Mississauga, Ont. – INFINITI is giving attendees of the 2017 Montreal International Auto Show (MIAS) press day a uniquely Canadian glimpse into its involvement with the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team. The Canadian winner of the 2016 INFINITI Engineering Academy, Félix Lamy, will return to home soil, pausing his engineering placement with INFINITI and the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team to attend MIAS on January 19th.
In July, Félix (21) won an once-in-a-lifetime, 12-month placement that is split between automotive and Formula One™ engineering, plus accommodation, access to an INFINITI Q30 company car and a full salary. Félix, who hails from Gatineau, Quebec, is playing a key role in exploring crossover opportunities and the sharing of technology between INFINITI road cars and Renault Sport Formula One Team projects.
Félix, along with his fellow Academy engineers have been meeting monthly, alongside their mentors, to share the freshest thinking and brightest ideas between the production vehicle and motorsport industries. INFINITI as a global brand brings two key elements to the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team: expertise in the Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) through its Performance Hybrid technology, and an international diversity of young, fresh thinking engineering talent, thanks to the INFINITI Engineering Academy.
"It was an honour to be chosen as the first Canadian winner of the INFINITI Engineering Academy, and I still have this surreal feeling two months into this dream-come-true-placement," says Félix Lamy. "INFINITI is doing something exceptional that no one else in the industry is through the INFINITI Engineering Academy. I'm at the forefront of automotive and motorsport engineering, and it's been incredible learning about how the two worlds intersect, and the end result on both sides. It's a pleasure to be home in Quebec and share my journey so far with the people who helped me get to this point in my engineering career."
INFINITI recently announced the 2017 edition of the INFINITI Engineering Academy, which will be the fourth successive year of this unique recruitment program. Having launched the careers of previous winners, including Félix Lamy, the INFINITI Engineering Academy is the technical recruitment initiative in Formula OneTM. For the 2017 edition, the seven global regions participating will be: Asia & Oceania, Canada, China, Europe (including Russia), Mexico, Middle East and United States. This marks the second year in a row that a Canadian student will have the opportunity to secure this money-can't-buy, life changing career opportunity.
INFINITI's powertrain expertise was recently recognized by Wards 10 Best Engines list for 2017 with the company's new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. The advanced VR-series engine is available across the range of Q50 sports sedan models, as well as the recently introduced, all-new INFINITI Q60 sports coupe – both models will be on display at the Montreal auto show, with the Q60 being shown for the first time.
"This is an evolutionary time for INFINITI in Canada. The sedans in our lineup continue their legendary trend to offer style, precision and power thanks to the award-winning VR-series engines. There are more INFINITI crossovers on the road than ever before, and the sports coupe segment has a new vanguard for style and appeal through the gorgeous INFINITI Q60," says Stephen Lester, managing director of INFINITI Canada. "Underlying our lineup is the partnership with the Renault Sport Formula One™ Team, which drives crossover technology from track-to-road. Félix Lamy's involvement in press day is a proof point to how INFINITI is revolutionizing the industry. The INFINITI Engineering Academy exemplifies the benefits a motorsport-automotive partnership brings to the customer, and with Félix's involvement, Canada is playing an even larger role in that."
The INFINITI Q50 sedan continues to be a top-seller for the INFINITI brand in Canada. With 2016 sales totaling 12,094, an increase of 6.8 per cent over last year, it was a major contributor to the luxury's brand best-ever year. This marks five years of consecutive annual sales growth for the INFINITI brand in Canada. In Quebec, the top-selling models are driven by INFINITI's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. The INFINITI QX60 premium crossover's Quebec sales totaled 894 units, an increase of 27.9 per cent. The QX50 luxury crossover also saw its best sales year ever, and was the third best-selling INFINITI vehicle in Quebec.
