Guest instructor Jörg Müller leads the drivers behind the course car 

PETRONAS Formula Xperience Racing School - Season 2007
Third Training Session
31 August to 2 September 2007

Session 3 Report: 2007 PFX Drivers tackle Sepang’s south track

Sepang, 3 September 2006 – The PETRONAS Formula Xperience (PFX) racing school season 2007 intakes were back strapped to their formula cars for the third training session last weekend at the Sepang International Circuit. In addition to having to tackle the unpredictable weather conditions throughout the three-day session, the young racing talents also had to accustom themselves to the more technically-demanding south track of the Sepang circuit for the first time.

After a break of two months since the last training session in early August, the third installment of the PFX programme saw the ten drivers participate in multiple activities both on and off track in a rigorous three-day training session. Joining the teaching staff for this session was the 1994 German Formula 3 champion, former team Deutschland and current BMW Works and World Touring Car Championship driver Jörg Müller.

The drivers familiarise themselves with Sepang's south track

Having conducted the previous two sessions on Sepang’s North track, the drivers were taken out on a track walk on the first day to help them familiarise themselves with the challenging corners that the South track is renowned for. Following detailed briefings on the racing lines, braking points and corners apexes, the young talents were later unleashed to tackle the circuit at speed with the school formula cars under the supervision of the instructors in the course car.

The drivers were also introduced to more technical theory, this time on tyres, springs, bumpstops and packers, designed to assist the drivers understand the different mechanical characteristics of the car and how it influences and affects performance. Continued on-track practical sessions included more one-to-one sessions where drivers were engaged in individual driving time with the instructors leading them in another race car. The exercise is designed to further accelerate the driver’s grasp of the racing lines and braking points.

An instructor leads one of the drivers on the one-to-one session

Meanwhile, in further developing the drivers’ presentation abilities, as well as build their confidence and skills in public speaking and interviews, the session saw the drivers continue with their media training. The drivers also worked on several breathing techniques, used in public speaking to help with voice projection. The young talents were also tasked to conduct mental and fitness training throughout the three days with the fitness instructors.

To close the third training session, the drivers were unleashed to tackle the south track in more free-practice sessions before closing out the third training session with individual data analysis with the instructors on the final day of training.

Jörg Müller, Guest Instructor, PFX Racing School, “This is my second time with the PETRONAS Formula Xperience racing school, and the experience was as good as it was on my first time. Although we had a bit of a situation with the weather on the last day, what I really liked was the big improvement by the drivers. They had a long break of two months, but there was a really big improvement over the weekend. I’m really happy so far with this but there is still a lot of work to do with the drivers and there is still potential we need to bring out of them.”

The PFX Racing School season 2007 now heads into another break to observe the holy month of Ramadhan before commencing with its fourth training session, scheduled to be announced at a later date.