Esteban Tuero
Encyclopedia
Esteban Tuero is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 racing driver
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

 who raced for the Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...

 Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 team in 1998. At 19, he became the third-youngest F1 driver in history when he landed his seat alongside Shinji Nakano
Shinji Nakano
Shinji Nakano is a racing driver from Japan.His father, Tsuneharu was also a racing driver who competed in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship etc.-Pre Formula One Career:-Formula One Career:...

, but left the sport at the end of the season following a neck injury.

Early life

Esteban Tuero was born at a time when the likes of Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...

 and Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...

 were just beginning their careers. The Argentine Grand Prix
Argentine Grand Prix
The Argentine Grand Prix was a round of the Formula One championship, held intermittently from to . Although it is no longer on the Formula One calendar, the race has a long and varied history...

 was based near to his home, at the Oscar Gálvez
Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez
The Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez is a motor racing circuit in Buenos Aires, Argentina built in 1952 under president Juan Perón, named Autódromo 17 de Octubre until Perón's overthrow, as 17 October was a date of great significance to his political party....

 race circuit. This meant that Formula One was popular where he grew up and, though the grand prix was discontinued in 1981, the sport was one of the biggest in the country.

Tuero was born to a family who had a huge interest in motor racing, his father being a minor race car driver, and so Esteban was groomed for the big time from an early age by beginning karts at the age of seven. He would drive karts until 1992, moving up to the Formula series the following year.

Minor formulae career

Tuero moved up to car racing in 1993, spending a season with the Crespi team in Formula Renault. In 1994, he switched to Formula Honda with the Kissling team, becoming champion. All of his career so far had been in his native Argentina, so despite the pressures of racing in a Formula series whilst only 14, he was given his first taste of traveling the continent with a few races in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

n Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

, driving a Ralt/Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...

 with the INI team.

In 1995, he moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, his father knowing his career would need to go there in order to gain momentum. He won the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Formula 2000 National Trophy by a large margin in a Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...

 392, and was also given a taste of Italian Formula Three in a Dallara 395. In 1996, he joined the bigger Italian F3 team Coloni Motorsport, driving a Dallara 396 with an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo in motorsport
During its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private...

 engine. His performances in the series started generating interest from Formula One teams, with Benetton
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...

 in the frame for signing him. It would be Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...

, though, who secured his services as a test driver for the team, despite being just 18 years old.

Route to Formula One

His 1996 Formula Three season was a success, showcasing his skills. Tuero finished fourth in his first race, and he won his second race, only to be disqualified due to using illegal fuel. In the non-championship Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

 event, he would start on the front row alongside the future successful F1 driver Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli is an Italian Formula One racing driver. He has been a regular in Formula One since 1997, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault and Toyota. He won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix for Renault, his only Grand Prix victory to date. He is known for being a qualification expert...

, battling with him before eventually punting him at the hairpin on Lap 17. Tuero would retire due to a flat battery later in the race.

Tuero opted to not finish the season in Formula Three, though, and jumped ship to Formula 3000 halfway through. His finishes in Italian F3 left him 13th in the final championship standings. At the age of 16, Tuero's inexperience showed in F3000, his run for Draco resulting in only one top ten and a final championship position of 16th. His poor performance for Draco meant he was dropped for 1997, but instead of dropping to Formula 3, he went to the Formula Nippon
Formula Nippon
Formula Nippon is a type of formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan.Formula Nippon evolved from the Japanese Formula 2000 series begun in 1973 by way of the Japanese Formula Two and Japanese Formula 3000 championships...

 series in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. He only scored one point and finished 16th in the standings (ending up 81 points down on championship winner Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race...

), but Tuero covered the required mileage making him eligible for an F1 Super License
FIA Super Licence
The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver. The licence is issued by the FIA upon request....

