The first edition of the European Best Young Driver Contest was held from 10 to 12 October in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

20 Best Young Driver finalists from the FIA Region I network participated in the international final after qualifying in national rounds in their home country.

Ángel Cámara from RACE Spain won first place, followed by Piotr Matysik who came in second place and Bartosz Kondraciuk in third, both from PZM Poland. The champion of the contest will receive two F1 Grand Prix tickets in Europe, in the upcoming 2026 season, as the main prize.

The contest gathers young drivers aged 18 to 26 to highlight their excellent driving skills and knowledge. Some of the exercises included timed driving in slalom, driving off-road and evasive braking exercises, as well as demonstrating knowledge in traffic rules.

“The Best Young Driver contest is a powerful way to engage young people, showing that driving skills, knowledge, and responsibility go hand in hand. By highlighting safe driving practices, the event not only celebrates talent but also helps build a generation of safer, more responsible drivers across Europe”, stated Diogo Pinto, FIA Region I Acting Director General.

The International Best Young Driver Contest originated from AMZS Slovenia in 2017 and has proven to be a successful opportunity to connect with younger audiences.

The goal of the contest is to encourage smarter driving skills among young people, who are often overrepresented in road casualties. The contest serves as an opportunity to showcase that young people can drive safely and responsibly.

This year’s contest was kindly hosted by BIHAMK, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Automobile Club, and is supported by the FIA Safe and Sustainable Mobility Programme and the FIA Foundation.