A pathway through to the World Rally Championship may become easier for young rally drivers with the new FIA Rally Star initiative.
The FIA Rally Star aims to encourage the emergence of a new generation of drivers and to identify those with the greatest potential to target a professional career.
The programme is funded by the FIA Innovation Fund (FIF), which aims at supporting innovative and high-impact initiatives that generate lasting benefits for the FIA community.
The 144-member National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) of the FIA will be encouraged to organise detection operations, offered to drivers between the ages of 17 and 25.
Two grassroots disciplines will make the framework for assessment either through Digital Motorsport (using driving simulators and the FIA Rally Star partner video game) or Motorkhana (gymkhana), which involves manoeuvring a production vehicle through a handling course.
AS well as this , ASNs will also be able to use their own detection methods to identify young talent.
Selected candidates will then move to the second phase of the programme competing at one of six continental finals organised by the FIA in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Asia-Pacific, South America and North America.
Candidates selected by the ASNs will compete against the clock at the wheel of XC Cross Cars to win one of the seven seats granted: one per continent, plus one for the best woman driver in the world.
This group of seven youngsters will then benefit from an intensive season of training, including personal coaching, testing sessions and participation in a minimum of six rallies at the wheel of Rally3 cars. This development programme will identify the four most promising drivers, including at least one female competitor, who will then join the FIA Junior WRC.
Over the next two seasons, these future stars will need to demonstrate that they can compete for victories and then for the title, as a full season in FIA WRC 3 will be the ultimate reward for a FIA Rally Star driver winning the championship.
Innovative and far-reaching, the FIA Rally Star programme will benefit from the support of ambassadors and partners already acclaimed in the world of rallying. The official launch is scheduled for mid-June, during the FIA Sport Conference in Thailand. The ASNs will then be able to deploy the first selections.
Jean Todt, President of the FIA: “When we talk about the detection of rally drivers, we obviously think of Rallye Jeunes, which enabled the FFSA to identify the potential of Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier with the success that we know. Thanks to the support of the FIA’s Innovation Fund, we are embarking on an extremely ambitious and innovative programme, made available to our 144 ASNs for worldwide deployment and amplification. FIA Rally Star is a great opportunity for those who dream of becoming rally drivers.”
MotorSport New Zealand is keen to get the initiative underway here in NZ and is still waiting to receive more detailed information from the FIA.
For more information: rallystar@fia.com
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