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The winning Formula: How Team Hypernix engineered ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals glory

Exemplifying this year’s World Youth Skills Day theme of AI and digital skills, the engineers of tomorrow share their stories of learning through the fun of F1

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Team Hypernix, from the Private International English School in Abu Dhabi (wearing black and blue), won F1 in Schools gold at the ADNOC Yas in Schools

Abu Dhabi, UAE – July 15, 2025: At the 15th edition of the ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals, a competition that helps propel the engineers of tomorrow, what stood out for the F1 in Schools judges were the engineering standards of the winning team.

“The judges even went as far as to say that our portfolio was international level, which is a truly great compliment,” says Hemendra Sridhar, the 16-year-old manufacturing head of Team Hypernix from the Private International English School in Abu Dhabi.

Mirroring real Formula 1 teams, F1 in Schools is a full-spectrum experience combining engineering, project management, sponsorship and branding. Across the academic year, students aged 12-17 from UAE schools – and some from overseas – work to build their team’s brand, as well as identify and secure funding and sponsorships while designing, developing and producing their own (mini) model car.

Taking gold on the F1 in Schools podium means that the Private International English School will now represent UAE in the global finals – the second time that the school has achieved this feat in their seven years of participation. Much like champion F1 cars, what took the checkered flag for Hypernix’s Hemendra, Adnan Muhammed (16), Ayush Bisoyi (17), Devapriya Ajith (16), Madhav Ragesh (17), and Saquib Manzar (16), mentored by physics teacher Bindu Raghunath, was their engineering. And, specifically, their digital prowess in engineering, which taps into the theme of this year’s World Youth Skills Day on July 15 – youth empowerment through AI and digital skills. 

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Team Hypernix impressed the judges with the quality of their engineering
“I think we ran over 1,000 iterations of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations alone,” says Adnan, the team leader of Hypernix. 

Used in many engineering fields to aid product design and performance analysis, CFD is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows.

“The judges complemented our specificity, like how we wanted the integrities of all the different design principles and concepts we applied in the car; the moment of inertia, the center of mass and how we structured the perfect car,” adds Adnan. “They said that was the main thing that stood out from other teams. 

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More than 1,200 students from some 300 school teams participated in the 15th edition of the ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals in June

“There were lots of learnings, like ‘How do I put the car in CFD? How do I get accurate results? How do you make the model as efficient as possible? How do I ensure the airflow is smooth throughout the car? What innovations can I bring to the table that will make our car stand out from the rest?’ We put a lot into it, but it was the perfect experience.”

Hosted at the Yas Conference Center at Yas Marina Circuit, the 15th edition of the ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals took place from June 18-22. The essence of the competition, which ADNOC promotes as part of its broader CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives, is that through the fun and thrill of F1, students are learning advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). In addition, they are also learning about branding, business and strategy.

Across the week, more than 1,200 students from some 300 school teams – mostly from the UAE but also three other countries – participated at the fully immersive, interactive event. As well as F1 in Schools, other competitions included Formula Ethara, which saw the production of small-scale model race cars made from paper cards for children aged 6-13, and the 4x4 In Schools Technology Challenge for 13–21-year-olds. The latter saw students work in teams to design, build and code mini, remote-controlled 4 x4 vehicles to navigate an obstacle-strewn, off-road test track.

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Team Hypernix’s F1 in Schools success has earned them the prestige of representing the UAE in the global finals

Showcasing ingenuity across social media, Team Soar, an all-female line up from Regent International School in Dubai, claimed this edition’s F1 in Schools marketing gold award. Incorporating STEM racing into their marketing, Soar’s three most popular STEM racing videos reached a combined total of more than 400,000 views. “We as a team want to inspire women in STEM, that’s our whole drive,” says Soar’s Kimaya Trivedi, 15.

What makes the achievements of all the schools who made the ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals in June even more impressive is that many had important exams that month. For Private International English School teacher Bindu, it is further evidence that ADNOC Yas in Schools “is the best competition that we could ever imagine” for learning and inspiration. “The moment they hear the words ‘car’ and ‘car design’, the students are just motivated to participate,” says Bindu.

For more information, please see ADNOC - YAS IN SCHOOL | YAS MARINA CIRCUIT

Links:

ADNOC Yas in School: https://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/en/yas-in-school

YAS Marina Circuit: https://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/en/