VW partners with Squadra Corse to nurture racing talent

Volkswagen Motorsport has announced a partnership with Squadra Corse to make motorsport more accessible to all young South Africans.

With a proud 40-year history that has seen the “people's car” investing in racing drivers such as Sarel van der Merwe, Tschops Siphuka, the late Gugu Zulu and recently the likes of Keagan Masters and Jonathan Mogotsi, Volkswagen Motorsport head Mike Rouw says the new partnership is an opportunity to fast-track black and young drivers into the pursuit.

“As successful as our Driver Search Programme was, Volkswagen Motorsport realised that it needed to recruit more young drivers into the field of motorsport. The Driver Search Programme could only offer a driving opportunity to one driver per year and we wanted to expand this.

“This is how the relationship with Squadra Corse came about, by pooling Squadra Corse's driver database, the Volkswagen Motorsport Academy and Volkswagen's vehicles,” Rowe said.

Squadra Corse, which was established in 2012 by team principal Mpho Elijah Gumbi, has a vision of achieving success within motorsport by growing the sport to include, but not limited to, young black drivers.

The partnership between Volkswagen Motorsport and Squadra Corse will see Volkswagen Motorsport making two of its Polo GTI racing cars available to the racing team to facilitate the progress of their drivers from karting to national circuit racing and, in particular, in the very competitive Oettinger Polo Cup.

In addition, Volkswagen Motorsport will provide Squadra Corse with funding which will help to keep the team sustainable.

The Squadra Corse model starts drivers off on the karting circuit. The organisation has children as young as five years old competing in the karting division and the age groups go up to 18 years of age.

Squadra Corse also has drivers competing in the main circuit in the Super Hatch as well as in the national Oettinger Polo Cup with drivers Nathi Msimanga, 16, and Reaobaka Komane, 18, challenging for the championship in the Volkswagen Polo GTIs.

“Volkswagen Motorsport, through its Motorsport Academy, will nurture the young drivers to become competent and successful racing drivers. They will also receive coaching, not only on driving, but on media relations, nutrition as well as fitness,” Rowe said.