FFSA Academy

(Redirected from La Filiere)

The FFSA Academy (formerly known as La Filière, Volant Elf and Auto Sport Academy) was created in 1993 by Elf Aquitaine to promote French drivers at the highest level, in line with its marketing approach and its commitment to Renault in F1. It is located at: Technoparc des 24 Heures, Chemin aux Boeufs, 72100 Le Mans, France.

A Courage-Porsche Le Mans Prototype campaigned by La Filière in 1997, with Henri Pescarolo

History

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A variety of driving schools and motorsport talent searches operated across France throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and were all eventually merged to create the Auto Sport Academy in 1993. It was taken over in April 2001 by the FFSA (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile), becoming one of its subsidiaries.

Its main objective is to train young drivers and promote the best to give them access to a professional career; 40 to 50 drivers are trained every year in its two main disciplines, competition karting (Formula Kart) and single-seater racing (Formula Campus Renault Elf).

Its unique feature is that its concept includes the only motorsport "Pole Espoirs" (promising young drivers' section) in the world.

In effect, until its creation, budding drivers thought that they had to systematically choose between studies and motorsport. The Academy puts the situation in another light: in view of the few successful candidates in motorsport, it offers potential drivers the option of testing their sporting talents while continuing their studies.

It also provides free training for would be mechanics, in partnership with the State Education system. 87% of trainee mechanics work in the world of competition on completion of their training.

Since 2005, the Academy offers a new training center dedicated to the profession of instructor, with official recognition by a "Brevet Professionnel" (certificate of vocational competency).

Former graduates include Sébastien Bourdais, Franck Montagny, Stéphane Sarrazin, Narain Karthikeyan, Pierre Gasly, Anthoine Hubert, Jules Bianchi, Theo Pourchaire, and Ryo Fukuda.

It was renamed Auto Sport Academy in 2007, and then FFSA Academy in 2016.[1]

Current drivers

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French F4 Championship

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The Academy currently governs the French F4 Championship and supports their drivers.[2] They are:

Driver
  Augustin Bernier
  Édouard Borgna
  Enzo Caldaras
  Jules Caranta
  Rayan Caretti
  Arjun Chheda
  Arthur Dorison
  Gabriel Doyle-Parfait
  Dylan Estre
  Taito Kato
  Chester Kieffer
  Tom Le Brech
  Jason Leung
  Roméo Leurs
  Montego Maassen
  Leonardo Megna
  Alexandre Munoz
  Alex O'Grady
  Mathilda Paatz
  Frank Porte Ruiz
  Paul Roques
  Jules Roussel
  Louis Schlesser
  Karel Schulz
  Yani Stevenheydens
  Pacôme Weisenburger

Other

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Other drivers supported by the FFSA currently are:

Driver Years Current series Titles achieved as FFSA member
  Evan Giltaire 2024– Formula Regional European Championship None
  Alessandro Giusti 2023– Formula Regional European Championship None
  Isack Hadjar 2019– FIA Formula 2 Championship None
  Victor Martins 2016– FIA Formula 2 Championship Formula Renault Eurocup
FIA Formula 3 Championship
  Théophile Naël 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship
None
  Enzo Peugeot 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship
None

References

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  1. ^ "Historique – FFSA Academy". FFSA Academy (in French). Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ "New - French F4 Championship". Auto Sport Academy. 14 October 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
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