. His continuing test role with Minardi impressed the team to the extent that the Italian outfit gave him a race seat for the 1998 season, alongside the Japanese driver Shinji Nakano
Shinji Nakano
Shinji Nakano is a racing driver from Japan.His father, Tsuneharu was also a racing driver who competed in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship etc.-Pre Formula One Career:-Formula One Career:...

.

Formula One career

Initially there were doubts over whether Tuero would be allowed to compete in the 1998 season
1998 Formula One season
The 1998 Formula One season was the 49th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 8, 1998, and ended on November 1 after sixteen races.-Season summary:...

. Although Minardi had signed him to a valid contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

, he failed to meet all of the requirements of the Super License. F1 pundit Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle
Martin John Brundle is a British racing driver from England, known as a Formula One driver and as an F1 commentator for ITV Sport from 1997 to 2008, the BBC from 2009 to 2011 and Sky Sports from 2012....

 was quoted as saying, "As for Tuero, it would have been scary. I don't like to see these guys out there with so little experience. Imagine it: even if he didn't qualify, he'd be getting in the way during qualifying. And if he did qualify, then he'd definitely be lapped plenty. He'd have really needed to have his wits about him. To be honest, it annoys me, people like that, with zilch credibility."

Tuero was eventually awarded his license by the FIA and, upon starting the season at 19 years of age, he become the third-youngest ever F1 driver at the time (only Mike Thackwell
Mike Thackwell
Michael Thackwell is a former racing driver, who competed in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula One. The second youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He...

 and Ricardo Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodríguez (Formula One)
Ricardo Rodríguez was a Mexican racing driver who competed in the 1961 and 1962 Formula One seasons. His elder brother, Pedro, was also a noted racing driver who had much success in sports car racing and Formula One....

 had competed at a younger age). He qualified 17th at Melbourne
1998 Australian Grand Prix
The 1998 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Albert Park street circuit in inner Melbourne on 8 March. It was the 63rd race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...

, ahead of his teammate Nakano. Minardi was a team stuck at the back of the pack with the Tyrrell
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...

s, who were competing their final season in F1, and Tuero only made the top ten once, at the 1998 San Marino Grand Prix
1998 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1998 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Imola on April 26, 1998. The race was won by David Coulthard and represented his first win since the 1997 Italian Grand Prix.-Race Summary:...

.
His final race of the season would also be his final race in a single seater Formula sport, at the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix
1998 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1998 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on November 1, 1998.- Classification :-Standings after Grand Prix:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...

. Starting 21st on the Suzuka
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...

 grid, he crashed into Toranosuke Takagi
Toranosuke Takagi
Toranosuke Takagi, known simply as Tora Takagi is a Japanese race car driver.- Early career :...

 on lap 29, injuring a vertrebra in his neck in the process. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Ferrari's
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....

 Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...

 who was challenging McLaren's Mika Häkkinen
Mika Häkkinen
Mika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...

 for the driver's title passed the accident with carbon fibre littering the race track. Schumacher then suffered a catastrophic rear tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...

 failure forcing him to retire and thus handing Häkkinen the title.

After Formula One

Tuero quit Formula One after the 1998 season. In 1999, he joined the Argentinian TC2000 touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...

 series, where he struggled to make an impact by finishing outside the top ten overall. He later won two races at the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....

 which was one of the three official Volkswagen cars on the grid. After that, Volkswagen discontinued his official link with the team while they were developing new cars for the series. The new car, a Volkswagen Bora, was far from reliable. In fact, Tuero was leading some races with a nice gap and then he had to retire due to mechanical failures.
He was linked with a pay-drivers seat in the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 series for 2002, but it never happened. Despite that he continued racing at TC2000 with several teams and some successful performances.

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points
1996 Draco Engineering
Draco Racing
Draco Racing is a motorsports team from Italy. It currently operates in the World Series by Renault, but has also taken part in Formula Opel Lotus, International Formula 3000 and Euro Formula 3000.-Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries:...

NÜR
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...


