Young driver training course suggested by FIA

The FIA Drivers' Commission has raised the prospect of young drivers undertaking a mandatory course before graduating from karting to racecars.

The age of drivers in open-wheel championships has been in the spotlight, and driving standards have also attracted scrutiny on occasion. Led by two-time Formula 1 world champion and Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi and nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen – president and vice president, of the Commission, respectively – the Commission flagged a more structured introduction to car racing for rookies during its most-recent meeting in Paris.

A driving course would aim to breed "an inherent awareness of their responsibilities and expectations regarding safety" encompassing technical, sporting and technique training.

Members of the Commission – which also includes Nigel Mansell, Carlos Sainz, Marcus Gronholm, Emanuele Pirro and Yvan Muller – could also be involved, providing on-site mentoring.

Further sections of the Drivers' Code of Conduct were also discussed, including the need to boost respect for track limits, with the Commission believing that asphalt run-off areas make the topic easier to police.

Originally on Autosport.com