Yes, the US, Russia and Germany have their own national finals to select 16 players for their own Boot Camps. The UK national final was to select 6 players for the European Boot Camp along with players from Spain, Portugal, BeNeLux, France, Italy, Austria, Poland and Switzerland.
There'll be four winners this year. They'll be from the USA, Russia, Germany and there'll be a European winner.
I thought you did extremely well in the media test. Your answers were clear, loud (despite the PA system next door!) and intelligent - in a second language. Of the 12 guys there, at least half of you were no different than listening to professional drivers being interviewed. You were in that half, easily, for me.
Better luck next year!
Just before the presentation I saw you sitting, literally, on the edge of your seat with your hands to your mouth - a portrait of nervous anticipation. Now, I'll grant you that I didn't see the Autotest - I was too busy having my internal organs re-arranged by Jann in the GT-R - but you were very, very clearly in the top 3 of every other discipline. You and Thomas were always going to make the final 6 and you'll be running each other damned close for the podium at the Boot Camp too - and I'd be tempted to put money on both of you for the final prize.
I did the Boot Camp as press in 2010 and the overall standard in the 12 man regional final yesterday was higher. The six finalists were just plain impressive and - autotest excluded, because I didn't see it - there were eight of the twelve who just impressed at everything. A couple of guys had a nervy media test and a couple struggled a bit with the fitness, but these are things they can improve themselves before next year - and none of the 12 would have been out of place at the 2010 Boot Camp, so you should all be damned proud of yourselves.
Nice!
