Williams F1 is pleased to announce that it will be the launch partner of F1 in Schools in Qatar for 2012. Continuing the company’s commitment to educational initiatives, this partnership represents the chance to inspire young people in Qatar to pursue education in STEM subjects and encourage awareness of engineering careers in the country.
To celebrate the launch there will be a special Williams Advanced Engineering and Williams Technology Centre Qatar (WTCQ) Formula One show car on display at the launch event that will take place at the Doha British School on the 12th March. The Williams F1 car will be on display in the school’s foyer from 11th to the 17th March. The event will help promote F1 in Schools and highlight Formula One-related career paths to students across the country as well as create educational links between interested businesses and local schools. This partnership adds to Williams F1's existing contributions to education in Qatar, activities which have to date included road safety talks at schools and universities, a road safety advertising campaign and internships that have been offered to engineering students from Education City universities at the WTCQ.
Williams F1 is the only Formula One team to have a permanent base in the State of Qatar, with the WTCQ undertaking applied research into developing large magnetically loaded composite flywheels (for use in trains or static applications such as grid stabilisation) as well as investigating commercial applications of the Group’s motorsport simulation technology to help train drivers and improve road safety and fuel efficiency.
Damien Scott, General Manager of the Williams Technology Centre Qatar, commented, “We are delighted to be the launch partner for such a worthy venture. Formula One is a human capital business and through programmes like this we can help inspire the next generation of talented engineers to support our plans in Qatar. F1 in Schools also perfectly complements our own educational initiatives, including our Race to Learn programme with Cambridge University Press which has now been translated into Arabic.’’
Donald Sankey, F1 in Schools Regional Manager, Middle East, added, ‘’We are deeply grateful to Williams F1 for their support. Given their track record in pioneering a range of educational activities in Qatar, they were the natural choice to partner us in launching this programme. F1 in Schools has already been successful in 30 other countries worldwide, and I am excited about what it can achieve in this hugely dynamic country.’’
Speaking about the launch, Doha British School Principal Terry McGuire said, ‘’It is a privilege for our school to host the launch of F1 in Schools. Having a world-renowned Formula One team like Williams F1 on board gives extra weight to an already hugely successful initiative. By creating a fun and exciting learning environment, F1 in Schools can play a significant role in changing perceptions of engineering, science and technology. I am looking forward to seeing the reactions of our students, and hopefully other schools in Qatar will benefit in the future.’’
