Force India Formula One Team announced the launch of the Force India F1 Team Academy. The only F1 Team in the country has aimed at identifying racing talent in India and providing vocational and academic training for young Indians aspiring to a serious professional career in motorsports. On April 25, 2011, the Academy will launch its first comprehensive initiative, the ‘Hunt for 1 from a Billion, to identify and groom a future racing star from India. The Academy will fully support the winner over the next three years and a career path will be drawn out, depending on the progress made in 2012. The intent is to groom the winner through various stages leading up to a point where the winner is qualified and ready to apply for a super license from the FIA to drive in Formula 1.
Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal, Force India F1 –
‘Like the Force India F1 team, this academy is a historic milestone in the Indian sports arena as no one has embarked on such an ambitious programme to create a pool of talent and groom aspirants who show exceptional promise by providing them the necessary corporate funding backed with a crystal-clear professional career path in motorsport so that one day, they can go on to represent India in the international arena and hopefully bring glory to the nation’.
As a part of the program, FiF1 team has launched the ‘One from a Billion Hunt’ which will find potential racing talent aged between 14-17 years. The program is spit in 3 stages:
• Stage 1
Stage 1 consists of Regional trials in seven cities across India. 14 finalists will be selected from each city who will slug it out in the national rounds to make it to the Top 10
• Stage 2
These 10 finalists will head to Silverstone for an intensive week-long stint comprising of driving sessions, fitness assessment and development, media training and two days at the F1 circuit with sessions on safety and race procedures. At the end of this stint, an expert panel will pick 3 winners who demonstrate an outstanding performance.
• Stage 3
Of these 3 winners, the person who scores the highest points will be put through a full season of racing in a competitive championship in the UK
The runner up will do a full season in a competitive national championship in India. The second runner up will undergo a special course in racing at an Asian racing school.
The winner will go through 3 years of extensive training which will be fully supported by Force India and will eventually apply for a FIA Super License to be on the Formula 1 grid.
So if your under 17 years of age and think you have it in you to become the next Schumacher, go ahead and log on to www.onefromabillion.com
