ACA Club Relaunches Youth High-Performance Driving Programme After Decade-Long Hiatus

The ACA Club's Sports Commission has officially relaunched its youth high-performance development programme, known as the Programa de Tecnificació, after a nine-to-ten-year hiatus as the successor to the Joves Pilots initiative.

Five drivers aged 16 to 25, selected from the 2025 Andorra Mountain Automobile Championship (CAAM), will participate: Guilherme da Silva, Miquel Guiral, Biel Martínez, Marcel Sala, and Mikel Sánchez. Coordinated by Marc Gutiérrez, the programme features a multidisciplinary team including specialists in driving techniques, physical conditioning, sports psychology, track engineering, and officiating. Participants will compete in all 2026 CAAM rounds—Arinsal on 30-31 May, Arcalís on 27 June, Peguera on 25 July, and Beixalís on 26 September—with potential extension to the Andorra Rally.

Gutiérrez, responsible for technical training and overall coordination, stressed that the young drivers are still developing and require professional guidance to progress safely and effectively. He highlighted the national championship's advantages in lowering costs and keeping events local, while emphasising preparation, safety, discipline, and responsibility over mere speed.

Andorran resident Juan Manuel de Mingo Smörg, who races under an Andorran licence in a BMW M4 GT4 EVO for Supercars España and Iberian Supercars, is providing financial support, time, and expertise. He views aiding emerging talent as a duty, noting that motorsport fosters personal growth, with his resources available to these drivers, future participants, and Andorra overall.

ACA Club general secretary Toti Sasplugas called the setup ideal for advancing Andorran motorsport, crediting the CAAM's revival last year for enabling it. The initiative aims to deliver stable training, equipping novices with competition essentials through multi-season cycles and addressing economic hurdles via family and sponsor arrangements. Club president Enric Tarrado praised Smörg's essential contribution and reaffirmed the ACA's dedication to developing young pilots to sustain the Principat's motorsport tradition.