The FIA has expanded its FIA Race Directors and Stewards Development Pathways through the launch of the new FIA High Performance Programme for Officials.

The best talent around the world has been selected and the FIA is accelerating their growth to ensure a pool of qualified experts is available for all the FIA World Championship events. This programme is also in line with the overall strategy of making motor sport more accessible and creating equal opportunities for participation and professional growth.

The inaugural edition of this initiative will kick off in Geneva from February 17-19 and will feature a diverse group of 24 trainees (eight Stewards and 16 Race Directors) along with FIA experts and mentors. In the course of a rigorous competency-based selection process, men and women from all the five continents had equal opportunity for assessment and access to the program. Most experienced FIA experts and mentors have been assigned to training and development of the trainees, representing 17 different FIA Member Clubs.

The trainees are then set to carry out a bespoke experience-building programme through attendance at various FIA motor sport events to shadow and observe senior FIA officials who will act as their mentors.

As part of the FIA High Performance pathways initiative, the FIA Race Directors Seminar and International Stewards Programme, that annually facilitate exchange of best practices between race officials, both previously held across a two-day online format, will be transformed into a series of webinars. This will foster the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for Race Directors and Stewards involved in FIA Championships and International Series worldwide.

The programme will also provide greater access to training for Race Directors and Stewards via a consistent spread of the webinars, addressing the changing needs of the sport throughout the year.

In order to support development of officials at a Regional level and their progression to International level, the FIA Regional Stewards training programme will be delivered in 2023 and a FIA Race Directors Regional Training Programme will also be developed.

These programmes will contain Regional-based content. Furthermore the FIA will launch support mechanisms for ASNs via bespoke programmes for ASN personnel and the provision of delivery content and methodology should it be required – to support the recruitment and training of both Race Directors and Stewards at National level. This is aligned to the FIA commitment to empowering regions and delivering enhanced value to Clubs.

The expansion of the FIA Race Directors and Stewards Development Pathways contributes to making motor sport more accessible via the provision and increased accessibility of training across the world at all levels, supporting the FIA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda and commitment to doubling of motor sport participation worldwide.

Robert Reid, FIA Deputy President for Sport, said: “By investing in training, we invest in the future and ensure that the new generation of officials is developed according to a universal set of high standards and best practices. The role of the FIA as the governing body of world motor sport is to make our knowledge and expertise available to our Member Clubs and the FIA High Performance Programme embodies this approach perfectly, through the development of officials at regional level and creating a career path that can lead them to the very top of motor sport regardless of their country of origin and professional background.”