Last Saturday, four clubs and their finalists from 2021 and 2020 competed in Warsaw, Poland for the International Best Young Driver Contest. Simon Seiberl from Austria won the 2021 title and Szymon Pabich from Poland won the 2020 title.

Finalists from two editions competed in the Modlin racetrack on the same day. The 2020 edition was postponed due to the global pandemic and was organized this year instead in parallel with the 2021 edition.

All finalists had to complete five tasks namely assisting a person injured in a road accident, driving in reverse in asymmetrical slalom, driving in an oversteer skid with traffic cones, replacing a flat tyre, and timed driving in asymmetrical slalom on a variable traction surface.

“I am glad that PZM welcomed the safest young drivers from three other European countries. This year we organised this competition in Poland for the fourth time. We can see that every year the interest in the competition and safe driving is growing,” said Michał Sikora, PZM President.

“This is what we want – to spread positive examples to this group of young, often incautious drivers,” he added.

The International Best Young Driver Contest is an initiative to raise awareness on road safety among young drivers and to put forward the message that young drivers can drive responsibly and safely. The contest tests drivers’ skills not only behind the wheel, but real-life circumstances when faced with road accidents or injuries.

“Young people are unfortunately overrepresented in road casualties. That’s why our members give them an opportunity to improve and share their safe driving skills to their friends; the FIA Region I Best Young Driver contest is a great programme to put the spotlight on young national safety champions,” said Laurianne Krid, FIA Region I Director General.

The winners will receive Formula 1 tickets to the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona kindly offered by RACC and a weekend stay for two at the Harnas Hotel in Bukowina Tatrzańska, Poland. Other finalists also received prizes such as hoverboards and GPS devices.

The contest was first introduced nationally by AMZS (Slovenia) in 2017 and was rapidly followed by UAB (Bulgaria) and PZM (Poland) in 2018. Since 2019, the three best drivers of each country are sent to the International Best Young Driver Contest to represent their country.