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BAHRAIN'S motor-racing hero Hamad Al Fardan has returned to the classroom to stress the importance of safe driving.
The 23-year-old GP2 driver, who aims to be the first Arab racer in Formula One, is desperate to help put an end to the senseless deaths of young people killed, and injured, on the kingdom's roads.
He joined pupils at Isa Town Intermediate Boys School to encourage them to think about road safety and pass on the message to their family and friends.
"I want to empower today's teenagers with the knowledge that speeding on the road is not an option and that if they really do want to race we have many facilities in which they can do so such as the Bahrain International Circuit.
"Speed can kill and I thought it was important to touch on this subject. As a racer I know how to control a car and the right place to do so ... which is on a track."p>
Hamad Al Fardan has been invited by the Ministry of Education to visit all the public boys' and girls' schools in Bahrain in order to promote motorsport and stress the importance of safety on the roads.
Road safety campaigners are confident that the inspirational Bahraini can touch the hearts and minds of youngsters and really make a difference.
Last year 83 people died on the kingdom's roads. In a recent comprehensive study completed by the General Directorate of Traffic, drivers between the ages of 15 and 30 were at fault for half of all injury-related accidents.
And, being a public school graduate himself, Hamad believes his personal appearances in the classrooms offer him a way to give back something to the community which he came from.
The Isa Town Intermediate Boys School was his first stop of many. The visit was organised by the school's sports department and supervised by teacher Osama Al Laith, who also acts as Hamad's media co-ordinator.
Pupils aged between 12 and 15 were treated to a five-minute video showcasing Hamad's racing career - from karting to Formula 3 triumphs - which was put together by Bahrain TV's sports channel.
Mr Al Laith said: "The youngsters were extremely eager to meet Hamad and couldn't wait to ask him tonnes of questions about motor racing and his career.
"After the video, Hamad informed the pupils how to achieve their racing dreams and the importance of road safety."
Student Mahmood Al Bunni, 12, from Isa Town, said: "Meeting Hamad was amazing. I really learned a lot from him. I hope that one day I will become a race driver just like Hamad."
Hamad was impressed with his new classmates for the day too, saying: "I had a lot of fun with the kids as they were very inquisitive and seemed eager to learn.
"This initiative is a great way to bring more awareness of the sport of motor racing and to teach them how to build themselves if they do want to go into the industry. As you know, motor racing is the number one sport in Bahrain right now.
"The reason I wanted to come to this school first was also to support Osama, my peer. I will be visiting schools regularly, starting off with the public schools and then onto the private schools."
Hamad hopes to race in the GP2 Main Series provided he secures adequate financial backing on time.
He has recently returned from testing in Italy and said: "I am really happy with the way GP2 is going and I hope I can get more sponsors to continue competing at this level."
GP2 Asia is a sister championship to the European-based GP2 series and is where Hamad races for the Gulf Finance House-sponsored GFH iSport International team. He is set to race again this weekend in Sepang, Malaysia.
Local spectators got the chance to see him racing on home soil for the first time in January as part of the BIC Grand Racing Weekend. He will be hoping to be in the thick of the action again at the final round which supports the Grand Prix on April 24-26.
