Current Aston Martin Racing factory driver and former IndyCar and sports car race winner Adrian Fernandez has partnered with SAFEisFAST to answer questions. The latest Online Driving Instructor to join, Fernandez's answers will be posted daily throughout this week. One of the questions and answers is below, with the full Q&A thus far in this link.
Q: As a team owner, if you test two drivers who are equally matched on performance, what other areas are key in making your decision to select one driver over another?
-- Anonymous
ADRIAN FERNANDEZ: That's a good question. If the drivers are pretty much equal on track, I would take the driver that has the best personality, the best charisma – the most sellable. Because, at the end of the day, it is what a team needs to keep their sponsors happy. It doesn't matter if you have a quick driver if the guy is a jerk. If he doesn't have the personality, the “selling point” then you are not going to go anywhere regardless of how quick he is. Times have changed and you need the complete package in a driver.
Fernandez's sessions follow those from Dr. Jacques Dallaire, Alexader Wurz and Jenson Button (Formula 1), James Hinchcliffe, Josef Newgarden and Dario Franchitti (IndyCar), Andy Lally (sports cars), PitFit Training founder Jim Leo and 2003 Indianapolis 500 and two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran.
SAFEisFAST.com is a free online resource offering video tutorials on safety, fitness, mental skills, race craft, career development, sponsorship, marketing and more to assist the careers of drivers in all forms of racing. The website was created by the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC), led by president Bobby Rahal, in conjunction with the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety and Sustainability. Since its launch, there have been over 100,000 views of the online tutorials with visitors representing 105 countries.