Following the announcement of the 14 members of the Young Drivers Program and the 20 participants in the GT3 Junior Program, Lamborghini Squadra Corse started the first training session of the season last June. And for the drivers selected by the Lamborghini Motorsport department for the year 2016, it is time to get serious.
The young talents participating in the two programs, Young Drivers Program for drivers racing in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, GT3 Junior Program for those taking part in the international GT competitions, have the opportunity to follow a growth path to become motorsport professionals through activities and targeted sessions.
For Lamborghini Squadra Corse, talent and speed are not the only necessary requirements to become “Pro” drivers. There are other qualities required and that is why the programs of Lamborghini’s motorsport department are specifically structured to give young drivers all the necessary tools to improve and develop their own talents.
Athletic preparation
For the 2016 season, Lamborghini Squadra Corse will partner with Technogym. The world leading company in the wellness field has prepared a specific program for Lamborghini drivers and has hosted them in its village in Cesena. Technogym trainers and specialists have followed the athletes step by step: from body composition measurement to complete check-ups by sports doctors, from physical tests aimed at evaluating the physical condition of the drivers, to specific activities for the most suitable preparation such as endurance, strength and kinesiological tests; without forgetting, of course, nutritional concepts, which underlie physical activity and wellness in general. The drivers will find their programs in My Wellness Cloud platform of Technogym, which will be used to display and record exercises and monitor improvements.
This assessment enabled provided an understanding of the Lamborghini drivers’ state of readiness, with a training path planned for them including goals to achieve during the season. A good physical preparation is one of the essential requirements on track: drivers have to maintain maximum clarity of mind under stress and learn how to keep the same high level of performance for long periods of time, especially during endurance races.
Track tests
The second part of the program saw the drivers of the two “talent programs” hit the track at the Autodromo di Imola, with two parallel work sessions divided according to the program: Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo for the Young Drivers Program and Huracán GT3 for the GT3 Junior Program. One of the particular aspects of Lamborghini’s youth programs is to give drivers the opportunity to participate in the two racing cars’ development tests, working with the official staff of the Motorsport department.
Each program is led by a coach, who is a Lamborghini “factory” driver, with the purpose of teaching young drivers to work in a team; how to relate to team members; and, not least, to assess their sensitivity and ability to adapt to the car during the testing phase.
After lap sessions, ample space is devoted to the analysis of telemetry data with specialised engineers, a useful tool to understand the car and driver’s progress.
During the days of track tests, the Lamborghini coaches are able to perceive the drivers’ ability to transfer their impressions to technicians, their attitude to relate to team members and to assess their ability and speed in adapting to the different solutions implemented on cars.
Brand and communication values
The third part of the program includes a theoretical training session: an immersion in the Lamborghini brand values augmented with behavioural and communication concepts. The principles of Lamborghini are conveyed to young drivers, as an official driver becomes an ambassador of the brand. Moreover, drivers must be prepared on the product and know, for example, the main differences between the Huracán road version and its racing derivatives, Super Trofeo and GT3. Not least, the importance of communication is explored, whether it be how to deal with the media during an interview, how to use social networks properly or how to relate to customers while working as an Accademia instructor.
