Richard Mille Young Talent Academy

Press Release

Richard Mille Young Talent Academy

Ever at the crossroads of innovation and passion, with Birel ART Richard Mille is launching a true operation for the detection of young talents while creating a real bridge between karting and cars. This is a great rst in the industry as the free selection days, open to Birel ART drivers from all over the world, will afford the winner a full season in the FIA French F4 Championship.

Since its creation in 2001, the Richard Mille brand has partnered with famous sportsmen like Rafael Nadal (tennis), Bubba Watson (golf), Alexis Pinturault (skiing) as well as racing drivers Alain Prost, Sébastien Ogier, Felipe Massa, Romain Grosjean and Charles Leclerc, among others. ”I am a true sports enthusiast,” says the founder. ”There is an especially strong synergy between the watches we manufacture and motor racing. I am delighted that our company has the opportunity to play an active role in the emergence of young talent alongside Birel ART.”

The Richard Mille Young Talent Academy does not lack for originality. Thanks to the involvement of Birel ART’s worldwide distribution network, the operation will offer twenty or so young kart drivers from around the world the opportunity to try their luck in single-seater cars for free. All that is required to participate is to drive a Birel ART, a Ricciardo Kart or a Kubica in competition and to be selected by an importer.

As the creator of All Road Management and co-owner of Birel ART, Nicolas Todt is delighted with the launch of the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy: ”Firstly, I want to thank Richard Mille for his support. We will have an original and specially adapted formula to strengthen our mission of identifying drivers with signi cant potential. This is fully in line with our overall strategy, and it makes perfect sense for us to be an active partner.”

”We are very pleased to be able to share our partnership with Richard Mille and our proximity to All Road Management with our drivers,” says Ronni Sala, President of Birel ART. ”It seemed to us essential to offer to our drivers a real bridge between karting and single-seaters. We now have the opportunity to do this in a unique way through our entire network within the Birel ART group. While the idea is very simple, it is revolutionary in its implementation.”

This extraordinary operation will begin this very year. At the end of the season, the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy will bring together the candidates at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet. The contenders will spend two days being evaluated on their physical and mental abilities, as well as their driving skills in FIA F4 single-seaters. The panel, composed of specialists, will then designate the winner, who will have the opportunity to launch his driving career by competing in the 2019 FIA French F4 Championship, an exceptional opportunity to take ight toward the summit of motorsport.