Dubai, UAE, September 1, 2016:  After a three-month global search for the best up-and-coming engineering talent, ten finalists from the UAE have been selected to progress to the INFINITI Engineering Academy Regional Final, to be held in Dubai on 25 September. 

Now entering its third edition, the INFINITI Engineering Academy provides students with the opportunity to secure a year-long placement to work with the INFINITI Motor Company and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team.

Following a comprehensive recruitment process, the very best student engineers from the United Arab Emirates have been carefully chosen to attend the final selection event. 

The Regional Final event, a high pressure assessment judged by senior engineers from both INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One Team™, will see the finalists evaluated on both their technical knowledge and practical skills. The judging panel for the UAE final includes, Rene Torcato – Lead R&D Engineer with Renault Sport Formula One Team™; a representative from INFINITI Middle East; and David Moss, Vice President, Vehicle Design & Development, INFINITI Technical Centre Europe.

 Juergen Schmitz, Managing Director INFINITI Middle East said: “This unique automotive-to-motorsport training program for brilliant young engineers, possible thanks to INFINITI’s Technical Partnership with the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team, has attracted a record number of entries. The INFINITI Engineering Program received 4,108 global registrations, from 44 different countries – a 100 per cent increase from the 2015 edition and almost a 300 per cent increase from its inaugural year in 2014.”

“The extraordinary level of interest in this year’s INFINITI Engineering Academy has been absolutely fantastic. UAE students have had the opportunity to enter the Academy for the first time this year and have shown that they want to use the Academy to gain vital engineering experience and launch their careers. This is due to the unique nature of the placement, which combines work experience in both Automotive and Formula One™” said Tommaso Volpe, Global Director, INFINITI Motorsport.

“We are absolutely delighted with the Academy winners that we have working with us at Enstone this year,” said Bob Bell, Chief Technical Officer, Renault Sport Formula One Team™. “The students have taken on real jobs with the team and have been a big asset to us as we continue to strengthen our technical resource. We are looking forward to welcoming a UAE student to the Team for the first time this year following the final in Dubai,” concluded Bell.