Pirelli Star Driver Entrants Announced

The FIA has published a list of 18 young drivers from Europe and Central and South America who will take part in the Pirelli Star Driver competition in Freistadt, Austria. The two winners will each receive a drive on six rounds of the 2009 WRC.

The competitors have all been chosen locally by their respective national sporting authorities (ASNs), who have put them forward for the competition in Freistadt that will take place from October 23-25. This contest will select two people to receive a fully-paid drive on six rounds of the World Rally Championship next year.

Thanks to the Pirelli Star Driver programme, developed jointly by the FIA World Rallies Commission and Pirelli, a total of five drivers will get the chance to compete on the 2009 WRC in a Group N or Super2000 car, obviously running on Pirelli tyres.

The six rounds that the young drivers will tackle are Portugal, Italy, Greece, Finland, Spain and UK. The two drivers who are selected from next month’s competition in Austria will join Jon Williams – the 25 year-old South African who will represent the African region – and two more drivers who will shortly be chosen from the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. Adam Gould is to represent the UK, while Keith Cronin will be representing Ireland.