The GT Academy 2010 Silverstone Finals are getting an extra boost of star power this year, with long-time F1 team manager Eddie Jordan, Nurburgring super-star Sabine Schmitz, and F1/sports car driver Johnny Herbert joining the team. Of all the new judges, the introduction of Eddie Jordan is perhaps the most significant, given his uncanny ability to choose and develop world champions. Eddie has worked closely with successful drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill – he even gave Michael Schumacher his first season in Formula 1. He also worked with Johnny Herbert, who himself enjoyed an 11-year career in F1 and a victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Sabine has focused her career around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and has coincidentally become a popular TV personality in Germany and around the world with Top Gear. One of her most memorable TG segments: pushing a Ford Transit van around the Nordschleife. Check out the video below, or see more on YouTube. Anyways, it’s great to see these respected names coming together for GT – check out the full press release on Lucas Ordonez’s blog. The Silverstone finals start this Friday, February 26.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiC03_wVjc&feature=PlayList&p=uNAFaguBvtE
See more articles on GT Academy 2010 and Top Gear.
I wait with baited breath. ‘their dream is beginning, so can yours – Gran Turismo 5’ *prays*
Okay so lets hope GT5 has a Transit van, licensce test or time trial on the GH
That be a laugh.
Also I wonder if all these PR things that have been happening over the last few years will appear as a Blu Ray documentary or making of style disc again?
Wasn’t last year’s competition a bit of an unorganized mess at the end of last year? What are they going to do about that this year?
Pissed off i didnt get through now, im irish and with Eddie on the panel id have no problem getting my race career going plus if i could get Sabine into the back of a gtr id have the judgement in my favour 2 to 1, ah well back to my crappy old life
Matt and dudezi, thanks for the clarification regarding Jordan’s involvement with Senna and Hill – that all happened long before I got into F1, so I was trusting the wording in GT Academy’s press release (it said he was “influential in [their] early careers”). I’ve updated my wording above accordingly.
top gear is a fun show.
She’s cute. I would have rather been in the back of that van with her than sitiing in the front seat!
@S3 Racer
you are so right, but she is the loudest :D
I’m not sure how you can say Jordan fostered Damon Hill’s career. Hill drove for Jordan at the end of his career, after he’d become world champion. He did win Jordan’s first GP for him.
I don’t think he had much to do with Ayrton Senna either (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Jordan) and he only had Schumacher for one race.
He’s certainly had a lot to do with F1 but he’s become a bit of a gob sh*te in recent years. His stupid comments and arse kissing behaviour towards Bernie on the BBC coverage have done a lot to tarnish his image in recent years. I can’t see him adding a lot as a judge quite frankly.
If I wanted a judge I think Herbert is a good choice, along with Coulthard or even someone like Plato. If I wanted to go out for a beer and have a good chat and a laugh then Eddie’s your man, especially if you want to talk about the old times.
Eddie Jordan didn’t foster Senna’s career.
where can you watch the GT academy series on TV or Justin TV, if somebody can watch it please put it on justin tv!!
73 corners, but nevertheless very impressive lap count.
Nice judges. Nice competition.
Guys, Sabine is not the hottest race driveress , but if you wanna meet her go to the green hell and take the ring taxi (i think she still runs in it)
@Bernd
I think 20,000 laps @ 174 corners per lap is an great amount of experience by anyones standard!
@Blackjack – I don’t know her GT-times, but few people would beat her in real life. It is said, she’s done over 20.000 laps in the Green Hell
does anybody know Sabines’s GT academy times?
Sabine: Please marry me!
What? My girlfriend Sabine is the judge? :lol:
LMAO at 1:36 FASTAAAA.
Lol, Sabine is awesome
Sabine Schmitz! You Go Girl! hopefully, this will attract more girls on the GT Band Wagon !
Ah I shook Eddie Jordan’s hand once in Harrods and chatted away. A great personality to have aboard the good ship GT!
oh, the never silent Sabine Schmitz. Hope, they got enough time at the events. If she started to talk, she will not stop.
Eddie Jordan is very funny, especially on BBC F1.
Awesome, Eddie Jordan is hilarious and a very interesting character – perhaps this also hints at a greater presence of Formula1 in GT5! :-)
Great info, thanks Jordan
Sounds like a good event, good luck to everyone involved and it’s always good to get big names in motorsport involved with GT.