The FIA Institute has unveiled the 19 young drivers who will take part in a three-day shootout to decide who will make it onto its inaugural Young Driver Excellence Academy to find the next racing stars of the future.
The shortlist is made up of young drivers from all over the world, including competitors from Bahrain, France, Spain, Israel, UK, Estonia, Norway, USA and New Zealand.
The shortlist features some of the most talented young drivers in motor racing and rallying, as well as a number of current series champions, including the titleholders from Formula BMW Europe, the F4 Eurocup series and ADAC Formel Masters. They are joined by event winners from the Super 2000 and Junior World Rally Championships and a number of drivers with Formula One testing experience.
Only 10 of the shortlisted drivers will be chosen to join the Academy programme. To succeed they will have to demonstrate their ability over three days of driving and non-driving assessments. Of the final list of drivers chosen to take part, at least one driver will be selected from each of the FIA Institute’s five funding regions: North, Central and South America; Western and Northern Europe; Central and Eastern Europe; Middle East and Africa; and Asia and Oceania.
The FIA Institute has teamed up with former Formula One star and two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz and former World Rally Champion co-driver Robert Reid to lead the Academy selection process and training programme.
Alex Wurz said: “I am delighted that so many young talented drivers have applied to participate in the first ever FIA Institute Academy. It demonstrates that this type of training, focussing as much on the classroom as on the track, is highly desirable for young competitors looking to develop and progress their careers in motor sport.”
Robert Reid added: “It is great to see so many applications from such a diverse background all over the world. We’re really looking forward to meeting those selected for the shoot-out in Austria and putting them through their paces.”
Richard Woods, FIA Institute Director General, said: “This is a trial year for the Academy programme but we are already thrilled by the positive response we’ve received so far. We are pleased to be able to help young competitors at this important stage of their development and to do so in a way that ensures that safety is always at the forefront throughout their careers.”
The Driver Shortlist:
Kevin Abbring, 21, Netherlands
Hamad Ahmed Al Fardan, 23, Bahrain
Paul-Loup Chatin, 19, France
Albert Costa, 20, Spain
Alon Day, 19, Israel
Philipp Eng, 20, Austria
Robin Frijns, 19, Netherlands
Adam Gould, 23, UK
Timmy Hansen, 18, Sweden
Egon Kaur, 23, Estonia
Andreas Mikkelsen, 21, Norway
Josef Newgarden, 20, USA
Norman Nato, 18, France
Alexander Rossi, 19, USA
Jan Skala, 19,Czech Republic
Richie Stanaway, 19, New Zealand
Molly Taylor, 22, Australia
Stoffel Vandoorne, 18, Belgium
Joni Wiman, 17, Finland
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