Dubai-based GEMS School of Research and Innovation has launched a Motorsport Academy described as the world's first motorsport programme embedded within a school, with former Formula One driver Robert Doornbos joining as Ambassador ahead of its September 2026 opening, as reported by Edtech Innovation Hub.

The GEMS SRI Motorsport Academy will combine eSports, professional racing simulators, STEM education and track-based experience, using motorsport as a structured pathway into technical, operational and leadership careers within and beyond the industry.

The programme is based at GEMS School of Research and Innovation, a British curriculum school in Dubai Sports City within the GEMS Education network, which opened in 2025 as the network's flagship innovation school. The school delivers an enhanced National Curriculum for England from FS1 to Year 9, incorporating AI, sustainability, entrepreneurship and personalised learning pathways.

Build4Performance, the racing simulator company associated with Doornbos, will provide simulation hardware ranging from karting simulators to full Formula One-style simulators. XL Motorsport will support professional karting experiences at Dubai Kartdrome, giving students the opportunity to apply simulation-developed skills in a live track environment.

Doornbos said the academy is designed to expose students to the full breadth of careers motorsport supports. "Our mission is to help students discover and pursue their dreams, whether that's becoming a professional racing driver, race engineer, mechanic, strategist, or building a career anywhere within the motorsport industry," he said.

He emphasised that the skills developed through the programme extend well beyond the racetrack. "Motorsport is about so much more than driving fast," Doornbos said. "Engineering, teamwork, data, leadership, resilience and performing under pressure, skills that extend far beyond the racetrack."

On the simulation element, Doornbos said Build4Performance's professional simulators would give students access to one of the most realistic learning environments available. "Our professional simulators, from karting simulators to full Formula One simulators, will give students the opportunity to develop their skills in one of the most realistic learning environments available," he said.

Doornbos, whose Formula One career included stints with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso, now works as a broadcaster, entrepreneur and keynote speaker. His children attend GEMS School of Research and Innovation, a personal connection he cited as central to the project's development.