FORMER Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld and Top Gear star Sabine Schmitz took to the track at Northampton International Raceway on Wednesday as part of the final rounds of the German finals of the Nissan GT Academy 2012.

The duo were part of the judging panel for the event, along with former World Touring Car Championship and international GT racer Peter Terting, and took to the track in cars loaned by a group of Rebels Racing drivers.

After both they and the Rebellers had taken to the track for the cameras of RTL it was time for the five finalists in the German edition of the 2012 Nissan GT Academy finals – fresh from further tests at Silverstone earlier in the day – to take to the track in their Rebels. The entry had been whittled down from twelve to five at the British Grand Prix venue earlier the same day, and of the star quintet Peter Pyzera was the fastest in James Joyce’s car, almost two seconds clear of Andres Monzon in the James Tucker car following a 15-lap shootout.

Nick Heidfeld enjoyed his few laps at the wheel of Tucker’s car and pronounced his first taste of short oval action “interesting and different” although was unsure if he would ever compete in a full meeting in the rough and tumble Rebels! Other cars present for the event were those of Oliver Faller, Anthony Masters, Adam Joyce, Stuart Mackinnon, Mark Wareham, Will Brown and Mark Burroughs, the latter with Dave Watkiss driving.

The Nissan GT Academy is run in conjunction with Sony PlayStation to use the online Gran Turismo game series to find a new racing talent each year among top online racers who want to take their skills onto the track for real. Previous winners include Spain’s Lucas Ordonez, who is now a star of sports prototype racing, and Welshman Jann Mardenborough who now competes for Nissan in the British GT Championship. Will Pyzera or one of his fellow finalists go on to international stardom in years to come?