Search on for Pirelli ‘Star Driver’

Since its launch earlier this year, the Pirelli Star Driver scheme has attracted significant interest, with competitors from around the world seeking to win a drive in a series of six FIA World Rally Championship events. The Pirelli Star Driver scheme is a worldwide search for five young rally drivers from each of the 2008 and 2009 FIA Regional Championships. The successful drivers from each year will then contest a series of six World Championship rallies the following season, driving identical Group N or Super 2000 cars supplied and serviced under an FIA contract with a specialist preparation company. With the intention being to invest in the growth of the sport worldwide and, in particular, help younger competitors reach World Championship level, competitors must be under the age of 27 on 1st January in the year of the Regional Championship.

FIA World Rally Championship Commission president, Morrie Chandler, said: “We also recognise it is not all about driving and the project includes a five day course in vocational development. We want our competitors to understand the importance of physical fitness, safety education (on and off-road) as well personal presentation, media and public relations skills. All these elements will be an integral part of the Star Drivers’ future development.”

In the FIA African Rally Championship, three of the five qualifying rounds have run and the promising talent is currently emerging from Kenya. Alfir Khan and Peter Horsey are split by four points with South African Jon Williams trailing the lead by eight points. Two qualifying events remain before the first of the 2009 Pirelli Star Drivers will be known in September.

Drivers in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship have an intense challenge to claim their regional title. Just one event in the Pacific region – the Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand – qualified, and the two top drivers from that event will now be pitted against a host of drivers from the Asia region in a Star Driver Final on the Malaysian Rally (11-12 October). In this region, eligible drivers are awarded points for consistency of speed; three points for each fastest stage time, two points for second fastest and one point for third fastest on each stage.

In Europe, one driver from each country organising either an FIA World Rally Championship or FIA European Rally Championship event (18 countries) will be invited by the respective ASN to compete in a Shoot-out. In addition, the Nacam Zone (Central America) and Codasur Zone (South America) have both been invited to nominate one driver. The Shoot-out will take place in Freistadt, Austria on 24-26 October, where two Pirelli Star Drivers will be selected by a panel of judges.

The Middle East will be the last region to announce its Star Driver, its final qualifying round taking place in Dubai in early December. Currently, Nicos Thomas, from Cyprus, and Lebanon’s Nick Georgiou are battling it out for honours and are split by just two points.