Parth Ghorpade heads to Ferrari Driver Academy

Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade will be testing a Formula 3 car at the Ferrari Driver Academy at Fiorano in Italy on May 7, 2013. It will be the first time an Indian face enters the Italian auto-giant’s driver academy for a complete assessment of his driving potential, mental and physical abilities to sustain in this sport.

The most important attribute to this test is that the programme is run by Luca Baldisserri who has previously been a race engineer to Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, Eddie Irvine and most importantly to 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. On the current Formula 1 grid, drivers like Sergio Perez and Jules Bianchi have been supported by the academy since the initial stages of their racing career. Parth gets this opportunity as a prize for winning the Asian title in the 2013 Formula Pilota Championship.

Looking forward to the FDA test, the 19-year-old said, “Ferrari is a name that goes hand in hand with Motorsport and it is an honour for me to be present at the Academy. The FDA not only helps in training the drivers, but looks at the physical and mental preparation as well. It will also give me a better understanding of how a big team works and what is required to be successful in racing.”

Race engineer Luca Baldisserri was introduced to Parth by his team BVM Racing at one of the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS rounds in Italy. The silver-eyed racer has cut it into the top 10 of the grid in terms of pace in the first two rounds of the series itself. May turns out to be a busy month for the Kolhapur lad as the race weekend from May 10-12, 2013, follows immediately after he finishes his FDA test. The next Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS round will be held at the legendary Imola circuit in Italy.