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.