Aston Martin resumes AMR Young Driver Academy programme
As motorsport tentatively springs back into life across the globe, Aston Martin has announced its AMR Young Driver Academy is making a return to the track.
Aug 17, 2020
The AMR Young Driver Academy programme sees 13 selected drivers competing in order to gain support and assistance from the factory for the forthcoming 2021 season.
The initiative is designed to fast-track talent on the track and looks to foster future talent in the GT endurance racing class.
The resumption of international motorsport across the globe, has signalled the start of the 2020 Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Young Driver Academy as the luxury sportscar manufacturer continues to uncover the next generation of GT endurance superstars.
The initiative – designed to fast-track talent within Aston Martin Racing’s thriving customer team network – proved a huge success in 2019. Despite the coronavirus pandemic affecting the 2020 season, his year another 13 candidates have signed up to the AMR Young Driver Academy from a range of championships around the world.
Aston Martin says the AMR Young Driver Academy is an unrivalled platform for learning and development with an established manufacturer. The initiative has been fine-tuned and improved again to more effectively coach a fresh pool of drivers, while at the same time it has also been tailored to counter the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The AMR Young Driver Academy is eligible to drivers aged between 17 and 25 and open to those with planned Vantage GT3 and GT4 race programmes in recognised championships. The prize on offer for the successful graduate will be financial support towards their 2021 race programme, simulator time, fitness sessions and a TAG Heuer AMR timepiece.
As across previous seasons, this year’s contestants will be judged on a wide range of criteria including pace, consistency, and technical feedback. The judging panel will also evaluate drivers’ ability to manage the strategic, teamwork, commercial and public relations aspects of their role. Finally, the outstanding candidate will demonstrate the most potential to develop their talent for the future.
The 2019 British GT4 champion Tom Canning emerged top of the class in the 2019 AMR Driver Academy.
“That there is a fresh group of talented individuals ready and eager to participate in the 2020 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, in spite of the difficulties presented by the coronavirus pandemic, demonstrates the value of this initiative and the importance of the junior GT racing ecosystem,” commented Aston Martin Racing President David King.
“It remains our mission to uncover the best young talent emerging through our customer network, so that we may both assist them in their future careers and protect the competitive prospects for Aston Martin Racing and the teams that race our cars in the long-term.”
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