Promoting talent is at the heart of Bentley Motors and this is no different in the motorsport department. The Bentley Motorsport Academy, developed in partnership with Team Parker Racing, creates a path to success for talented young racing drivers who are given the opportunities, training and development needed to compete on the global stage. For 2020, Bentley will choose three aspiring drivers from an original pool of 8 contenders.
The initiative will run from January to October 2020, with the three successful drivers being selected after final tests at Portimao in Portugal in December 2019.
Programme Details
The year-long programme comprises both on and off-track content, including a season of competition in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. As well as racing a Continental GT3 with customer outfit Bentley Team Parker Racing, the three recruits receive:
• Fitness training
• Media and brand ambassador training
• Simulator coaching
• Practical and theoretical engineering courses
• Mentoring from a Bentley works team racing driver
As well as the five-race GT Europe Endurance series races, Academy members will also take part in shakedown testing of Bentley’s Continental GT3 race cars and will attend official tests at Paul Ricard in France, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Monza in Italy, Silverstone in the UK and Nürburgring in Germany.
Fitness training
A high level of fitness is essential for racing drivers who wish to compete in endurance racing. With stint times lasting up to two hours, often in extreme heat, our drivers’ bodies and minds must be able to perform at their peak for long periods of time without a drop in performance.
Media and brand ambassador training
At Bentley, we are passionate about celebrating people and creating collaborations, and, when we partner with a racing driver, we expect them to represent the brand to the highest standard. Our world-leading PR team provides all of the training required to take our young drivers to the next level.
Simulator training
Bentley Motorsport works with the leading race simulator companies to provide coaching for its young drivers. Each recruit on the Bentley Motorsport Academy has access to the same state of the art facilities that our works team racing drivers use to prepare for the top motorsport events.
Practical and theoretical engineering courses
With more than 100 years of engineering excellence, Bentley Motors is able to provide our academics with a thorough understanding of the Continental GT3 they will race on the world’s top race tracks.
Mentoring
Working together makes us stronger, so we partner our Bentley Motorsport Academy drivers with our works team professional racers so they can benefit from their wealth of knowledge and experience.
To follow the progress of the Bentley Motorsport Academy drivers, follow Bentley Motorsport on Twitter using @BentleyRacing and on Instagram using @BentleyRacingOfficial.
To express your interest in the Bentley Motorsport Academy, please contact motorsportportal@bentley.co.uk.