DUBAI: Young drivers aiming to boost their motorsport careers in Abu Dhabi this week were told on Tuesday that the way they handle sponsors and media can make or break their hopes of reaching the top.
The 13 candidates competing at Yas Marina Circuit for a place at the 2015 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy were given the alert by Tom Onslow-Cole, one of the panel of experts conducting sessions at the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia qualifying event.
Organized by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the event will select one of the ten young drivers worldwide who will earn a place in next year’s fully funded Academy program to develop young talent and promote safety in motor sport.
According to Onslow-Cole, a professional racing driver now competing in the British GT Championship, ATCAE President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA Vice President, is an ideal role model for the young hopefuls.
“Mohammed is a brilliant example to young drivers trying to create a career in motorsport,” said Onslow-Cole a professional racing driver now competing in the British GT Championship. “His attention and focus on his off track duties were definitely a strength in his career.
“The level of awareness of the importance of nurturing both sponsorship and mediavaries from driver to driver, but there is always something more they can learn. This is an integral part of the sport and one that can make or break any career.
“It’s often the case that a driver will work tirelessly to secure a dream sponsor, but then lose focus on the deliverables of the deal once the racing gets underway.”
Sulayem, who captured 14 FIA Middle East titles during a record-breaking rally driving career, was as accomplished in the way he handled sponsors and media as he was in winning events and championships.
Onslow-Cole is instructing the young drivers on how to develop sponsorship so that it not only continues year on year, but grows, as well as on becoming media friendly and on career planning and strategy.
“In my experience, planning is usually the missing link,” he says. “Drivers don’t always know where they are heading. If you don’t know where or what you’re aiming for, then it’s difficult to know what you’ll need to do and be to get there.”
Among those battling to win the one Academy place available in Abu Dhabi this week are: UAE’s Mansour Al Helei, Kuwait’s Ali Makhseed, Oman’s Anas Al Raeesi and Lebanon’s Patrick Njeim. The other drivers are from Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Georgia.
On the final day of the qualifying event tomorrow (Wednesday), ATCUAE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sean Petherbridge will deliver a presentation on the FIA Institute’s ‘Race True’ Anti-Doping campaign.
Later, a judging panel consisting of the FIA Institute’s Kate Robson, ATCUAE Motorsport Director Ronan Morgan and Onslow-Cole, will interview each of the drivers.
The top five selected based on overall performance during the week will then tackle a timed lap of the Yas Marina Circuit prior to the winner being announced.
'Sponsor, media skills can make or break career in motorsport'
'Sponsor, media skills can make or break career in motorsport'
Shakib Al-Hasan shines as MI Emirates down table-toppers Desert Vipers by 4 wickets
- All-round performance helped move the team back to second in the points table
DUBAI: MI Emirates registered a composed four-wicket victory over the table toppers Desert Vipers to seal their third straight win in the DP World ILT20 Season 4 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. After a disciplined bowling performance in the first innings, MI Emirates overcame early pressure before Kieron Pollard and Shakib Al-Hasan guided the team to victory.
The Desert Vipers managed to score 124 courtesy of Dan Lawrence’s gritty 35 off 34 balls, but MI Emirates navigated a tricky chase with relative ease. With the ball, spinner Al-Hasan’s two wickets for 14 runs led the charge and kept the Vipers in check, before Zahoor Khan’s death bowling ensured the total remained below par.
In reply, MI Emirates stumbled in the powerplay and lost momentum in the middle overs, but Pollard’s 26 off 15 balls flipped the contest decisively. Even after his dismissal, Al-Hasan held firm to see the chase through, striking the winning boundary to complete a controlled four-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.
MI Emirates endured a slow powerplay as the Vipers applied sustained pressure. David Payne set the tone early, removing Jonny Bairstow (5 off 5), while Lockie Ferguson struck to dismiss Muhammad Waseem (18 off 13). They finished the powerplay with 35/2 on the board.
The batting side lost momentum through the middle overs as the Vipers bowlers tightened the screws. Nicholas Pooran (17 off 17) mounted a brief counterattack with two sixes but was trapped LBW by Lawrence. Wickets fell at regular intervals, including Tom Banton (10 off 10) being bowled by a sharp Qais Ahmad delivery.
Then, skipper Pollard swung the momentum decisively, taking Ahmad apart with a pair of sixes in the 15th over that turned the chase in MI Emirates’ favor. He was eventually dismissed by Matiullah Khan, but Al-Hasan (17* off 25) held his nerve, anchoring the finish before striking the winning boundary off Matiullah to close the chase at 124/6 in 17.3 overs.
In the first innings, the Vipers made a subdued start in the powerplay, as Chris Woakes was excellent up front, conceding just 15 runs from his three overs. Allah Ghazanfar struck the key blow by removing Max Holden (20 off 18). Fakhar Zaman (13 off 13) tried to build momentum, but the lack of boundaries and regular dots ensured the Vipers were restricted to 35/1 after six overs.
MI Emirates tightened their grip through the middle overs as Al-Hasan struck twice in a miserly spell to remove Zaman and Sam Curran (4 off 4), conceding just eight runs in two overs. Arab Gul added to the pressure by dismissing Hasan Nawaz (13 off 19), leaving the Vipers reeling after losing three wickets in as many overs and the score at 54/4 at the halfway mark of their innings.
Lawrence and Jason Roy (14 off 18) showed intent in patches, adding a cautious stand of 42 runs in 40 balls, but boundaries were scarce. Al-Hasan capped an outstanding spell, leaving the Vipers with little impetus. Khan delivered a decisive final over, finishing with two for 17, as regular wickets in the death overs ensured the Vipers were kept in check, leaving MI Emirates a manageable target of 125 to seal the chase.
Al-Hasan said: “It was a surface that suited the spinners, and the focus was on hitting the right areas consistently. I was able to do that today, which was pleasing. I’m glad it helped the team. Batting wasn’t easy on this pitch either. With so many powerful hitters in our lineup, someone needed to play the anchoring role, and I was happy to take on that responsibility to make sure we finished the chase.”
Desert Vipers stand-in skipper Curran commented: “It was another low-scoring game on a tricky surface. The pitch was slow, and facing a side like MI Emirates, who have high-quality spinners with a lot of variation, made it even tougher. Despite that, I thought our bowlers put in a strong effort. With qualification already secured, we chose to rotate the squad, and what happened to Lockie reinforces the importance of managing workloads.”
