Several professional racing and rally drivers are performing active roles in helping the next generation at the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia.
Esteban Guerrieri, a Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title contender, is on duty at Circuit Ricardo Tormo as coach to Formula 4 driver Genaro ‘Gino’ Trappa, who is part of the Automóvil Club Argentino’s FIA Motorsport Games delegation.
The 39-year-old from Buenos Aires, who finished runner-up in the 2019 WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup, explained how he’s helping his younger compatriot achieve success on track in Formula 4.
“Coaching is about how to support the driver to achieve the result they have put as their target,” Guerrieri said. “If you just put a big goal as a wish but don’t work through it they won’t achieve their goal because, as young kids, they don’t have the tools yet as they have not learned the tools yet. It’s my job to give the tools to the drivers to extract their maximum potential.
“The most important work for coaching and the learning process is outside of the racing weekend. The deep process you do by changing your habits, getting your daily basics in order so you prove yourself every day, every moment in every action you do, so when you arrive at the track you are ready. But you are not ready because you speak to your coach one hour before in the hotel. You are ready because you did all the little steps to get ready for that.
“I love racing and competing myself and through the process of competing I have learned so much and tried to extract and take so many tools from life, from connecting with people, from nurturing myself to become the best driver possible. That’s why I’m so grateful for motor sport because through motor sport I have become a better person.
“My work is not just with Argentinian drivers, but to work with Gino at the FIA Motorsport Games makes me proud and I hope he can raise the Argentinian flag as high as possible.”
Trappa, 16, said: “Esteban has given me lots of advice, not just the technical parts of driving but with the preparation for the races. He’s very competitive and very successful and I’m very proud he’s Argentinian.”
Frenchman Nicolas Bernardi, a former factory driver in the FIA World Rally Championship, is attending the FIA Motorsport Games as part of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation’s driver development team.
“The objective overall is to inspire more young Qataris to get into motor sport, and then compete for strong results, first in regional championships such as in the Middle East before targeting FIA world championships,” Bernardi (below) said. “For that purpose, the FIA Motorsport Games is an event that offers a great international exposure but also a nice networking opportunity. It’s also a nice chance for our competitors to compete against the best drivers from 81 other countries.
“I started to work as a driver coach since 2009, and since then I’ve learnt a lot on how to work with them, on how to share my experience and knowledge. It’s been 15 years now that I’m doing this, and being myself a former driver, I also know how a driver thinks and works. I try to help them both on the pure speed and driving skills side and the approach and professionalism you need to have in such a competitive environment. Beyond that, I’ve also developed a series of training to enhance focus and fitness.”
Jan Magnussen, who raced in Formula 1 and has four class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his name, is accompanying his son Luca, one of the Danish Automobile Sports Union’s representatives in Karting Sprint Senior at the FIA Motorsport Games.
Magnussen Sr (below) has served as the driver representative on the DASU’s talent and elite commission in the past. He’s been impressed by what he’s observed during his first visit to an FIA Motorsport Games.
“There’s a fantastic atmosphere and I would have loved the chance to have represented Denmark in GT or Touring Car but maybe it could happen in the future,” said the 51-year-old. “The role I had with the DASU was for three years and then it goes to another driver and it’s currently [FIA World Endurance Championship Porsche works driver] Michael Christensen doing that job. Even if we are a small ASN there’s a lot of good things that come out of it because there a lot of guys with a lot of heart that really want to help bring forward the next generation.”
Source : Fia
