Dubai’s young engineers and designers put on a strong showing at the 2025 ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals, the largest youth STEM competition in the UAE, held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The finals brought together more than 1,400 students, organised into 310 teams from 113 schools across the country. They competed in five separate programmes: F1 in Schools, Formula Ethara, 4×4 in Schools, Test Driver and Ethara Go.
More than just a race
The competition is built to mirror real engineering work. Students do not only build and race model cars. They also prepare technical portfolios and stand in front of expert judges to present sustainability plans and business strategies.
Interest in the event keeps growing. The 2025 edition was watched more than 31,000 times online across six live shows and 46 hours of coverage, a 41 per cent jump from the year before. Ethara Go saw a 56 per cent rise in team registrations year on year, and the Test Driver programme grew from 54 to 64 teams, with more than half of those coming from Dubai.
52 winning teams across five programmes
In total, 52 teams were recognised as winners. The breakdown across the five programmes was:
F1 in Schools handed out 22 trophies in categories including Engineering, Fastest Car and Verbal Presentation, along with the overall Professional and Rookie champion titles.
Formula Ethara recognised 17 teams for design, identity, presentation and on-track performance.
4×4 in Schools named nine winners across its Professional, Development and University levels.
Test Driver celebrated a national top three, and Ethara Go crowned three individual champions in its solo racing format.
Dubai schools on the podium
Several Dubai teams finished among the standout performers.
Apex Racers from Jumeirah College won both the Rookie Champion title and the Verbal Presentation award. Project Nova from Dubai College claimed the national title in 4×4 in Schools. ERA Racing, representing Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, finished top in Formula Ethara. MENA Racing was strongest in the Fastest Car and Engineering categories.
The overall F1 in Schools Professional Champion title went to Hypernix from Private International English School in Abu Dhabi. That team will now represent the UAE at the 2026 STEM Racing World Finals.
A launchpad for young talent
Ali Al Beshr, General Manager of the Yas Marina Circuit, described the competition as a launchpad for the UAE’s young talent. He said students raise their level every year and are now carrying that progress to the global stage, and that watching this year’s champions prepare for the World Finals shows what the programme is working toward.
The Yas in Schools initiative is run by Ethara together with ADNOC. Its goal is to use the appeal of motorsport to draw out technical skill, creativity and leadership in students, and to encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers from the classroom up.
For students in Dubai thinking about a future in engineering, design or technology, competitions like this one offer a clear early start, with a real car, a real deadline and a panel of judges to convince.
