 World Championships this September in Singapore. Richard Cregan, chief executive officer of Yas Marina Circuit and a patron of F1 in Schools in Ireland, said: "A number of schools across the UAE have participated in the F1 in Schools project over the past two years and those who feel ready will now compete here in June for a place in the world finals. We look forward to welcoming education visits as part of our circuit tours, and we will also be opening up the concept to corporate teams to enable adults to take part."