Infiniti announces 12 finalists for 'next Formula One engineering star'

Infiniti has taken a step closer to discovering the world’s next Formula One engineering stars, as the premium automotive brand today announces the 12 budding hopefuls who will participate in the world finals of the Infiniti Performance Engineering Academy.

The finalists will compete to win the work placement of a lifetime -- a 12-month engineering role with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, complete with accommodation in the UK, Infiniti company car and full salary. Out of 1,500 international engineering students from over 100 universities, the final 12 include nine men and three women made up of four Americans, three Chinese, two Australians, one British, a Malaysian and a Sudanese.

The next step will be for them to attend a three-day shootout event in the UK before the British Grand Prix, taking place at Infiniti’s European Technical Center at Cranfield and at Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s factory in Milton Keynes. Over the three days they will face a series of intensive interviews, practical tests and technical challenges, closely assessed by leading technical figures from Infiniti and Infinti Red Bull Racing. The three winners will be unveiled by Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey on July 3rd.

“We have spent the last few weeks reviewing the applications. The quality of them has been very impressive,” said Andreas Sigl, Global Director, Infiniti Formula One. “It was very encouraging to see such interest from so many young engineers from around the world and we look forward to finding the next big Formula One engineering talent in the final stage of the process.”

Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer, Infiniti Red Bull Racing, added: “The Infiniti Performance Engineering Academy is an exciting initiative for young engineering students to become inspired and realize their dream of working in the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One. Judging by the applications submitted, it is great to see so much passion and enthusiasm from our engineers of the future.”

The 12 finalists are:

--Christien Blencowe, 25, from Melbourne, Australia (Engineering at Monash University)

--Andrew Trathen, 22, from Melbourne, Australia (Engineering at Monash University)

--Qin Li, 22, from Hunan, China (Vehicle Engineering at Tongji University)

--Wei Zhao Zhang, 22, from Beijing, China (Engineering at Tsinghua University)

--Yijia He, 22, from Sichuan Province in China (Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College in London)

--Yoga Nadaraajan, 21, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (studies Electronics Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)

--William Priest, 23, from Exeter, UK (studies Mechanical Engineering at the University of Exeter).

--Alejandro Diaz, 22, from Miami, Florida (studies Science in Mechanical Engineering at Florida International University)

--Eric LaRoche, 25, from Hamilton Square, New Jersey, (studies Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park),

--Jason Zide, 21, from Laguna Beach in California (studies Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California)

--Austin Volk, 22, from Oregon (studies Science in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University)

--Alaa Ahmed, 23, from Sudan. She studies Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Universiti Tenaga Nasional in Malaysia

Infiniti