Grade 8 students at the Western Academy of Beijing aren't old enough to drive, yet age hasn't stopped them from researching, designing and manufacturing their very own model Formula 1 race cars, as part of the official "F1 in Schools Technology Challenge".

WAB is the first school in China to launch the F1 in Schools program, which challenges teams of students to research, design, manufacture, and ultimately race a scale model of their own C02-powered F1 cars. As the pilot school for China, WAB automatically qualified to compete in the international 2008 F1 in Schools Championships this week in Malaysia.

Last Sunday, dressed in their official team uniforms (complete with patches advertising their corporate sponsors), WAB's two F1 racing teams lit out for Kuala Lumpur, where they're racing their fierce mini-vehicles against hundreds of other student teams from around the world.

Unlike its predecessors--simple balsa wood model cars or greased up soapbox derby racers--the miniature race cars on display this week in KL are technological masterpieces--sleek, aerodynamic vehicles that would smoke any old Matchbox car or remote controlled lowrider.

These cars can zoom the official track in just over one second, but the actual production of the car was a months long process, overseen by WAB teacher and F1 in Schools Coordinator Mark Edwards. The program requires that teams of students use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create virtual 3-D models of their cars, and then to translate their designs into reality by means of CNC milling machines. While the engineers are busy on the design aspect, the marketing manager is out procuring sponsors, the branding manager is designing the team logo and uniforms, and the general manager is holding the team together with encouragement and lots of Capri Sun.

As the pilot school for the F1 in Schools program in China, WAB will become the educational center for all schools wishing to enter into the F1 in Schools program in China. WAB teachers will become CAD software trainers for schools across China and WAB will become a manufacturing center to help support other international and Chinese national schools in the future.

’F1 in Schools’ was created in the UK seven years ago as a way to help young people develop an informed view about careers in engineering, science and technology. WAB welcomes this opportunity to introduce the ’F1 in Schools’ programme to China, with the support of its ’F1 in Schools’ sponsors, which include Capri Sun and Solidworks, as well as the Crowne Plaza Pudong Shanghai and Coca Cola.

For more information about F1 at WAB, please contact Mark Edwards at medwards@wab.edu.

WAB is grateful for the support of its F1 in Schools sponsors, which include Capri Sun, Asian Tigers, SolidWorks, Crowne Plaza Pudong and Lanxum.