RENAULT: Chinese scholarship program established

Formula Racing Development Ltd and Renault F1 have launched the "Road to Champion with Renault Sport Formula One Team," a scholarship program to help talented Chinese racers aged 16 to 23 find a path toward Formula 1.

The final three races of the 12-round 2016 Asian Formula Renault Series – Shanghai, Zhuhai and Zhejiang – will determine the scholarship recipient, with the top driver from those three rounds earning a full season of single-seater racing in 2017 to be arranged by Renault Sport F1 Team.

"This scholarship will encourage talented young Chinese racing drivers to further participate in motorsport," said Kenneth Ma, President of FRD Motorsport. "This will have a big impact for young drivers, and the recognition from an F1 team will give even more impetus to compete. For Renault Sport it is also an opportunity to develop future Chinese F1 drivers at a grassroots level."

The program is also supported by Renault China. Program graduates include Manor Racing's Rio Haryanto and F3 European champion and Indy Lights driver Felix Rosenqvist.

"In recent years, there have been very few Chinese drivers who have made it past the junior ranks in motorsport and no Chinese driver has ever competed in a Grand Prix," said François Provost, CEO of DRAC and Director of Operations, Renault China. "Now, the advent of this new scholarship will really put the Asian Formula Renault series on the global motorsport map and back into the ladder towards Formula 1."