Alpine F1 Team has revealed a new junior programme to run in tandem with its existing Academy, also announcing its first five drivers.
Hadrien David, Abbi Pulling, Nikola Tsolov, Kean Nakamura and Matheus Ferreira are the five young drivers signed to the all-new Alpine Affiliate program, where they will receive the support and the benefits of the Alpine F1 teams’ weight fully behind them.
It will offer its young drivers career advice, training, mentoring, PR training and more at a “crucial stage” of their careers whilst acting as a “potential feeder programme” for the Academy. The program will be based in the Alpine Academy’s headquarters in the F1 team’s base in Enstone.
David, who joins as the youngest ever FIA Formula 4 champion, will compete in the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship, for a second season, at the R-ace GP team. He returns to Alpine fold after being part as an affiliate during the 2020 season.
W Series racer Pulling represents a huge milestone for Alpine, as the first female racing driver within the Academy or Affiliate program, which the team says “further highlights Alpine’s commitment to promoting inclusivity in the work environment and the wider motorsports industry”, and facilitates the “integration and development of women within the company”.
She is a pole-sitter and multiple podium-finisher in W Series, and joins fellow racer Jamie Chadwick in signing for an F1 teams’ junior programme. Beginning his open-wheel career, Bulgarian Tsolov joins the programme as he steps up into the FIA Spanish Formula 4 championship for 2022. He is also managed by two-time F1 champion and current Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso.
Completing the Alpine Affiliates line-up are Nakamura and Ferreira, who join as “highly regarded” kart racers. Japanese driver Nakumara was crowned the FIA Karting World Champion in the OK-Junior category, with Ferreira not far adrift. The two 14-year-olds move to the OK Karting series with Kart Republic.
Alpine Academy Director Mia Sharizman and Director of Expansion Projects Davide Brivio will lead the new project alongside the Academy. “We are very excited to announce our Alpine Affiliates programme which will work alongside the Academy from this year,” said Sharizman. “The programme will help provide young racing drivers across the world with crucial support, career advice and training.
“We have five young drivers entering the programme this year as we welcome Abbi, Hadrien, Nikola, Kean and Matheus into our team. Longer term we envisage the Alpine Affiliate programme acting as a feeder for our Academy, as we strive to continue recruiting the most talented young drivers across the globe to future proof Alpine’s success in motor racing.”
Netflix releases full Drive to Survive trailer ahead of launch:
Documenting the highs-and-lows on-and-off track of the 2021 season, Netflix’s Drive To Survive series is set to release its fourth season on Friday, March 11. The ten episode series is highly anticipated and potentially the last of the format as F1 seeks to change how Netflix covers the championship.
Here’s the full trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoFpyFL8E7s
The story was written by Danny Herbert
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