Team Ireland Training for the World Championships

With the UICR World Professional Driver Championships in Germany now just weeks away, preparations are gathering pace for the Irish team as they get ready to compete against some of the world’s best professional drivers.

The European Professional Drivers Association (EPDA) recently held a dedicated training day, giving the team an opportunity to work together and practise some of the precision driving skills that will be tested at the Championships.

Preparation, Precision and Teamwork

The day began with a team briefing led by Barry, setting out the objectives for the session and talking the drivers through the exercises prepared for the day.

A practice course was set up to replicate the type of precision manoeuvring competitors can expect to encounter in Germany. Throughout the day, the drivers worked through the course repeatedly, concentrating on accuracy, vehicle positioning, observation and consistency.

While professional drivers use these skills every day, competition driving presents a very different challenge. At World Championship level, small margins matter. Drivers are required to demonstrate exceptional control of their vehicle while completing technical exercises where even a minor error can result in penalty points.

Turning Professional Experience into Competition Performance

One of the strengths of the Irish team is the considerable real-world experience each driver brings to the competition. However, the purpose of our training sessions is to take that professional experience and adapt it to the very specific demands of competitive driving.

The training course allowed the drivers to practise judging distances and vehicle dimensions, approaching obstacles accurately and completing manoeuvres in a controlled and repeatable way.

It also provided an opportunity for the team to observe each other, discuss different approaches and learn from each run.

More Than a Competition

For the EPDA, participation in the World Professional Driver Championships is about much more than achieving a good result.

The Championships provide an international platform to showcase the skill, knowledge and professionalism required of today’s professional drivers. The competition brings together drivers from different countries and transport sectors, all demonstrating just how much expertise is involved in operating commercial vehicles safely and efficiently.

That is particularly important at a time when the transport industry continues to face challenges around driver recruitment and retention. Recognising professional driving as a highly skilled occupation is an important part of raising the profile of the profession and attracting the next generation of drivers.