... the next generation  

Win a European trip to report on the GP2 Series With the opening round of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship approaching in less than six  weeks  Bridgestone,  official  tyre  partner  to  Ferrari,  Toyota,  Williams  and  Midland  F1,  announce their  2006  Bridgestone  e-reporter  initiative  –  a  pan-European  competition  to  nurture  the  next generation of talented young journalists.

Bridgestone, exclusive suppliers to the flourishing GP2 Series, saw Nico Rosberg graduate from the inaugural  season  of  GP2  to  Formula  One,  with  the  Williams  F1  team,  as  the  overall  winner  of  the 2005 Bridgestone e-reporter competition, Mike Channell, moves onwards and upwards working for the UK’s top computing magazine PC Format.

"Bridgestone  e-reporter  is  an  amazing  opportunity  for  a  young  writer  who  wants  to  break  into  the competitive  world  of  journalism,  and  going  behind  the  scenes  at  a  Grand  Prix  is  the  most fantastic experience for any motorsport fan. I worked hard on my entry in February 2005 but never expected the rewards that came from Bridgestone. Attending the Monza F1 & GP2 races, travelling to Japan to further experience how Bridgestone fulfils its mission to serve society with superior quality, having my writing  published  on  a  global  website  and  being  given  a  laptop  to  take  home  was  a  phenomenal prize...thank you Bridgestone" said Mike Channell.

Now  in  its  third  successful  year,  Bridgestone  e-reporter  has  introduced  further  elements  to  the competition  designed  to  build  the  experience  for  participants  and  to  increase  the  credibility  of  their work. 

Eight  finalists  will  be  invited  to  attend  a  European  Grand  Prix  to  report  on  the  GP2  Series, where they will meet and interview the drivers and also the key personalities who are responsible for making  the  Championship  such  a  phenomenal  stepping-stone  into  Formula  One  for  young  drivers.  

Finalists  will  have  the  chance  to  soak  up  the  atmosphere  in  the  Formula  One  paddock  and  work alongside the established ‘international media pack’. The  overall  winner  will  then  report  on  two  events,  one  within  Europe  and  one  further  afield,  being awarded a state-of-the-art laptop and invaluable work experience with the UK’s leading paper in the industry, Motorsport News.

In addition, the winner will feature as presenter of a Bridgestone Journal – a   television   bulletin   covering   Bridgestone’s   main   community   programmes   including   e-reporter, Dreams at Heart and Safety at Heart.

Entries  should  be  submitted  online  at  www.bridgestone-eu.com/e-reporter  and  will  be  judged  by  a panel  of  international  media  representatives  consisting  of  Formula  One  broadcaster  Tony  Jardine, Motorsport  News  Editor  Jim  Holder,  Motorsport  writer  Jeremy  Hart,  Bridgestone  Motorsport  Press Officer Rachel Ingham, and GP2 Series Media Manager Will Buxton.

Tony Jardine said: “Bridgestone e-reporter is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students hoping to pursue a career in journalism. In 2005 we were delighted at the amount of entries we received from students  representing  countries  such  as  the  UK,  France,  Italy,  Poland,  Belgium  and  Finland.  Our seven finalists were outstanding last year with the overall winner Mike Channell from the UK going on to work for PC Format Magazine, and Dorian Patynowski taking on the Chief Racing Editor’s role at TopSpeed Magazine in Poland. It’s a great prize on offer, which will help young reporters to stand out from the crowd and get noticed in the world of motorsport - which is so notoriously hard to do.  

“The  key  success  of  the  e-reporter  campaign  has  been  the  chance  for  budding  journalists  to  talk about e-reporter in job interviews.”

The  judges  will  be  assessing  entrants  on  their  key  writing  skills  and  ability  to  conduct  appropriate background  research  on  the  subject  area,  along  with  creativity  and  an  appreciation  for  the  target audience. Investing in the future of aspiring young reporters, Bridgestone e-reporter is a competition open to all  students  aged  18-30,  across  Europe,  who  are  in  full  time  education. 

Finalists’  race  reports  and diary entries will be featured on the Bridgestone Europe and GP2 websites. For further information on the competition or to enter, visit www.bridgestone-eu.com/e-reporter.

The closing date for entries is 12:00 GMT on Friday 31 March 2006.