Pietro Fittipaldi and others invited to Ferrari Driver Academy

Madrid, October 22, 2014. Banco Santander has invited several talented young sport drivers to undergo three days of special training at the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello for the fourth year, ending on Wednesday. Among them is the winner of the fifth Santander-RFEdA Scholarship for Young Talents, Marta Ariza. The other three drivers are Brazil’s Pietro Fittipaldi, Emerson’s grandson; Jake Craig from the U.S., and Axel Matus from Mexico.

What they'll do

The drivers underwent medical and physical tests, sessions at the simulator with Pedro de la Rosa and mental training. This Wednesday, during a full day at the Fiorano circuit, owned by Ferrari, they will be taught how to adapt to the car and the circuit and will work with the engineers on tuning up for F4 (Ariza, Craig y Matus) and F3 (Fittipaldi). They will do a few laps of the track.

Who they are

Marta Ariza, 17, was the first woman to win the Santander-RFEdA Scholarship for Young Talents and also wants to be the first woman to become a driver for Scuderia Ferrari. Pietro Fittipaldi, 18, won three karting championships between 2006 and 2010 and is competing in the Formula Renault this season. Jake Craig, 16, has won several competitions in the US. Axel Matus, 16, has won competitions in Mexico, such as Rotax MiniMax and SKusa.

Where they went

For the fifth year in a row, a group of nearly 20 young young drivers took advantage of the opportunity and made the traditional visit to the Ferrari factory. These fortunate few saw the race car assembly line, the Fiorano circuit, the Ferrari Museum and Gestione Sportiva departments. This activity is part of Banco Santander's sponsorship of the Spanish Karting Championship and demonstrates its commitment to the youngest motorsport participant in Spain and other countries.

It also consolidates this as a means for Santander, together with the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation, to promote young drivers.

Santander-Ferrari