For more than 25 years, the Speed Academy has been promoting talented young drivers in motorsport and has been paving their way to a successful career. Internationally well-known names include René Rast, Nico Hülkenberg and Pascal Wehrlein. From 2021 onwards, the Lohne-based team will be contributing comprehensive expertise from the Porsche one-make series, the ELMS and the FIA WEC to the newly created BMW M2 Cup.

“Our goal is to provide our Cup participants with a holistic training. The Speed Academy aims to teach the basic motorsport principles – fairly and transparently – and in addition, will also support drivers off-track”, Axel Funke, Head of the Academy, explains.

Those responsible attach great importance to motorsport racers’ physical fitness. “Performance diagnostics are the basis of the training. In order to increase athletic performance, we create training plans for every participant and include exercises for endurance, strength and motorsport-specific training. Focus also lies on nutrition”, says the sports scientist.

To ensure that supervision of the international driver field remains independent of time and place, the Speed Academy management counts on the online platform atleta. “Universal access and the opportunity to interact are huge advantages. We’re able to make all necessary information available to the drivers and at the same time, participants can share training results or a personal calendar with us. This is the basis for planning appropriate training.” The programme is complemented by preparation in the simulator – at the Lohne head office and also at home.

BMW M2 Cup drivers can absolve their first race laps on the real-life track from 23 to 25 July, as part of the DTM weekend at the Lausitzring. And participants can also rely on extensive support in Brandenburg by the Speed Academy.

“Fitness is not the only aspect we take care of on-site. Active racing driver David Kolkmann will be there as Driver Coach to offer drivers advice and assistance. Reading and evaluating data is also part of the programme and our engineers, plus the Garmin catalyst – a tool that centrally stores personal, but also all the other driver lap times and offers accessibility to all concerned – are there to help. Of course, fairness and transparency remain in the foreground here”, Funke concludes.