PAU
PER
Autodromo di Pergusa
The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna....


HOC
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...


SIL
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...


14
SPA
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...


17
MAG
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km from Paris...


10
EST
Autódromo do Estoril
The Autódromo do Estoril is a race course in Portugal, owned by state-run holding management company Parpública. Its length is . It was the home of the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996....


Ret
MUG
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which...


13
HOC
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...


Ret
24th 0

Complete Formula One Grand Prix results

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1998
1998 Formula One season
The 1998 Formula One season was the 49th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 8, 1998, and ended on November 1 after sixteen races.-Season summary:...

Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...

Minardi
Minardi
Minardi was an automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following of fans...

 M198
Minardi M198
The Minardi M198 was the car with which the Minardi Formula One team used to compete in the 1998 Formula One season. It was driven by Shinji Nakano, who had moved from Prost, and rookie Esteban Tuero....

Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 V10
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...

AUS
1998 Australian Grand Prix
The 1998 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Albert Park street circuit in inner Melbourne on 8 March. It was the 63rd race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...


Ret
BRA
1998 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Interlagos on March 29, 1998. Mika Häkkinen, won his third straight race, with McLaren, also securing their third straight one two finish.-Race Summary:...


Ret
ARG
1998 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1998 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires on April 12, 1998. The race was won by Michael Schumacher, and represented his first win of the season...


Ret
SMR
1998 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1998 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Imola on April 26, 1998. The race was won by David Coulthard and represented his first win since the 1997 Italian Grand Prix.-Race Summary:...


8
ESP
1998 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1998 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 10, 1998 at the Circuit de Catalunya.-Race Summary:Mika Häkkinen qualified in pole position, 0.7 seconds ahead of his McLaren team-mate David Coulthard in second place, with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher a further 0.8 seconds behind in...


15
MON
1998 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1998 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 24, 1998. The race was won by Mika Häkkinen, his fourth win of the season.-Qualifying Summary:...


Ret
CAN
1998 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1998 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 7, 1998. The race was won by Michael Schumacher, however the race is probably best remembered for the crash on the first lap involving Alexander Wurz and Jean Alesi, which resulted in the race being red...


Ret
FRA
1998 French Grand Prix
The 1998 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Magny-Cours on June 28, 1998. The race was won by Michael Schumacher.-Qualifying Summary:...


Ret
GBR
1998 British Grand Prix
The 1998 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on 12 July 1998. The race was won by Michael Schumacher in controversial circumstances.- Qualifying :...


Ret
AUT
1998 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1998 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the A1-Ring on July 26, 1998. A mixed-up grid resulted from a wet/dry qualifying session, with Giancarlo Fisichella taking his first pole position. Mika Häkkinen won the race...


Ret
GER
1998 German Grand Prix
The 1998 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Hockenheimring on August 2, 1998. Mika Häkkinen won the race for McLaren Mercedes.-Qualifying:...


16
HUN
1998 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 1998 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hungaroring on August 16, 1998.The race was won by Michael Schumacher, who started the race 16 points behind Mika Häkkinen, and was behind both McLarens for the first half of the race, which would have effectively ended his...


Ret
BEL
1998 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 30, 1998, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps; contested over 44 laps, it was the 13th race of the 1998 Formula One season. The race was won by Damon Hill driving for the Jordan team...


Ret
ITA
1998 Italian Grand Prix
The 1998 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 13, 1998. The race was won by Michael Schumacher. This was also the last win for tyre manufacturer Goodyear in Formula One....


11
LUX
1998 Luxembourg Grand Prix
The 1998 Luxembourg Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on September 27, 1998.-Report:With two races remaining of the season, McLaren's Mika Häkkinen and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher were battling for the drivers title; they were level on 80 points with Häkkinen ahead on...


Ret
JPN
1998 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1998 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on November 1, 1998.- Classification :-Standings after Grand Prix:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...


Ret
NC 0

Sources

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