Lamborghini Announces Young Driver Programs

Lamborghini Squadra Corse announced Thursday three programs dedicated to young drivers for the 2015 season.

The manufacturer retains the Squadra Corse Young Driver Program, which provides drivers under 26 in a Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series a chance to participate in further Lamborghini Squadra Corse test sessions.

Additionally, Lamborghini has launched a new GT3 Junior Program, which will allow drivers who step up from the young driver program an opportunity to test and develop, and perhaps later race, the Lamborghini Huracán GT3.

Lamborghini has also announced Formula Junior Program, with the aim of supporting selected teams to scout the best talents in single-seater categories.

“Following the success of the 2014 Young Drivers Program that allowed us to select four drivers who this year are racing the two Huracán GT3s in the Blancpain Endurance Series, we decided to further invest in young talents,” said Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini Head of Motorsport.

“We thus created a GT3 Program for those more experienced drivers, and one in support of up and coming drivers in single-seater categories. Last but not least we offer these drivers a professional experience as instructors in Lamborghini Accademia and Esperienza driving courses.”

The Young Drivers Program includes Alberto Di Folco, Edoardo Liberati, Patric Niederhauser, Patrick Kujala, Roman Mavlanov, Shinya Michimi, Oliver Rae and Jake Rattenbury. Those eight drivers range from age 18 (Kujala) to 24 (Rae).

The GT3 Junior Program features Andrea Amici, Giacomo Barri, Alberto Cerqui, Daniel Zampieri, Kei Cozzolino, Corey Lewis, Florian Spengler, Gerhard Tweraser, Milos Pavlovic and Edoardo Piscopo. Lewis is the youngest in that group at 20, while Cozzolino is the oldest at 27.

The brand new Formula Junior Program starts this year, with an overview by Vincenzo Sospiri Racing. The team is involved in this year’s Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe, and in the Japanese F4 Championship where it lines up with Takuro Shinohara and Brazilian Nicolas Costa.

This is a program that has its roots in single-seater racing but is designed to progress the most talented young drivers up to GT racing, under the Squadra Corse banner. Seven double rounds of the Japanese F4 Championship will run during the prestigious Japanese Super GT weekends.

The official test sessions where the Young Drivers Program and GT3 Junior Program drivers are set for June 9-10 and October 8-9 in Vallelunga (Italy).