Rivera FIA ambassador for motorsports

MANILA, Philippines - Fresh from a stint in the 2013 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy in Sydney, Australia, Tough Gear Racing’s Milo Rivera has come back to the country with a new credential tucked under his belt – an FIA Young Ambassador for Motorsports.

Rivera was selected by the Automobile Association Philippines to represent the Philippines in the FIA Academy at the Sydney Motorsport Park, an FIA Grade 2 track and host to previous rounds of the V8 Supercars Championship.

There, he underwent extensive studies on the various fields of motorsports, such as sports sponsorship, professionalism in media, physiology, sports psychology, sports science, nutrition and hydration, anti-doping, team dynamics, interpersonal behavior, road safety, physics of motorsport (science of driving) and the ethics of motorsports.

“These lectures gave us insights on what we needed to know and achieve to possess the ‘complete package’ and be a world-class race car driver,” said Rivera, the very first Filipino to have joined such a prestigious academy, organized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and open to drivers aged 17-23, who had proven excellence in competition.

“The four-day event not only assessed and enhanced my motorsports talents and abilities, it also allowed me to broaden my perspective on how to contribute to the continuous development of Philippine Motorsports,” added Rivera, who is backed by Bosch Automotive, Bosch Power Tools, Motul Philippines and Oasis Hotel.

The rising motosports star said the first part of the training was the drivers’ assessment portion, where they were evaluated on their physical and mental fitness, professionalism, media skills, discipline and character development, and driving abilities.