image – Inauguration of India’s First Performance Driving Academy at Buddh International Circuit
Speaking at the event, Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said,
“With Buddh International Circuit, we have laid strong foundations together for Motorsports in India. The F1 debut was just the beginning. JPSI and Mercedes-Benz take this step further by offering India’s first performance driving academy. Under the guidance of expert instructors who are themselves former race drivers and champions, our patrons will now have an opportunity to hone their driving skills. Performance driving has come of age in India and the popularity of AMG is testimony to that.”
The experience of Mercedes-Benz in training enthusiasts for performance driving spans decades. And, at the launch of the academy in India, MB brought the former Mercedes-Benz DTM Driver and now the Official F1 Safety Car Driver Bernd Maylander in India. Along with him, the chief instructor of the AMG Performance Driving Academy, Reinhold Renger was present to give the very first drive experience and personalized hands on training to the Indian Media.
image – Mercedes Benz SLS AMG at Buddh International Circuit
Around 50 participants had an opportunity to drive the AMG range of performance cars to drive on the track; C 63 AMG, E 63 AMG, SL 63 AMG and SLS AMG. The popularity of AMG in India was a further enabler in the establishment of JPSI-AMG performance driving academy, as explained by Ola Käellenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
image – Driving Instructors- Reinhold Ranger, Bernd Maylander, Norman Simon
The AMG Driving Academy employs a total of 21 instructors globally. The permanent team around chief instructor Reinhold Renger includes high-profile racing drivers: Bernd Schneider with five DTM Championships under his belt, plus an ITC and FIA GT Championship title for good measure, ranks as one of Germany’s most successful racing drivers.