Porsche Trains Motorsport Talents to Become Professional Racing Drivers

Youth development has a high priority at Porsche. Since 1997, the Stuttgart car manufacturer has shaped talented youngsters into professional racing drivers. All 19 candidates who have received support as Porsche juniors in the company’s one-make race series have succeeded in joining the ranks of the professionals. Since 2015, interested young drivers can apply for the youth development programme online at www.porsche.com/juniorprogramme. This year’s ap-plications have already opened.

Potential candidates must be born between 01.01.1995 and 28.02.1999 and must prove their participation in a touring car and/or single-seater series. Moreover, aspirants must not have contested a full season, and this year not have contested more than three races, in a Porsche Carrera Cup, a Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge or in a higher level GT series.

Young drivers who are successful in the application procedure will participate in a two-stage selection process. After intensive fitness and endurance tests is an active driving component. Finalists get the chance to demonstrate their driving skill at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The best candidate signs a contract as a Porsche Junior and will contest the Porsche Car-rera Cup Deutschland.

The chosen juniors receive 150,000 Euros in funding and are given assistance similar to the Porsche factory pilots. Fitness tests, comprehensive media training and sponsor obligations prepare the junior pilots for a professional career. A junior coach is on hand as a mentor to the talented youngsters.

Internationally successful pilots such as Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Patrick Long, Michael Chris-tensen and Earl Bamber have all taken part in this challenging youth development programme and are now Porsche works drivers.