Three-time World Touring Car Champion, 2004 European Touring Car Champion and a plethora of international awards for outstanding performances in motorsport: Andy Priaulx’s career is packed with highlights, and yet the BMW DTM driver has always taken the time to pass his extensive knowledge on to up-and-coming racing drivers. Last weekend, Priaulx paid this year’s Formula BMW Talent Cup participants another visit and offered the young drivers valuable advice on strategic and tactical race preparations as they underwent their three-day training course at the iZone Driver Performance Centre in Silverstone (UK), which had been booked exclusively by BMW for the weekend.
“The comprehensive training of the participants to prepare them for a professional career in motor racing is entering its crucial phase. That is why we are back at iZone Driver Performance for the second time. It is impossible to underestimate the importance of simulator training in international motor racing, so we have doubled the number of simulator units compared to 2011,” said Priaulx. The training sessions help prepare for the final two On-Track Events this year, and are primarily aimed at ensuring the drivers are ready for the “Grand Final” in Oschersleben (DE, September 14-16), which rounds off the current programme and is held on the same bill as the DTM event. BMW will finance the winner of the three races in Oschersleben for a season in a higher-level racing series in 2013.
The class of 2012 spent their time in Silverstone preparing for the next On-Track Event, which will take place at the Hungaroring in Hungary from August 8-12. Having studied the details of the 4.381-kilometre Formula One circuit near Budapest in several simulator training sessions, the participants then moved onto this year’s most comprehensive media training course so far. The highlight was a live appearance by all the drivers on “Radio Silverstone” with iconic presenter Alan Hyde, who has also been a regular at BMW events for many years. Media trainer and motorsport journalist Louise Goodman also took a number of tutorials, in which she helped prepare the youngsters for future live television appearances.
Andy Priaulx, BMW DTM Driver:
“The training with in the Formula BMW Talent Cup allows us to do more than just give the drivers theoretical and practical advice. We want to ensure they are able to continue to develop their racing career by themselves. Many of them will find themselves out on the track in high-performance cars in the future. The difference between them and the opposition will be their mental strength, the knowledge of countless technical and tactical details, and their professionalism both on and off the track. That all forms part of the Formula BMW Talent Cup training programme, which puts the participants in an excellent position to pursue a successful career in motorsport.”
As of the next On-Track Event at the Hungaroring, media and fans unable to make it to the venue in person will once again be able to follow the action online at any time via a live timing function at www.motorsport-events.se/livetiming-formula-bmw/.
