Repton School Dubai’s Project Hydronova has made history as the first-ever team from the UAE and the Middle East to compete in the H2 Grand Prix World Finals (Stock category), a six-hour endurance race for hydrogen-powered RC cars. The students won the Energy Award for efficiency and placed solidly mid-field among 40 global teams, an extraordinary feat for the first-time competitors.
The Finals, hosted by Horizon Educational, brought together student teams from across Europe, Asia, and North America to test engineering skill, energy management, and endurance. Facing veteran teams with years of experience, Project Hydronova marked a name for itself as a homegrown Dubai team that could compete with the world’s best. Their Energy Award win shows the UAE’s potential to lead in hydrogen, innovation and sustainability at a time when sustainable energy solutions are urgently needed worldwide.
A Milestone for the Middle East
It’s the first time the Middle East has been represented at the global hydrogen motorsport event and places Dubai firmly on the map for clean-energy innovation. While the Energy Award for efficiency and conservation, highlights the team’s ability to crack one of the toughest challenges in hydrogen racing, balancing fuel cell output with battery demand for six hours non-stop.
‘Winning the Energy Award in our first year wasn’t just about efficiency, it was about proving that a team from Dubai and the Middle East can compete on a global stage,’ Project leader Arhaan Chokshy said. ‘We showed that innovation from our region belongs in the world of hydrogen technology.’
‘Driving the car on that track was the most emotional moment of my life. Knowing I was behind the wheel of the UAE’s first hydrogen race car at the World Finals is something I will carry forever.’
Ekansh Nagarajan, driver and mechanical engineer
Driver and mechanical engineer Ekansh Nagarajan added, ‘Driving the car on that track was the most emotional moment of my life. Knowing I was behind the wheel of the UAE’s first hydrogen race car at the World Finals is something I will carry forever.’
Azlan Rehman Shah, Driver, Mechanical Engineer & Founding Member said ‘Our race was about balance, pushing for speed without wasting energy. Every lap tested our focus, but bringing the car home with an international award made every second worth it.’
Project Hydronova is a 15-member STEM team founded in 2024 by Chokshy and co-lead mechanical engineer Azlan Rehman Shah. Five students represented the UAE in Germany: Arhaan Chokshy, Ekansh Nagarajan, Azlan Rehman Shah, Zaara Junaidi, and Kaixun Huang. They were supported by peers in Dubai across media, aerodynamics, and finance.
Race strategist Junaidi said: ‘Our debut at the World Finals wasn’t just about racing; it was about building the future. To compete for six hours and win the Energy Award for sustainability shows what student-led teams can achieve.’
Project Hydronova
In their debut year, the students not only built one of the Middle East’s first hydrogen-powered RC race cars but also raised nearly AED 45,000 in sponsorship and refined advanced engineering systems to match global competition. Supervising teacher Nitesh Joshi praised the achievement: ‘The H2GP program is education at its best. These students transformed challenges into opportunities, and their success highlights the UAE’s growing role in clean-energy innovation.’
Project Hydronova is a STEM initiative from Repton School Dubai, founded in 2024. Led by students, the team designs, builds, and races hydrogen-powered RC cars while raising awareness of clean-energy technologies.
Organised by Horizon Educational, the H2 Grand Prix is the world’s largest hydrogen racing competition. Students design, build, and race hydrogen-powered RC cars in endurance events, gaining hands-on experience in engineering, teamwork, and sustainable energy.
