VW Motorsport India selects 19 new drivers for 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup

Team OD Updated: August 16, 2019, 05:20 PM IST

After an intense driver selection process, Volkswagen Motorsport India has finalised 19 new drivers who will take part in the 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup. The drivers who have made the cut for the upcoming season include two female drivers. The youngest driver selected is a 19-year old from Lucknow, while the only international driver in the championship comes from Bangladesh. All 19 drivers had to go through the selection process that was held at the Indi Karting Track in Pune, with Volkswagen Motorsport India's driver coach, Rayomand Banajee acting as the chief selector for the event.

Several rounds of karting sessions were held to evaluate competitors' racecraft as a part of the selection process for the 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup

The first day of the driver selection process consisted of three karting sessions. This included a slalom course to help participants understand the handling characteristics of a go-kart, the second included cornering drills, which meant the selectors were able to analyse just how much potential the drivers had based on how close they managed to get to the apex before turning. The third session included timed laps, which helped the selectors group drivers who had similar pace together. These lap times were merely to help decide the groups for the next day's selection sessions, but were not the timings considered in the final selection.

The second day of selection included fitness sessions, where competitors were required to run three timed laps of the track, after wish they needed to prove their strength by doing as many push-ups as they could in 60 seconds. This was followed by karting sessions, where the drivers were judged based on their racing lines and driving techniques. Timed laps were then conducted, which rounded off the final score.

Fitness tests were an important part of the selection process for the 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup too

Speaking after the selection process, Sirish Vissa, head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, "We have had a record turn-out in terms of online registrations as well as the ones who came in for the Drivers Selection process. Our programme for selecting the top drivers is one of the most thorough and efficient processes. The participating drivers are judged on a wide range of parameters like physical fitness, driving technique and the ability to follow-up instructions in tough situations."

The format of the Ameo Cup will remain the same in 2018, as it was in the 2017 season as well. This includes a total of 10 races over the course of the season. Drivers will be classified in the Pro and Junior categories, based on the amount of racing experience they have. At the end of the season, the winner of the Ameo Cup Pro class will get a sponsored drive in a higher category of racing, while the winner of the Junior category will be offered a sponsored drive in the next season of the Ameo Cup.

List of the selected 19 new Drivers

Sr.No. Driver Name Age City

1 Akshay P Bhivshet 25 Goa

2 Anikesh Verma 21 Noida

3 Arefeen Raafi Ahmed 27 Bangladesh

4 Aswin Prakash 21 Kerala

5 Anuranjan Velmurugan 21 Chennai

6 Ayush Tainwala 28 Mumbai

7 Bagwan Gowda 21 Bangalore

8 Gagandeep Singh 23 Chhattisgarh

9 Jay Sanghrajka 21 Mumbai

10 Renuka G 29 Bangalore