Mercedes-Benz has announced the winners of its first ever ‘Young Star Driver’ program at a shootout which concluded at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. Nirajan Todkari from Aurangabad outraced the competition to emerge in top spot, while Diljith TS from Thrissur and Mezaan Anees from Bangalore finshed second and third respectively.
The winner will get an opportunity to intern with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team during the Indian GP race weekend and also undergo basic, advanced and pro level training with the AMG Driving Academy in India and Germany.
The first runner-up will undergo the AMG Driving Academy basic and advanced courses in India while the second runner-up will get the academy’s basic course training in India.
Earlier in the year, the German marque had invited aspiring racing drivers aged 15-25 years to submit their applications online, which attracted over 3200 aspirants from across the country.
After the initial screening, 12 finalists got a chance to get behind the wheel of the Mercedes E63 AMG for timed laps around the F1 venue, with three quickest drivers making it to the podium.
Eberhard Kern, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “Motorsports has been the DNA of brand Mercedes-Benz and we are proud of our long and successful association with different forms of motorsports across the globe and our unsurpassable racetrack achievements.
“It was Mercedes-Benz vision to identify and nurture motorsports talents in India and ‘Mercedes-Benz Young Star Driver’ programme is yet another pioneering effort in realizing that vision”, he added.
Unnatee Gidithuri
Stephen Raj Antony
Saptarshi Mondal
