The challenges of driving on ice: Alexandra Hervé in action on the Flaine circuit.
Alexandra Hervé, a Formula Renault driver, recently had the opportunity to test her skills on a snowy circuit. On February 28 2023, she went to the Flaine circuit for a four-hour training session, accompanied by her instructor Julien Gedet.
Located at an altitude of 1600 metres, the chalet circuit is renowned for its quality surface throughout the winter. This circuit is indeed spared from the sun’s rays, a feature that guarantees a hard and resistant ice. It has a variety of difficulties that faithfully reproduce the situations that drivers face in winter: fast curves, bends, hairpins, climbs, descents, etc.
This was a completely new experience for Alexandra, as she had never driven on such terrain before. Indeed, the winter conditions were very different from those she usually encounters on Formula Renault circuits. This meant that she had to adapt to a new car and different driving techniques to be able to control the car in the snow. The Formula Renault driver said that the day at the Flasne circuit was a real challenge for her, as she had only one year’s experience in single-seaters and had never driven on a snowy circuit with a gearbox like this. “I was a bit apprehensive about it, but I loved the feeling,” she said.
Fortunately, Alexandra was well prepared for this new experience, thanks to the help of her instructor Julien Gedet. Gedet worked with her during the four-hour training session to help her improve her driving skills in these difficult conditions. He provided useful tips on driving technique, how to negotiate corners and how to brake on snow. The instructor accompanied her as a passenger in a city BMW, which was convenient. Alexandra herself added: “I had a tendency to want to accelerate too fast on the circuit and brake too hard, but I managed to channel my driving on ice.
This training session on the snowy circuit was very beneficial for the young driver. She was able to learn new skills and experience driving in difficult conditions. This experience was an important addition to her driver training and could prove useful in her future career.
Alexandra expressed her gratitude to her instructor Julien Gedet, who helped her prepare for this unique experience. She also thanked the entire Flaine circuit team for their support and help during the training session.
All in all, this experience on the Flaine circuit has been an enriching one for Alexandra Hervé. She was able to learn new skills and test herself in conditions different from what she usually encounters. This experience shows that racing drivers must be prepared to adapt to all kinds of situations and conditions to succeed in their sport.
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