International Best Young Driver 2022
The final of the FIA International Best Young Driver competition takes place on the 8th of October!
For the first time, IAM RoadSmart was nominated to select the team that would represent the UK at this prestigious event. We offered the opportunity to our young members, two of whom will be competing in the final at CIRCUITO DEL JARAMA near Madrid, pitting their skills against teams from all over Europe.
Selecting our UK finalists
The UK final took place on 13 August, at the Williams F1 race team headquarters, in their E-Sports suite. Our finalists had to demonstrate calm, confident, and safe driving on the state-of-the-art driving simulators in a competitive environment. The racing wasn’t just about speed: drivers were also judged on safety, with penalties for collisions.
As part of the application and judging process, candidates were asked to supply a ‘driving CV’ submitting clear reasons why they were suitable, and also to pass rigorous Highway Code and motoring knowledge tests, enabling our panel to select our top all-round young drivers to represent the UK.
Meet The Team
We’re proud to announce Alice Kettlewell and Izaak Southwood as our Best Young Driver finalists! Both are active IAM RoadSmart members, and both demonstrated a great combination of driving skills, safety, knowledge, and a passion for motoring.
Alice has been involved in driving from a young age. Since joining the Under 17 Car Club from age 11, she has already been tested on manoeuvring skills, off-roading, skid pan, first aid and rally driving before taking part in this competition.
“I was so impressed with the Williams centre. I have never been in a simulator before…it really challenged my driving skills, but it is great to see the team from IAM RoadSmart exploring road safety in this way through e-sports. I think this would be helpful for drivers of all levels and would be a great introduction to driving.”
Izaak is a test driver who works in marketing for a hydrogen car company. He also has advanced driver experience through his role as a special constable with West Mercia Police, and he runs a YouTube channel about driving skills, road safety and car maintenance.
“I’m so pleased I joined IAM RoadSmart and was able to take part in this experience. I became a member after being involved in a collision with a sleeping driver in 2020…through the training and experience of being a member of IAM RoadSmart, I have been able to rekindle my love of driving.”
Join us in wishing Alice and Izaak the best of luck in the Best Young Driver 2022 final in Madrid! Keep an eye on our social channels for updates on the event.
