Dutch student Tim Biesbrouck  

Bridgestone, exclusive tyre supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, GP2 Series and MotoGP World Championship, has today announced that Dutch student, and aspiring reporter, Tim Biesbrouck has been selected as the overall winner of the 2009 Bridgestone e-reporter contest. Tim now  joins  a  host  of  fully-fledged  journalists  that  have  previously  won  the  e-reporter  title,  many securing jobs in the media as a result of their e-reporter experience.

Eleven finalists were given the opportunity in 2009 to attend either a GP2 Series or MotoGP event as part  of  Bridgestone’s  pan-European  e-reporter  competition  for  young  journalists.  Tim  (aged  21) attended the Hungarian Grand Prix (24-26 July) to cover the GP2 Series for Bridgestone, writing race reports and features for www.bridgestone.eu/e-reporter. With the Bridgestone e-reporter contest now in its sixth year, the level of competition between finalists has been tougher than ever. A record number of entries at the beginning of the season meant a host of talented students were in contention for being part of the highly-respected e-reporter initiative.

Tim, from Anna Paulowna in the Netherlands, is a student at INHolland University in Alkmaar. He was chosen  as  the  overall  winner  of  this  year’s  e-reporter  competition by a panel of international media and  representatives  from  the  world  of  motorsport,  who  were  impressed  by  his  natural  flair  for journalism. 

As  part  of the overall winners’ prize package, Bridgestone will assist in providing media tools and work experience to give Tim further support for a future career in reporting. Commenting on the competition and the announcement, Tim Biesbrouck said,

“My e-reporter journey has exceeded all expectations. I’m delighted to be this year’s winner, particularly when all the finalists have been so impressive. It really is a privilege to have been an e-reporter and to accept this award.

“If I look back on the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend I can conclude it was a busy one, but I gained so much experience in writing, interviewing and learning about what Bridgestone does at the races.

"Also  the  atmosphere  was  incredible  -  both  within  the  Bridgestone  team  and  in  the  GP2  paddock everyone was easy to talk to and fun. It gave me a real insight of what it’s like to be a reporter. I hope I can continue to work in a professional motorsport environment, because it was just fantastic!”

Bridgestone’s aim, through the e-reporter programme, is to offer students a chance to break into the world of journalism through experiencing sports reporting at the highest level possible. With a total of 45 finalists attending race weekends over the six years that the competition has been running,  the  success  rate  of  e-reporters  becoming  full-time  media  representatives  in  the  Formula One,  GP2  and  MotoGP  paddocks  continues  to  increase. Dorna Sports, TV3, RMC Sport radio and Auto Bild Motorsport are just a few examples of the outlets previous e-reporters now work for.

Speaking about the competition, Des Collins, Vice President of the European Communications Office, Bridgestone Europe, said, “Bridgestone is proud of the e-reporter programme, and most of all what it helps students to achieve. At the heart of the competition, the goal is to provide a stepping stone for young  individuals  and  to  assist  them  in  following  their  desired  career  path  into  journalism.  This  is done by providing learning experiences within motorsport, and sharing Bridgestone’s accessibility and knowledge in Formula One, GP2 and MotoGP with our e-reporter finalists.

“For  2009,  introducing  MotoGP  to  the  schedule  of  events  for  finalists  to  attend  was  an  exciting development  for  the  contest  and  for  the  first  time  entries  could  also  be  accepted  in seven different languages.” For  further  information  on  Bridgestone  e-reporter,  or  to  view  the  GP2  and  MotoGP  race reports and features written by this year’s finalists, visit www.bridgestone.eu/e-reporter. -Ends- Notes to Editors:  

The 2009 Bridgestone e-reporter competition was open to all European students aged 18-30 in part- time or full-time education, on any educational course