Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade will test a Formula F3 car at the Ferrari Driver Academy in the second week of May as part of his prize for winning the Formula Pilota Asian Championship last year. The Academy is an initiative aimed to develop young talent from the motor sport arenas worldwide with the aim of training them for a future in Formula One.
The programme is under the guidance of Luca Baldisserri — the race engineer to Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, Eddie Irvine and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
Ghorpade was excited at the prospect of heading to the Ferrari Driver Academy. “I am really looking forward to testing the F3 car at the academy. It is an honour for me to be present at the academy,” said Ghorpade.
“The FDA not only helps in training the drivers, but also looks at the physical and mental preparation. It will give me a better understanding of how a big team works and what is required to be successful in racing.”
Ghorpade, who is currently participating in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS championship, will have a tight month ahead of him as he continues to test and race with BVM Racing. He will head to Italy for a two-day test in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS car before heading to Fiorano to the Ferrari Driver Academy. The second round of the ALPS Championship will be held at Imola, Italy on May 12.
“The two day test will be very important to get a better understanding of the car and prepare us for the race in Imola. Imola is a circuit with so much history and one which looks very challenging to drive on. We should be in better shape for Imola so looking forward to racing there,” the 19-year-old, who is a five-time national karting champion.