AUTO SPORT ACADEMY

04/12 - Prize giving ceremony at the Academy

On 25th November, Auto Sport Academy and its partners rewarded their trainee drivers, mechanics and instructors. Put face to various media, Benjamin Bailly, Yann Zimmer and William Vermont, the first three of the 2009 Formul'Academy Euro Series, received cups and grant cheques in order to make access to a superior discipline easier for them.

Yann Zimmer and Franck Matelli double their gain
Franck Matelli was also rewarded with a 50.000 Euros grant, designated as being the driver to have done the best progress in the Championship since his very first tests during winter training and continuing his progress until the last race of the season on the circuit of Motorland Aragon in Alcaniz in Spain that resulted with a victory.

Being the winner of the Regional Commitees of Motorsport Challenge, the Bretagne Pays de la Loire Committee was able to offer to its driver, Yann Zimmer, a test in a single-seater of superior category. This is why the ACO-Auto Hebdo Steering Wheel Trophy holder will be passing a complete day onboard a Formula Renault of Auto Sport Academy put at their disposal by Renault Sport Technologies.

The speech of the President, Nicolas Deschaux
President of the French Federation of Motorsport (FFSA), Nicolas Deschaux was accompanied by Dominique Lunel, Delegate President of the FFSA for Auto Sport Academy. Both wished to kindly thank the loyal partners of the training centre for their presence, also thank for the presence of the Regional Committees and mostly thank the presence of its trainees and their families as well as many other personalities in motorsport.

It was reminded that the Academy will be celebrating its 17th year of existence this year with 345 graduated instructors since 2005, 353 mechanics trained and over 500 drivers having done their scholarship there.

Nicolas Deschaux also reminded that Auto Sport Academy represents the FFSA platform of excellence, going from the 10-15 Programs (training and accompaniment program of young kart men towards the highest level) to the French Go-Kart Team and Circuit.

In 2010, Auto Sport Academy will be preparing to the « State Diploma JEPS Sportive Improvement », certificate of vocational competency, specialist subject « Motorsport », a diploma that is the logical continuation of competence, after the “BP JEPS”. This allows further sessions of training in competition, mention Circuit, Go-Kart, Rally and off-road.

"2009 will have been a « transitional » year, a period of adaptation and of questioning, which made us want to be more creative and more innovative. A new sportive positioning has been decided and Renault Sport has wished to accompany us in this adventure. This is how a brand new International Series is born and the “Formul'Academy Euro Series" now becomes the "F4 Eurocup 1.6", one of the major four disciplines of the World Series by Renault. This strategic orientation is maybe the most significant for Auto Sport Academy since its creation. The World Series by Renault are a major event in Europe, in terms of attendance, just after Formula 1 with over 100 000 spectators cumulated by meeting (figure in 2009). This new positioning will bring a supplement of essential notoriety to the Academy.” declared Nicolas Deschaux.

Comments of Rémi Deconinck
Discoverer of young talents, the diamond-shaped brand got involved from the creation of this car-racing school by motorizing its single-seaters. As explains Rémi Deconinck, Chief Executive Officer of Renault Sport Technologies, "We have been very close to Auto Sport Academy for several years and to join the competition which it organizes is neither a correction, nor an outcome, but a logical result! When leaving go-kart, a driver will be able to join the World Series by Renault right from the beginning and take advantage of this step towards a higher level in single-seater racing. Together with the FFSA, Renault Sport becomes the only manufacturer to propose a complete pyramid of disciplines preparing for the access to Formula 1".

A strengthened marketing approach
Besides, the Federal training center has decided to open its doors to companies who not only wish to benefit of the installations but also of Auto Sport Academy’s skills with the creation of a partner’s club. This will make accessible, the inaccessible, in particular throughout meetings with former drivers of the Academy having become professional. By proposing "incentive" days where companies can benefit from the same advice and the same supervision as the famous drivers of the Academy, they will be able to make their debuts in single-seater and discover this very special school.

Graduation ceremony
Before, at any beginning of the afternoon, the trainee drivers of Auto Sport Academy had received their diplomas from the hands of Morgan Caron, National Technical Director. The latter also handed the “Brevet Professionnel JEPS” to the instructors with 54 diplomas delivered – out of 63 prepared – in all certifications. The Lycée Le Mans Sud had the pleasure in seeing its trainee mechanics leave with their diplomas in hand, handed over by Mrs Méau, Head Master of the Lycée Le Mans Sud, accompanied by Mr. Breteau, Supervising Coordinator, and Mrs Gilsoul, Vice Head Master.

The documentary in preview
During the morning, the mechanics were able to discover in preview the documentary which was dedicated to them: "The mechanics of victory". The projection took place in the premises of the “Institut Automobile du Mans” thanks to the kind authorization of Comic Strip Production and France 3 Ouest, co-producers of this documentary of 52 minutes on the mechanics of Auto Sport Academy.

This documentary is a part of a collection of 8 documentaries entitled "At the school of talent". This collection will allow us to discover the backstage of the National Superior Dance School of Marseille, the National School of Civil Aviation of Toulouse, the College of Dramatic Art of the National Theatre of Strasbourg, etc. and Auto Sport Academy.

The documentary will be broadcasted on France 3 Ouest current 2010 and could be broadcasted on other France 3 regional channels afterwards.

The guideline of these documentaries is to follow outstanding characters who decided to dedicate their life to a passion, to reveal this delicate passage between training and the entry into active life of the trainees, together with an original portrait of the trainings themselves.

A positive assessment
Earlier in the morning, the drivers and their parents were invited to a debriefing in order to draw up an assessment of the season. Globally, the return was positive even if the drivers would have liked to have gone beyond the apprenticeship of driving and asked Auto Sport Academy’s staff to study the possibility of proposing several days of training devoted to the setting of a single-seater.

The Formula Renault 1.6 impresses
The single-seater of Auto Sport Academy has reborn and has put on its best colours to celebrate its entry into the World Series by Renault. A touch of yellow underlines its new look and the draughtboard on the bonnet of the motor gives it a beautiful aspect. The least we can say is that this new decoration aroused ecstatic comments.

Ask for the 2010 program!
Integrated in the World Series by Renault, the very new F4 Eurocup 1.6 will be sharing the show with the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (with the launching of the latest Formula Renault 2.0), the Eurocup Mégane Trophy and will also be present on seven European circuits.

Onboard the Formula Renault 1.6, born Formula Academy, the trainee drivers of the FFSA Training Centre will have the chance of evolving on numerous Formula 1 circuits.
 16th – 18th April: Spain / Motorland Aragon
 30th – 2nd May: Belgium / Spa-Francorchamps
 18th – 20th June: France / Magny-Cours
 2nd – 4th July: Hungary / Budapest
 3rd – 5th September: Germany / Hockenheim
 17th – 19th September: Great Britain / Silverstone
 8th – 10th October: Spain / Barcelona
Subject to validation by the FIA

Created in 2005 by Renault Sport Technologies, the World Series by Renault propose a sportive show of high level allied to various animations destined to all families. Bonus, all this is entirely free for all spectators who love motorsport… Over 3 million people have been to the World Series by Renault since its creation!