Volkswagen Motorsport India organised the pre-season tests for the drivers of its 2013 Polo R Cup at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), Greater Noida on May 13 this month. Out of 21 drivers, 19 drivers participated in the first activity of the season. Interestingly, 13 out of 19 racers were the first time drivers of the Volkswagen Polo TSI powered race car. Driver Coach Rayomand Banajee and Chief Race Engineer Ranjit Panmetsa supervised the pre-testing of drivers.
The pre-season test included following Rayomand Banajee for first 10 guided laps in session 1 and next 10 laps without any guidance. Following the first briefing and debriefing sessions, drivers again headed out for 10 more laps during session 2. The guest drivers of Polo R Cup Round 6 of 2012 season, Jeffrey Kruger from South Africa, was the one to report fastest lap time at 2 minutes and 30.7 seconds.
Prithviraj Siddappa, Head, Volkswagen Motorsport India, said, “At Volkswagen Motorsport, we always believe in giving our drivers maximum exposure and training. Through the pre-season test them to understand their strengths and identify the areas they need to work upon to get faster. It is good to see that the drivers have improved from the first session and done better lap times in the second. This only shows how willing the drivers are to apply all the knowledge they gain from their driver coach.”
Earlier, from May 11 to 12, 2013 all drivers participated in the pre-season fitness camp held at the Jaypee Greens Sports Complex. This event encompassed several mental and physical fitness activities that are required to cope with the rigorous demands of the sport. Designed by the professional trainers of ABS Fitness and Wellness Club, the fitness camp included Mix Martial Arts, Suspension Training, Training, Cardio Exercises and sports like Football and Water Polo. Drivers are also required to undergo yoga training and meditation sessions for a better focus and concentration level while driving. They were also required to undergo medical checkups for gauging their fitness level and detect areas that demand attention.
Commenting on the fitness camp, Siddappa said, “This is our fourth season of Polo R Cup and as per our international motorsport standards, and we conducted this Drivers’ Camp to help them prepare for the race season ahead. Activities in this camp were designed keeping in the mind that racing, as a sport, can be very strenuous on the body and requires high levels of concentration.”
