Erwan, student and racing driver selected for the FFSA GT4 French Championship
In the classroom and on the track: a year of 2 speeds
Erwan Bastard, a 3rd-year student in the automotive program at the Paris-Saclay campus, will be taking part in the FFSA GT4 French Championship for the 3rd year. The main racing championship in the Grand Touring category, this competition races 40 cars, with 2 alternating drivers per car. From the “bronze” level (amateur drivers) to the “platinum” level (seasoned professionals), the competition is open to a range of driver profiles. This year, Erwan is in the “silver” group, the first level of professionals. It’s also an opportunity for him to get to grips with a new vehicle and join a new team.
”It is a competition with a real level: there are amateurs of all ages, but also professionals that race in the 24-hour Le Mans like Nicolas Prost or Aurélien Panis”, he explains
For Erwan, it is a challenge to reconcile his motor sport practice with his studies. Although the races are held during weekends, intensive, regular training is essential to succeed: preparing the races with the track engineer, driving as much as possible, configuring the car with the staff, strengthening his “mental preparation” and stress management. This can only be done with considerable practice.
Motorsports and engineering studies, complementary pathways
Arriving at ESTACA in September 2020 after a DUT (technical diploma), the training offered by the school is an opportunity for Erwan to study and live his passion simultaneously.
Motorsports provide additional knowledge on how his car works. Inversely, his studies allow him to take a step back and observe the work of the team’s circuit engineer: technical setting of the cars, analysis of the race and performances, briefing of drivers, etc.
”Spending every weekend with an engineer is very interesting, you get to see the job, the technical side of things, what happens in the car, the tires, etc.”, he says.
A career plan focused on motorsports
Erwan started driving in karting races at 13 years old before he joined car racing at 18. Continuing his studies at the same time as racing was an obvious choice for him. He knows that professional driver places are rare. Studying engineering in parallel with his experience as a driver enables him to combine his passion for motorsports with his career plan and to work in this field in the meantime. When asked about his future, he answers without hesitation: ”I won’t be far from a race track, it’s where I feel best!”
