Zinedine Zidane, the legendary French footballer and Alpine ambassador, welcomed Alpine Racing’s roster of drivers in Madrid, including F1 duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, for an immersion day and reflection of the 2023 racing season.
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Counting on his decade’s worth of elite footballing experience, Zidane, as part of his ambassadorial role, is passing on his wealth of knowledge to Alpine’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, including the well-established Rac(H)er and Concours Excellence Mecanique (CEMA).
Launched in July 2022, Alpine’s Rac(H)er programme is designed to reinforce meritocracy across genders in all company areas. From racing drivers to engineering and technical roles, the Rac(H)er programme lays out a clear and defined roadmap to increase the diversity of talent within Alpine.
CEMA is Alpine’s programme dedicated to aspiring automotive mechanics. It is sponsored by Esteban, with the competition offering opportunities to students in France within the automotive mechanic sector to highlight skills and expertise in the field. The three-stage competition across theory and practical tests has an end outcome of a work placement at Alpine’s Viry Chatillon base in Paris.
Yesterday’s event in Madrid featured an exclusive tour of Real Madrid CF’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and trophy-lined museum, of which Zidane has contributed five honours as a player between 2001-2006 and eleven as a manager during his stint at the helm of Los Blancos from 2016-2021.
Following the stadium tour, Zidane, along with Esteban, Pierre, Alpine’s young drivers and the two 2023 CEMA placement winners, took to A110s to make the short journey across the city to a karting event. Zidane took part, jumping behind the wheel of an electric go-kart, and received guidance and tips from Lisa Billard and Sukhmani Khera, two of Alpine’s Rac(H)er drivers currently competing in international karting.
After that, it was a complete role reversal, with Zidane hosting a light-hearted football match between all the Alpine drivers.
Zinedine Zidane:
It was a great privilege to host the Alpine family in Madrid. It’s also a way to celebrate one year since I joined Alpine. This ambassadorial role, supporting their equal opportunity programmes, is essential to me because of my path. I am proud to pass on some of my sports, life-related, and personal…
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