From Campos to Sainz Jr.: the Faenza-Spain's axis
Speaking about the Spanish Grand Prix, we can not forget Faenza-Spain’s axis, a twinning grown stronger and stronger over the years, through every Spanish driver, without only Pedro De La Rosa. The Minardi team led the way in 1987 hiring Adrian Campos. Today the baton has passed to Scuderia Toro Rosso, which can rely in its ranks on Carlos Sainz Jr., paired with the Dutchman Verstappen.
After its debut at the wheel of the M187, with its fourteenth placement as the best result exactly in Spain, Adrian Campos stopped in Faenza also the following season, along with Luis Perez Sala, before leaving the wheel of the M188 to Pierluigi Martini. For the team managed by Gian Carlo Minardi these were the first years in Formula 1 World Championship with its debut in 1985, but already in Detroit the first championship point was celebrated, thank to the sixth positiona of the manger from Romagna.
We arrive to the late 90’s and early 2000 with Marc Gené and Fernando Alonso. Before moving into Williams’ ranks ans then Ferrari as test driver, Gené defends the colors of the Minardi team in the 1999 and 2000 seasons, together with Luca Badoer and Gaston Mazzacane, winning points in the European Grand Prix at the wheel of the M01 with Ford engine, before passing the baton to his compatriot and future bi-world champion Fernando Alonso. The last Minardi’s Spanish driver was Antonio Garcia, who in 2002 fallen was at the wheel of Mark Webber’s PS02 for a test-drive, before moving successfully in competitions. In his record of achievements, it appeared in fact the ninth place in the WTCC ’05, along with 2008-2009-2011 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the wheel of Aston Martin and Corvette and 2009-2015 successes in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Considering the TR, 2009 was the year of Jaime Alguersuari and this year of son Carlos Sainz Jr. “They were really many Spanish drivers and I am pleased that since the Minardi Team signed his F1 debut in 1985, all drivers, except one, are passed to Faenza. For Minardi Team, along with Monza and Imola, the Spanish GP was the house race“, Gian Carlo Minardi says. “I have wonderful memories of both Spanish fans and drivers, an I am still in good terms with them. The last Spanish arrived in Faenza is Sainz Jr; he has all the skills to do well. I hope he’ll have better luck than his proceeded Alguersuari, victim of RB’s mistakes. In 2006, I attended his debut in Formula, at Imola: pole, victory and fastest lap in both races. I thought about a future in F1, that there has been, bout too short“, the manager from Faenza concludes. He will in Barcelona to follow also Luca Ghiotto and Raffaele Marciello, busy in GP3 and GP2 as bearers of ACI Team Italia.
