Performances on and off the track at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit this week could help carve out an exciting future in motor sport for one of 15 young drivers assembled from around the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
Over the next three days, the candidates for a place in next year's FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy face a thorough examination not only of their driving skills, but also of their ability to handle the physical and psychological demands of professional motor sport.
"Any young driver aiming go get to the top must be highly disciplined and committed in many ways, and we're going to find out this week who has what it takes,” said Mohammed bin Sulayem President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the U.A.E..
The Academy has driven a number of its graduates to high places, with Andreas Mikkelsen, Pontus Tidemand and Craig Breen emerging in the World Rally Championship, and Alexander Rossi, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Robin Frijns becoming Formula One reserve drivers.
The ATCUAE is staging one of the six regional qualifiers worldwide that will deliver 10 drivers into the fully funded 2015 Academy programme, which develops young talent and promotes safety in motor sport.
Among those battling to win the one Academy place available in Abu Dhabi this week are the U.A.E.'s Mansour Al Helei, Kuwait's Ali Makhseed, Oman's Anas Al Raeesi, Jordan's Nabeeh Muammar, Lebanon's Patrick Njeim and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah El Khereiji.
They were joined at an official reception in Abu Dhabi on Sunday by the nine other regional candidates, Panikos Polykarpou (Cyprus), Ahmed Sherif (Egypt), Seyedmahyar Mirmoradi (Iran), Petr Borodin (Kazakhstan), Ismail Hassine Tadlaoui (Morocco), Suleiman Abdelmunim Suleiman (Sudan), Ahmad Krizan (Syria), Bardo Ben Abdallah Sofien (Tunisia) and Shalva Tsikhelashvili (Georgia).
Serious business begins today morning with the first in a series of driving exercises, followed by off track sessions on career management and physiological and psychological testing.

Source: Khaleej Times -