MONTREAL, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - For the first time ever, a university student from Canada has been awarded the career opportunity of a lifetime in Formula One™, as INFINITI announces Felix Lamy as the first Canadian winner of the INFINITI Engineering Academy 2016.
Having been selected from thousands of entries and beating nine other finalists from around the country in an action-packed event at Luciani INFINITI retailer in Montreal today, 21-year-old Felix Lamy from Gatineau, Quebec will move to England, UK, in November to begin a dream 12-month placement working with INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team.
Lamy, who is a student at McGill University will spend six-months working at the Formula One™ team's headquarters in Enstone and six-months working at INFINITI's European Technical Center in Cranfield. With F1 Technology more relevant to the automotive industry than ever, he will play a key role in the ongoing transfer of technical knowledge and expertise between the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team and INFINITI.
Commenting on his win, Lamy said, "I am absolutely ecstatic to land the job I had previously thought was out of reach before learning about the Infiniti Engineering Academy – working in Formula One™! The competition was fierce, the nine other finalists were all very impressive in different ways…I still can't quite believe it. Working in the United Kingdom with INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team is going to be an amazing experience and I look forward to all of the challenges that come along with it."
The INFINITI Engineering Academy, now in its third year, is a one-of-a-kind global search for the world's best up-and-coming engineers. For 2016, seven placements have been made available with one winner chosen each from USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe incl. Russia, United Arab Emirates, China and Asia–Pacific to work with the team. This is the first year that Canadian students have had the opportunity to participate in the INFINITI Engineering Academy.
"The opportunity and experience gained from a program like the INFINITI Engineering Academy is life-changing and I am honoured to have been able to participate in the Canadian final as a judge," said Stephen Lester, managing director, INFINITI Canada. "I'm excited for Felix to begin his placement in November and I look forward to watching how his career develops as a result."
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 4,108 registrations from 44 different countries. A number of previous winners have gone on to secure full time careers in the automotive and motorsport industries.
After a series of interviews, ten Canadian finalists were selected to attend the selection event in Montreal. They were put through their paces in a structured assessment day by a panel of judges from INFINITI and Renault Sport Racing.
"The extraordinary level of interest in this year's INFINITI Engineering Academy has been absolutely fantastic," said Tommaso Volpe, Global Director, INFINITI Motorsport. "Students have seen the accomplishments of our Academy's graduates, who have gone on to forge successful careers in the automotive industry. This has meant that more students than ever want to use the Academy to gain vital engineering experience and launch their own careers.
"With F1 becoming more and more relevant to the automotive industry and an increased focus of the placements this year being on the road car development, we are training a new generation of engineers who will play a key role in the crossover between the two industries," concluded Volpe.
Winner profile:
Name: Felix Lamy
Age: 21
University: McGill University
From: Gatineau, Quebec
Biggest positive impact in life: My parents are the ones who undeniably had the biggest positive impact on my life. They have sparked my curiosity and my desire to learn, and most of all, they inspired me to always be optimistic and encouraged me to adopt a positive attitude in every situation.
Most looking forward to about living/working in the UK: The UK has such a rich history of technical innovation in the aerospace and automotive domains. I would be very excited to have the opportunity to be part and hopefully play an important role in one of those industries. Living in the UK will also provide me the opportunity to learn more about the British Life and Culture.
Greatest strength: My ability to listen, especially to other's comments and ideas.
About the INFINITI Engineering Academy:
The INFINITI Engineering Academy is INFINITI's global search for the best and brightest engineering talent to work at INFINITI Motor Company and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team.
In an era where automotive and Formula One™ technologies are growing ever closer, the Academy offers a unique opportunity to train young talents across the two industries. This is the third year for the academy and, with the involvement of our Renault-Nissan Alliance Partner, promises to be more exciting than ever.
The Academy offers seven students a unique opportunity to secure a once in a lifetime work placement. Selected students will go through an integrated training and mentoring program with world leading engineers. The placement includes return travel to the UK, shared accommodation, a shared INFINITI premium executive vehicle, full salary and all necessary employment processing and permits.
Regional Final selection events are taking place in the following locations:
| Date |
Region |
Location |
| July 14 |
USA |
Nashville |
| July 28 |
Canada |
Montreal |
| August 11 |
Mexico |
Mexico-City |
| August 22 |
Europe |
Oxford, UK |
| September 8 |
China |
Beijing |
| September 22 (TBC) |
UAE |
Dubai |
| October 11 |
Asia-Pacific |
Hong Kong |
For more information on the INFINITI Engineering Academy, or to register your interest for next year's program, please visit http://academy.infiniti.com.
About INFINITI
INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. INFINITI plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.
INFINITI design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. INFINITI is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies.
From the 2016 season, INFINITI is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One Team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.
More information about INFINITI, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at Infiniti.ca.
For the latest news on INFINITI, visit InfinitiNews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
SOURCE Infiniti
Image with caption: "21-year-old McGill University student Felix Lamy awarded a one-year placement with INFINITI Motor Company and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team. From left-to-right: Jan Cantryn, Global Motorsport Technical Manager at Infiniti Motor Company Ltd.; Ralph Koyess, Vehicle Performance Engineer with Renault Sport Formula OneTM Team (Montreal native); 2016 IEA Canadian winner, Felix Lamy; Andy Todd, Director of Body & Exterior Engineering, Infiniti Technical Centre Europe; and Stephen Lester, Managing Director of Infiniti Canada. (CNW Group/Infiniti)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160729_C1101_PHOTO_EN_744303.jpg
Image with caption: "21-year-old McGill University student Felix Lamy awarded a one-year placement with INFINITI Motor Company and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team. (CNW Group/Infiniti)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160729_C1101_PHOTO_EN_744307.jpg
Image with caption: "Having been selected from thousands of entries and beating nine other finalists from around the country in an action-packed event at Luciani INFINITI retailer in Montreal today, 21-year-old Felix Lamy from Gatineau, Quebec will move to England, UK, in November to begin a dream 12-month placement working with INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team. (CNW Group/Infiniti)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160729_C1101_PHOTO_EN_744363.jpg
Heather Meehan, Cohn & Wolfe, Tel: 416-402-5748, Email: [email protected]; Jenn McCarthy, Cohn & Wolfe, Tel: 905-767-6553, Email: [email protected]
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