Press Release

02/02/2010 

The Pirelli Star Driver programme is set for its second season in the FIA World Rally Championship, with five talented young rally drivers ready to compete in another six events this year. The Pirelli Star Drivers were selected during 2009 from the four FIA Regional Rally Championships in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, offering young drivers from across the world an equal opportunity to make it to the top of the sport.

FIA President Jean Todt said:

“The Pirelli Star Driver programme offers an invaluable stepping stone for drivers to move from regional championships to world-level competition. The FIA will continue to promote and support initiatives that target grass roots development and especially those that provide clear pathways for young talent to progress to World Championship competition.”

FIA World Rally Championship Commission President Morrie Chandler said:

“The Pirelli Star Driver programme continues to be received with great enthusiasm throughout the WRC and the FIA regions and we have another exciting period ahead of us. We learnt a great deal during the first year of the programme and we will apply these lessons to ensure even greater success this season.”

The drivers

Ott Tänak (22, Estonia)
Tänak is recognised as one of the sport’s most exciting prospects for the future – he is already receiving career guidance and mentoring from five-time World Rally winner, fellow countryman Markko Märtin. Tänak won the 2008 and 2009 Estonian Rally Championships.

Alex Raschi (22, San Marino)
Raschi - considered to be one of the fastest young drivers in Italy - started rallying in 2005 and last year enjoyed his most successful Italian Rally Championship campaign by winning the trophy reserved for the R3 class.

Hayden Paddon (22, New Zealand)
After securing the New Zealand Junior Rally Championship title in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Paddon has claimed many more accolades, including the FIA Pacific Cup, and 2008 and 2009 New Zealand Rally Championship titles.

Peter Horsey (26, Kenya)
Horsey, son of former African Rally Champion David Horsey, started his career as a co-driver in 2001 before getting behind the wheel a season later. One of his biggest achievements to date has been finishing as the highest placed two-wheel drive competitor in the Kenyan National Championship – a series which includes the fearsome Safari Rally.

Nicholai Georgiou (26, Lebanon)
Georgiou has been competing in rallying for just over three years. Competing in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, he finished seventh in his debut year in 2007, equal third in 2008 and sixth in the 2009 standings.

The year ahead

The WRC events have been carefully selected by the FIA and Pirelli to offer a blend of challenges. At the end of these six rallies, the five Pirelli Star Drivers will have an exceptional insight into what it takes to make it to the top of the sport. In between those rallies, there will be driver development and training programmes as well as promotional activities undertaken for both the FIA and Pirelli.

The Pirelli Star Driver World Rally Championship events:

Rally of Turkey (15-18 April)
Rally de Portugal (27-30 May)
Rally Finland (29-31 July)
ADAC Rally Deutschland (19-22 August)
Rallye de France (1-3 October)
Rally of Great Britain (11-14 November)

Their first engagement (14-21 March)

The Pirelli Star Drivers start their year-long campaign with a training programme in Edinburgh, Scotland. The programme, based at Edinburgh University and  managed by 2001 World Rally Champion co-driver Robert Reid, encompasses physical fitness, nutrition, media relations, career management and the commercial side of the sport. After this, the crews will travel to Italy where they will firstly receive technical training on the care and preparation of the car to assist their understanding, following which they will begin testing the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs they will drive on six rounds of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship.

The car

The five drivers will drive identical Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs for the six rallies. This Group N car is a state-of-the-art turbocharged, four-wheel-drive rally car built and maintained by Ralliart Italia. The crews will also be competing against the world’s best drivers in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship.