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Newsletter |
Mohamed Al Mutawaa, 18, UAE They will now be coached 'in the car' by former Formula One race driver Alex Wurz and his team from Test and Training International, and 'out of the car' by former World Rally Champion co-driver Robert Reid and his team from Elite Sports Performance. The Final Day All drivers headed to the track for a race-of-champions style shoot-out on the final day of the selection event. Performance managers Alex Wurz and Robert Reid were quick to point out that the racing, while the pinnacle of the competitive element of the shoot-out, would only represent a part of their assessment of the drivers which has been ongoing through a series of tests over the last four days. Yet this did not dim the competition on the track at the Wachau Ring in Melk, Austria. The itinerary was straightforward with practice and qualifying followed by a pursuit-style, knockout competition for the top 16. In the final, the fastest qualifier was pitched against the ninth quickest; second fastest versus tenth down to eighth versus 16th. Starting alongside each other, one driver would take the quick outside track whilst the other went to the twisting inner part of the circuit and they swapped halfway through to complete two laps. Armed with the data, the analysis and the results from four days, the judges - Robert Reid, Alex Wurz, FIA Institute Director General Richard Woods and FIA Institute Director of Programmes Quentin Crombie – went through the thorough process of deciding on the successful drivers. The Academy Over the next year, the 18 drivers will attend a series of workshops covering all aspects of driver performance and safety. The driving elements of the course include the development of technical skills, safety training, attitudes and awareness. The human performance aspect will feature physiology, psychology, nutrition, media skills and career management. The primary goals of the Academy are: to prepare young drivers to compete at the pinnacle of the sport, to increase skills in the area of driver and road safety; and to actively promote the principles of safety, fairness and responsibility both on and off the track. Robert Reid, Performance Manager, FIA Institute Academy, said: Alex Wurz, Performance Manager, FIA Institute Academy, said: "Over the course of the four days we have been looking at every area of driving skill. We have broken this down into its composite parts, such as steering input, braking input, throttle input, and into combining all of this behind the wheel. Overall, these guys have demonstrated a lot of talent. They are also all very coachable and they have a good understanding of what we are after. I'm really looking forward to a good cooperation with the new Academy drivers." "This selection event has demonstrated the breadth of young driving talent worldwide. We are delighted to be able to help develop that talent further and in the right way, with the focus not just on performance but also on safety and excellence."
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