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How do you decide which drivers
participate in Eurocup, and which ones in
ALPS?
“We have always based our decisions on
who has the most experience, so that the
Eurocup is reserved for the more expert
drivers, with the exception of Egor
Orudzhev, who will also be taking part in the
European championship this year in order to
get as many kilometres as possible under
his belt. In particular, when a driver comes
to us direct from karting, it ‘s much better to
start them off in a category like ALPS, partly
because it’s slightly less competitive but
also because it allows them to get a lot
more kilometres in during testing on the
Friday before the race. This helps the drivers
to familiarise themselves with the track and
allows them to work on their driving
techniques. Where the two categories
coincide it depends on the where the
opportunities lie, when the races are held on
the same dates, and if the track is able to
accommodate the extra single-seaters.
However, it’s also important to evaluate the
experience of each individual driver. For
example, in Luke Cudleigh’s case we have
decided to wait; it would be too early for
him”.
Talking about Chudleigh, how did his
involvement come about?
“He’s from Canada, where he was in
involved in kart racing to national level. We
met his manager and tried to find the best
solution for him, and as it’s his first year in
single-seater racing we thought it best to
concentrate on ALPS since, as I mentioned
earlier, it’s the ideal competition for those
who need to gain experience”.
How do you evaluate the progression from
ALPS, through Eurocup to F.Renault 3.5?
“It’s a natural progression. Obviously it
depends on the drivers' personal qualities,
and the budget, because the Formula 3.5
cars are a lot more expensive. However the
idea is that they start off in ALPS in order to
learn what it means to be a race driver,
before moving up to a more aggressive
competition. It’s no different to the way
things were organised in the past with the
national and European championships. It’s
normal”.
What developments have you seen in the
drivers coming from parts of the world
where there is no great motorsport
tradition?
“From the point of view of driving skills,
nowadays, a driver from Russia, for
example, will come to us with a professional
mentality, and a good understanding of the
races and the techniques, whereas 10 years
ago he would have been like a young lad
coming to grips out a mystery object. The
present and future of this sport depend on
us introducing more and more new non-
European drivers both as part of the general
