Talent Camp: New Generation 2026 – The start of the season belonged to the young drivers
Orechová Potôň / Bratislava – May 28, 2026 – The Slovak Association of Motorsport (SAMŠ), with the support of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), successfully delivered an innovative project entitled Talent Camp: New Generation 2026. Focused on identifying and educating a new generation of drivers, this multidisciplinary event represents one of SAMŠ’s largest youth development projects.
Connecting the digital and real worlds
This year’s camp was marked by a unique combination of traditional karting and digital motorsport (e-sports). A total of 43 participants completed an intensive program that included not only on-track driving at the Slovakia Karting Centre and in the MAX 60 hall, as well as on simulators provided by the Racing Trevor team, but also in-depth theoretical preparation. Physiotherapists and physical conditioning coaches also played an important role in modern motorsport and were given space within the program.
A mental coach also focused on the specific relationship between parent and child in motorsport, where the parent often takes on the role of coach, mechanic, or manager.
The camp also included a specialized e-sports (sim racing) block led by the Digital Motorsport SK team, where young talented drivers learned that sim racing is not just a game, but a professional training platform used by top teams. The program was designed so that drivers would gain both theoretical and practical experience, understand the importance of telemetry, and be prepared for new challenges in this newest motorsport discipline in Slovakia.
All Talent Camp participants had the opportunity to learn from the best. Instructor roles were taken on by leading Slovak drivers such as Matej Homola, the reigning Slovak hill climb champion, karting driver competing in Italy Lukáš Málek, FIA Motorsport Games esports participant Erik Mucska, as well as Slovak karting representative Jakub Gašparovič, who represented Slovakia in the prestigious FIA Karting Academy Trophy series, where he achieved a historic victory for Slovak karting.
“When I started out, there was no such initiative. Giving young drivers a guide on how to be successful is not just about steering the wheel, but also about mental and physical preparation,” said Matej Homola.
The entire project was led by Leonard Hrobárek, sports manager of SAMŠ, who added that the goal was to provide comprehensive know-how to beginner drivers as well as their parents.
According to SAMŠ representatives, the development of the youngest athletes is on the rise, and the camp prepares them not only for results on track, but also for safe behavior in real traffic. The positive feedback from participants commits the national motorsport governing body in Slovakia to continue this form of talent development.
In the future, SAMŠ plans to expand the Talent Camp to include additional disciplines.
@SAMŠ
