Tim Novak among the 12 most promising racers

Author of the article: , published on June 11, 2015.

The FIA ​​Institute Academy starts as a selection, but it’s basically not a competition, as there is no winner in the end. For the fifth year in a row, the FIA ​​is looking for young racers with potential, and at the same time they will be able to be ambassadors of safe driving in normal traffic. Our 12-year-old mechanical engineering student Tim Novak is also among the 20 most promising racers in the world. 

What exactly is the FIA ​​Institute Academy?
This is a campaign of the sports umbrella car organization FIA, which, with the help of national federations, organizes pre-selections and then provides the 12 most promising racers with an education that could be estimated at 50 thousand euros. However, in the end there is no winner as we all get the finalists the same training.

Can you be more specific?
Racers with some experience, aged 17 to 23, can take part in the pre-selection. However, they were not previously allowed to compete in F1, Indycar, GP2 competition or the WRC World Rally Championship. Then you have to prove yourself there; concretely, I won among 120 candidates in Zagreb, where the selection was for southwestern Europe. The winners are provided with both racing and driving training, which takes place in different parts of the world and lasts one year. Of course in English, and even if you know good English, it is good to improve your knowledge of professional vocabulary, otherwise you cannot follow lectures and exercises.

You’ve been to Edinburgh, Scotland, Chamonix, France and Sachsenring, Germany.
It's true. In Scotland, coaches, including former F1 racer Alexander Wurz and former co-world champion Robert Reid, have created a personality profile for the 12 finalists that tells you a lot about themselves. Above all, they teach you to get to know yourself and start adapting to others. There we were taught how to communicate with journalists, we got a fitness program that is tailored to each individual, and the most interesting test for me was in the heat chamber, where we cycled, rowed and did squats. Due to 45 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity, I lost 1,2 kilograms in just one hour, which makes you think. This is what happens in every hot race and therefore fluid replacement as well as proper nutrition is very important.

You said they make you a personality profile. What did you learn about yourself?
They confirmed what I basically already knew: that I was analytical, that I paid a lot of attention to detail, that I didn’t like being in the foreground, as I preferred to edit things in the background. Before I say anything, I think twice. In addition to these qualities, I also have my weak side. Because of my character, I often get too immersed in one thing, so maybe the whole picture escapes me. As for exercise, I was immediately told I needed to work on strength and endurance. That's why I now know how to adapt better, and above all, every day I either train in the gym or cycle or walk in the mountains. Since they have put together an individual program for me, I train one hour to the fullest almost every day.

In Chamonix, you had very interesting exercises that at first glance have nothing to do with racing or driving.
We first had to draw the team logo, with these team leader and sponsor giving only basic instructions. Most of us asked questions and drilled into the team leader, and in the end, the team that knew how to listen to the sponsor won. Then we put together a car, where it was nice to see that some of us study the matter first, while others immediately go to work. Then we climbed and built a needle, where teamwork comes to the fore. If you can’t adjust to the team, you’re left behind. We had one hour for each task, then we spent an hour thinking about what and why we did it, and the third hour you had to think about what you would have done differently to be better in the future. In France, I have just grasped the meaning of these exercises and I have to admit that if you are ‘open’ heads, you can learn a lot about yourself and others.

And in Germany, finally a ride, where they probably couldn’t teach you much, right?
At the safe driving range, we did exercises with cars that have front or rear-wheel drive. Although one would expect us to be in obstacle avoidance exercises, braking, slalom, etc. glittered, it was nice to see that those guys who hadn’t tried this before were, despite the talent, quite confused. I am lucky that the leader of the IK Sport team, Miran Kacin, who is also a safe driving instructor, and I have trained this before. These are not easy exercises, as we not only mention Kam’s circle, but we need to understand it concretely to stay on the track or road and not destroy the tires too quickly. I was among the better ones here, as there was more emphasis on the basics of driving, which are very similar to safe driving training. We must not forget that after graduating from the academy, we will also be FIA ​​ambassadors of safe driving.

How do you feel, are you among the better candidates or in the middle?
I can say I’m in the better half, even though it’s not a competition. We are the winners of all the candidates in this colorful group, because we can work on ourselves - and we use this to our advantage in racing. Interestingly, this year there are only a few of us representatives from the rally (besides me, two more, including Stephane Lefebvre), and most of them are so-called pistols (among the better known are the British Jordan King and the South African Jordan Pepper). The most famous who have ever been to the academy are the rally racers: Andreas Mikkelsen, Kevin Abbring, Craig Breen, Pontus Tidemand, etc.

What has changed for you?
In all areas a little, which in the end is a big difference. I have completed the inventory of speed tests, I am physically much better prepared, I know how to better adapt to the race car or changing conditions, and above all I know how to adapt better to the team. After each race, I am in contact with my coach at the academy, where he processes what is happening in the race. Not only is there full throttle in racing, but you also have to be able to listen to the technique, adapt to it and, last but not least, be able to tell the mechanics what is wrong with the car. Chassis settings in particular are a science, and if you can't tell the mechanics what you want to change, no driving talent in this world can help you. How very important this flexibility is was shown to us by a footage of Fernando Alonso’s ride shown to us by Wurz. We first saw that he took the turn at the Nurburgring with Renault very aggressively, and then he had to start the same turn in the Ferrari very gently, carefully. You can’t believe it like watching another racer!

So winning a race or a championship is the ultimate goal?
Winning is, of course, the ultimate goal, but if anyone thinks that the work is over after the victory, they are boldly mistaken. Even then, you need to study why you won, not just guess when you were defeated. This is the key to future victories.

Did you also invite the head of the FIA ​​Institute Academy, Brian Cameron, to Slovenia?
Yes, we invited him to Slovenia to make personality profiles for the IK Sport team. Above all, cooperation between the driver and co-driver and between the driver and the team leader is important. It was instructive and actually helps as we know how to adapt better to each other.

Austrian Teesdorf and French Paul Richard are also waiting for you. Can't wait?
Of course, because we will upgrade things there and somehow complete our one-year training. I’m going to Austria at the end of July, and to the French Paul Richard racetrack in early September.

Good luck!
Thank you.

Photos: Uroš Modlic

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