UP TO now, the 2009 Formula One Grand Prix championship has been a nail-biter as the battle for top spot intensifies. And this year it is not just the drivers who are getting the attention.

Rule changes by the FIA, the body that runs the championship, have brought the role of the engineers that design, build and develop the cars much more into focus. It is no coincidence that the newest team racing on the circuits is owned and run by Ross Brawn, a UK engineer with top credentials.

Brawn GP took over Honda Racing F1 at the beginning of the season under Brawn, his impressive record including being technical director of the Ferrari team during the Schumacher years.

Formula One is a key showcase for the motor industry in general, where major advances in automotive technology mean there is a great demand for a constant supply of skilled, talented and dedicated young engineers.

In the UK, organisations such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers are doing their utmost to meet the needs of all modern industries - including aerospace, power, building, medical and railways - in need of high quality engineers.

One of its most exciting annual projects is Formula Student (FS) that has been growing in importance and prestige since it began 12 years ago.

With Ross Brawn as its patron, and with Renault F1's technical director Pat Symonds as one of its highly respected ambassadors, this challenges young engineers from across the world to design, build, develop and race a single-seat car.

The idea behind FS is to give students an opportunity to experience all the elements involved in designing and manufacturing a car including working in a team, under pressure and to tight schedules.

As the IMechE brief states: "It demands total commitment, lots of late nights, and many frustrations and challenges along the way, but the net result is the development of highly talented young engineers".

Students from universities in North and South America, Asia, Australasia and Europe are attracted to take part, and its participants and spectators say it is every bit as thrilling as the world F1 championship.

This year 3,000 students from 21 countries participated in the event that culminated in a three-day event at the UK's Silverstone racing circuit, home of the British Racing Drivers' Club.

There were 115 teams, 105 cars and five categories, including class 1A, introduced last year (2008) for alternative-fuelled cars designed and built from zero. The winner in this category was the University of Hertfordshire in southern England, with its completely electric car - the first of its kind in the world to compete in Formula Student.

The overall winner of class 1 for cars designed and built from zero was a team from Germany's University of Stuttgart, with the Technical University of Munich gaining first prize in class 1 (200) for cars built for previous FS competitions but with modifications.

Attending the event and cheering on the students was Lord Drayson, Minister for Science & Innovation. And Renault F1's Pat Symonds said he was "utterly amazed at the engineering passion and innovation" of those taking part.

He added: "There was nothing like Formula Student when I started out and it represents a microcosm of what engineering is about. It is not just applicable to the motorsport of Formula One - everything learned here can be a leader into almost any industry."

Ross Brawn said: "In my own team I have former FS graduates including Jenson Button's race engineer, Andrew Shovlin. I also believe the educational and academic aspects that Formula Student offers, along with the determination and will to succeed by the students, make it unique. The enthusiasm that I saw here fills me with optimism for the future."

Boasting a 160-year history, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which has 80,000 members in 120 countries, is driven by the belief that it is engineers that can "improve the world".

IMechE has four key themes: energy, environment, transport and education. All have a common goal: to face the challenges of a changing world and deal with them as successfully as possible.

Chief executive Stephen Tetlow said: "Improving the world through engineering can only happen if we inspire the next generation. IMechE Formula Student unites some of the brightest young engineering minds in the world building a race car from scratch. That's a pretty amazing achievement."