Driver Training for Automotive
AVL ZalaZONE Driver Training, a premier program designed for engineers and professionals seeking to push their driving skills to the limit. This internationally recognized training is focused on dynamic vehicle control, advanced handling techniques, and performance driving in a controlled environment.
This course combines intensive practical exercises with essential theoretical knowledge, providing a deeper understanding of advanced driving techniques, vehicle dynamics, and control strategies.
Beyond refining technical skills, the training sharpens your ability to anticipate and respond to a vehicle’s behavior, allowing for more intuitive and precise handling—crucial for both professional testing and high-performance driving scenarios.
Completing this training is mandatory to obtain the driver training license, which is required for driving on the track.
Why choose AVL ZalaZONE Driver Training?
- Expert instruction: Learn from top-tier automotive professionals who guarantee the perfect organization and development of the activities.
- High-performance vehicles: Experience driving the Toyota GR86, a rear-wheel-drive sports car.
- Safe & controlled conditions: Master vehicle dynamics on a state-of-the-art test track.
- Real-world applications: Enhance driving skills applicable to vehicle development and testing.
- Essential licensing: Completing this training is mandatory to obtain the driver training license, which is required for driving on the track. This accredited license is recognized at multiple tracks.
Key training Elements
- 7 (+1) Intensive Exercises designed to develop advanced driving techniques.
- 4 Practical & 4 Evaluated runs (except for emergency braking and understeering).
- Evaluation criteria: Achieve a minimum of 2 successful evaluated runs.
Core training objectives
- Master high-speed vehicle control.
- Avoid hitting cones and maintain precise steering.
- Optimize lap times in dynamic maneuvers.
- Improve handling through oversteering, counter-steering, and understeering techniques.
What maneuvers are included in the AVL ZalaZONE Driver Training?
- Double lane change: The maneuver must be executed with precise steering without using brakes or gas, aiming to keep the vehicle on the ideal path. This task simulates avoiding a sudden obstacle. The goal is to reach the speed gate with a starting speed of at least 90 km/h while passing through the cone corridor without knocking over any cones.
- Slalom: The task is complex, as it requires attention to both correct steering movements and maintaining the right rhythm. Maintain this state for eight seconds, ensuring that the cones remain standing. If you are skilled, seven and a half seconds will suffice.
- High-speed emergency braking: You must brake from high speed so that the car comes to a stable stop at a designated location.
- Emergency braking with evasion: After completing the previous task, a new challenge follows. While emergency braking on a wet track, you must aim for a narrow corridor.
- Oversteering: In this task, the vehicle must be slid sideways, and you must prevent it from spinning out.
- Understeering: You need to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction and reduce the gas to regain control of the car.
- Drift: During this practice, you will drift on a wet basalt ring that resembles a snowy serpent. After half an hour of practice, you will be able to drift indefinitely in any direction.
- Handling track: Combining the previous exercises, you will navigate a racetrack within a time limit.
Training vehicle
- Toyota GR86 – A lightweight, manual-transmission sports car with a 2.4L naturally aspirated boxer engine delivering 235 HP.