Charged with pride: The team posing with their battery-electric prototype vehicle after clinching the Spirit of Shell Eco-marathon Award.
COMPETITIONS can often be unnerving, with participants striving to deliver their best performance.
In the racing arena, the atmosphere can be even more intense, with adrenaline running high.
For a team of students from Monash University Malaysia School of Engineering, giving their all at the recent Shell Eco-marathon Asia-Pacific and the Middle East 2025 did not diminish their spirit of sportsmanship and collaboration.
Apart from racing their battery-electric prototype on the track at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar, Hyperion Racing – formerly known as SEM Team Monash – designed and distributed custom-made shells to other teams and staff members to boost morale and foster camaraderie.
Their “Pet Shell Adoption Centre” initiative earned them the Spirit of Shell Eco-marathon Award, which celebrates teams that embody the event’s core values through exceptional teamwork, perseverance and camaraderie. The off-track award also came with a US$3,000 (RM13,255) prize.
Making up the 15-member team were Shoandeep Radhakrishnan (team manager and chief operations officer), Mustafa Ahmed Khan, Ng Zhan Ian, Ryan Wong Ke Yuan, Andrew Joseph Ng Man Loong, Chan Kah Yi, Omar Medhat Solieman, Ivan Hoo Wey Jung, Kaira Noor Azwa, Wee Jun Xi, Loong Joon Kit, Isaac Thong Fangjie, Nicol Soo Wei Jia, Puteri Arisya Diana Aznir and Joanne Youssel Rahmanto. Meanwhile, Dr Darwin Gouwanda served as team adviser, with Muhammad Nasuha Mazha providing additional support as senior technical officer.
At the Shell Eco-marathon, a globally recognised annual energy-efficiency competition, student teams are challenged to design, build and race the most energy-efficient vehicles. This year’s event, held from Feb 8 to 12, featured some 60 teams competing.
Hyperion Racing, which spent over six months designing and building their prototype from scratch, secured a Top 10 finish in the battery-electric prototype category. They emerged not only as the top-performing Malaysian team but also the only Malaysian team to successfully complete a valid run, according to a recent press release.
Recalling their road to Doha, Shoandeep said, “It was a rollercoaster.
“We faced moments where we thought we might not even be able to compete. But the team’s dedication and ‘Hype for Hyperion’ spirit never wavered.”
He was referring to a series of setbacks the team faced, which included team member Omar’s last-minute visa rejection and crucial vehicle components being held up in customs.
Through a combination of quick thinking, financial contributions from team members, and efforts from their support team back in Malaysia, they managed to get Omar, along with the crucial parts, safely to Doha.
“We knew we had to bring everyone and everything – all the members, all the car parts and, most importantly, our team spirit!” said Shoandeep in the press release dated Feb 19.
At the event, the team further demonstrated their teamwork and problem-solving skills, overcoming logistical hurdles and technical challenges, including motor overheating issues.
Shoandeep said their participation wasn’t about winning an award.
“It’s a testament to our resilience, resourcefulness and attitude. We faced adversity head-on and emerged victorious, demonstrating the true spirit of engineering and teamwork,” he said.
Hyperion Racing has now set its sights on the 2026 edition of the competition, with the aim of building on their success and striving for the top spot in the battery-electric category, while also securing “as many off-track awards as possible”.
The team expressed hope of securing sponsors for their 2026 outing. Interested parties can reach out to the team via social media.
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