Young Driver: 10 final candidates have been determined
SELECTION IN WOHLEN On the wet kart track in Wohlen, 40 qualifiers from all over Switzerland competed in the national elimination of the "AutoScout24 and CUPRA Young Driver Challenge". The top ten will decide the three finalists among themselves in June. In the first phase, 40 young talents competed in March and April at seven different kart tracks [...]
In the first phase, 40 young talents competed against around 1,500 other young people between the ages of 16 and 21 at seven different kart tracks in Switzerland in March and April, plus for the first time in the RacingFuel Academy simulator. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, they competed with each other in racing karts from Spirit Racing in Wohlen, where rain made conditions difficult.
In addition, they had to appear for an interview in front of AutoSprintCH editor Peter Wyss and, on both days, alternating executives from partners AutoScout24 and CUPRA/SEAT Switzerland. As future representatives of the Young Driver Challenge, the candidates' appearance off the track is almost as important as on it.
Who has talent, potential and good appearance?
The racing professionals Nico Müller (who came directly from the DTM in Zolder on Monday), Fredy Barth (whose event company acts as organizer) and Ken Allemann (boss of Spirit Racing) therefore paid attention to more than just the fastest lap times in their assessment of driving skills. Those who improved their performance over the course of the day and best implemented the coaches' advice scored points. This meant that even those who had no experience with racing karts or in other types of motorsport had a good chance.
Fredy Barth: "The decision was not easy. All the candidates already brought talent with them with their qualification in the preliminary rounds. They all competed with a lot of ambition and now had to show their skills under difficult conditions. Not everyone was able to do that equally well."
From all regions of the country
The following ten talents, in alphabetical order, have secured a starting place for the final selection of the "AutoScout24 and CUPRA Young Driver Challenge "on June 24, 2019 at the Anneau du Rhin:
Mario Anderegg, Wald (ZH)
James Bischof, Staad (SG)
Fabio D'Apuleo, Windisch (AG)
Julien Delacretaz, Forel-Lavaux (VD)
Karen Gaillard, Riaz (FR)
Damian Hamilton, Birr (AG)
Nicolas Raeber, Oberlunkhofen (AG)
Maxime Reol, Nyon (VD)
Leonardo Rossello, Lugano (TI)
Kilian Streit, Schüpfen (BE)
Soon it will be called Cupra driving
At the CUPRA Race Day in Alsace, the top ten have to prove their true talent under the eyes of several professional racing instructors. Those who impress with the 300-hp, standard Leon Cupra are among the top five and are allowed to complete a few fast sessions with the Cupra TCR racing touring car on the same afternoon.
Those who also excel at this will secure their participation in an ADAC TCR Germany race at the Nürburgring (August 17/18), Hockenheimring (September 14/15) or Sachsenring (September 21/22).
Who will succeed Oliver Holdener (2017) and Julien Apothéloz (2018)?
The "Young Driver 2019" will be the talent who, in addition to driving skills, also has an unconditional passion and willingness for racing. The main prize is financial and advisory support from AutoScout24 and CUPRA worth around CHF 50,000 for the 2020 racing season with a Cupra TCR.
