Zinedine Zidane, the legendary French footballer and Alpine ambassador, welcomed Alpine Racing’s roster of drivers in Madrid, together with F1 duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, for an immersion day and reflection of the 2023 racing season.
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Counting on his decade’s price of elite footballing expertise, Zidane, as a part of his ambassadorial function, is passing on his wealth of data to Alpine’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, together with the well-established Rac(H)er and Concours Excellence Mecanique (CEMA).
Launched in July 2022, Alpine’s Rac(H)er programme is designed to reinforce meritocracy throughout genders in all firm areas. From racing drivers to engineering and technical roles, the Rac(H)er programme lays out a transparent and outlined roadmap to enhance the range of expertise inside Alpine.
CEMA is Alpine’s programme devoted to aspiring automotive mechanics. It is sponsored by Esteban, with the competitors providing alternatives to college students in France inside the automotive mechanic sector to spotlight expertise and experience within the subject. The three-stage competitors throughout concept and sensible checks has an finish consequence of a piece placement at Alpine’s Viry Chatillon base in Paris.
Yesterday’s occasion in Madrid featured an unique tour of Real Madrid CF’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and trophy-lined museum, of which Zidane has contributed 5 honours as a participant between 2001-2006 and eleven as a supervisor throughout his stint on the helm of Los Blancos from 2016-2021.
Following the stadium tour, Zidane, together with Esteban, Pierre, Alpine’s younger drivers and the 2 2023 CEMA placement winners, took to A110s to make the quick journey throughout town to a karting occasion. Zidane took half, leaping behind the wheel of an electrical go-kart, and acquired steerage and suggestions from Lisa Billard and Sukhmani Khera, two of Alpine’s Rac(H)er drivers at the moment competing in worldwide karting.
After that, it was a whole function reversal, with Zidane internet hosting a light-hearted soccer match between all of the Alpine drivers.
Zinedine Zidane:
It was a terrific privilege to host the Alpine family in Madrid. It’s additionally a method to have a good time one yr since I joined Alpine. This ambassadorial function, supporting their equal alternative programmes, is important to me due to my path. I’m proud to cross on a few of my sports activities, life-related, and private experiences to Alpine’s Rac(H)er and CEMA programmes. While we come from totally different areas, we every have a standard objective in striving for prime efficiency and excellence. Therefore, sharing moments, experiences, and concepts is nice to profit these concerned in these two magnificent and genuinely significant programmes.
I look ahead to extra days like this shortly and particularly listening to of the success and achievements of Rac(H)er and CEMA in years to come.
Julian Rouse, Interim Sporting Director:
It’s been an interesting day in Madrid, and we wish to thank Zinedine Zidane for internet hosting us and for his invaluable engagement in our CSR tasks. Our important objective is to utilise Zinedine’s expertise and extract that information to profit Rac(H)er and CEMA programmes. For Rac(H)er, I used to be very proud to see a few of our Rac(H)er ladies participating in all of the activations through the day and studying from a real sporting icon. The goal is to proceed changing that information into on a regular basis observe and to hold growing our steady of younger racing drivers.
Esteban Ocon:
Today was all about being within the presence of a real sporting legend—an enormous thanks to Zinedine Zidane for a memorable day. I’ve been a proud ambassador of the staff’s CEMA programme because the starting, as it’s a true ardour of mine to encourage the following technology of motorsport mechanics. I’m thrilled that, along with Zinedine, we are going to help the third version of CEMA once more, which is able to start very quickly. Having the 2 placement winners from CEMA right here right this moment was nice to see and reveals that Alpine’s CSR tasks are amongst the very best and provides these deserving of it the suitable alternatives.
Pierre Gasly:
Zinedine is my sporting hero, so to spend the day with him in Madrid was an actual privilege. Today was all about championing the Rac(H)er and CEMA programmes and, in my function as a racing driver, I would like to be function mannequin for the following technology, whether or not that be younger feminine racing drivers like Lisa and Sukhmani, or aspiring future race mechanics. Even for me, to be with Zinedine and speak and listen to tales and classes is efficacious. For that, I’m very grateful and already look ahead to persevering with our work with him.
