Beyond the educational and training activities of the school, EUROFORMULA created the “VOLANT EUROFORMULA” in 2010 to spot new talent. For this fourth edition, the EUROFORMULA School has selected 12 semi-finalists who will meet again on October 22 and 23 on the La Châtre circuit in an attempt to win the €60,000 bursary. We met with Simon Crochard who answered our questions.
Simon, tell us about your background in sports and education and/or profession?
I’m actually in my fourth year of Business School at the ISEG Finance School in Paris. In sports, I’ve spent 9 years in competitive karting. I raced in the “Minime”, Cadets, Nationals, Rotax Max, KZ125 and KF2. Most notably, I finished third twice in the Nord-Picardie championship. I had to stop in 2011 due to a budget squeeze. I then turned to competitions in car racing simulation games to satisfy my passion. I play on iRacing, the best online simulation game for motorsports in the world, and I actually rank World fourth overall against more than 60,000 players!
How did you hear about the “Volant Euroformula” and what motivated you to take part?
I heard about it on the internet. My motivation is primarily to win the award. Without the support Euroformula can provide, I will never be able to get into motorsports. I have to try my luck. Whatever happens, I will have had a great time at the wheel of a single-seater which is a great experience. I’ve always dreamt of driving a single-seater.
How did the qualifiers go and is your accession to the semi-finals a surprise to you?
They went quite well. I had no experience other than karting and simulation so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had trained on iRacing and I took part in the two-day trials to learn about the car. My first spins of the wheel went quite well. I adapted fast but I tended to try to do too much. I made myself focus and from there things started to go well. I haven’t stopped improving through the qualifying sessions. I was pleasantly surprised to finish head of my selection.
What are your ambitions for these final phases and your projects for the 2014 season?
I hope to at least reach the final. However, there are some drivers who have a lot of experience in single-seaters. It will be difficult but my margins of improvement are still large. I will do everything I can to progress in my two-day trials. If I had to put an estimate on my chances of winning the Volant Euroformula, I would say I’ve got a 4 in 10 chance because of my lack of experience. That won’t stop me from going all out though. The 2014 season will depend on the result. If I don’t win, I will probably try again next year. Otherwise, in the motorsports simulation races, I will take part in the Nascar iRacing World Championship.
Despite his lack of experience, Simon Crochard still believes he has a chance and his motivation will help him to stay in the race until the final where anything is possible!
