HiTech Racing
Encyclopedia
Rapax Team, formerly known as Minardi Piquet Sports or Minardi by Piquet Sports, Piquet Sports and Piquet GP is a motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was created in 2000 by triple world champion Nelson Piquet
. In 2007, Piquet Sports and GP Racing merged to create "Minardi Piquet Sports". In 2008, the team dropped "Minardi" from their name. In early 2009, the team was sold and rebranded as Piquet GP, but changed its name again in November to Rapax Team, once all remaining ties to part-owner Piquet were cut.
. The team then debuted in the FIA International Formula 3000 championship in 1998 with French driver, Cyrille Sauvage
, only managing two points. In 1999 they expanded to two cars with Italian, Fabrizio Gollin in one car and Giovanni Montanari, Gaston Mazzacane
and Laurent Delahaye sharing the second. However none of the drivers managed to score points
Towards the end of 1999, GP Racing entered the Italian F3000 with just a single car driven by Thomas Biagi
. Despite only competing in the last 3 races, Biagi scored enough points to end the season 4th in points. In 2000, Swiss driver Gabriele Gardel joined the team in a second car alongside Biagi. It was a somewhat disappointing season with Biagi only ending the season 5th with Gardel failing to score. GP Racing came 6th in the teams championship. Both Biagi and Gardel continued with the team in 2001. Biagi had a much better season taking the GP Racing's first win at Donington Park
on his way to 2nd in the championship. Gardel came 9th overall while the team came 2nd in the teams championship. 2002 was once again a peak season: GP Racing came 4th out of the 14 teams that participated on the constructor’s classification with Alessandro Piccolo
and Martin Basso
. In 2003 for the third consecutive year, GP Racing competed in Euro 3000 Series Championship with promising young talents behind the wheel: Italian Fabrizio Del Monte
,Russian Roman Rusinov
and young Belgian Maxime Hodencq
who replaced Rusinov for the last two races. Once again, it was a positive season for the team: Del Monte was second in the driver’s classification and GP Racing was third in the constructor’s title. In 2004, GP Racing confirmed its position at the top in Superfund Euro 3000 as well with Tor Graves
joining Del Monte and Hodencq in a third car for the team. The title slipped out of Del Monte’s hands during the last race by one point only. The Italian had already conquered three wins, various podiums and was in the lead for 9 out of 10 races. An unfortunate collision with Graves at the start of the last round took the joy of winning the much deserved title away from Fabrizio and GP Racing. Hodencq scored 3 points on the way to 11th overall while Graves failed to score.
In 2005 GP Racing participated in the Italian F3000 Championship with the Lola BO2 driven by Fabrizio Del Monte and by the débuting Juan Caceres
who ended the season 5th. Alex Lloyd
and Toni Vilander
also raced for the team later in the season after Del Monte left. GP Racing took 3rd in the teams championship. The team also participated in the LMES Championship with Promec (only one race in Monza).
In 2006, GP Racing linked-up with Gian Carlo Minardi to form the Minardi
Team by GP Racing, which competed with good results in the new Euroseries 3000. Caceres stayed on with the team alongside Christiano Rocha though neither would complete the season. Despite having somewhat of a revolving door with no less than 6 drivers racing throughout the season, the team secured 2nd in the teams championship. Roldan Rodriguez
, Diego Nunes
, Davide Rigon
and Fausto Ippoliti
would complete the season while Rocha returned to the team in a third car. Rocha finished the season in 4th while Rodriguez and Caceras were 6th and 7th respectively.
Piquet Sports was founded in 2000 by Brazil
ian Nelson Piquet
, a triple Formula One
World Drivers' Champion, for his son Nelson Piquet Jr. with Filipe Vargas, the team manager, setting up the operation. The team's first competition was the South American Formula Three Championship
where Piquet Jr. took second in his first race and won four races later in Cascavel. The young Brazilian finished 5th in the championship with 77 points, while Piquet Sports finished fourth in the team's championship, also scoring 77 points.
The team stuck with competing in the South American championship the following year, which they took a majority thirteen of a possible eighteen wins scoring a total of 296 points as Piquet Jr. and Piquet Sports took the Drivers' and Teams' titles respectively, with the Brazilian having a margin of over a hundred points from his nearest rival Danilo Dirani
. The team's racing interest went across the Atlantic
for 2003 as the team entered the British Formula Three Championship
. The team performed well in their début season, with Piquet Jr. taking six wins over the year with a further five podiums brought his points tally to 231 points, putting him third in the final standings for the Drivers' Championship behind Alan van der Merwe
and Jamie Green
.
The team's racing involvement was split in 2004 with the team entering Piquet Jr. for a second season in the British championship while bringing their attention back to the South American championship, entering fellow Brazilian Alexandre Sarnes Negrão
. Both Piquet and Negrão took their respective championship crowns, taking a total of sixteen wins between them.
The team graduated into the newly formed GP2 series
, which replaced Formula 3000 as the feeder series of Formula One. The team entered their two champions Piquet Jr. and Negrão for their debut season in the category. British
team HiTech Racing
formed an association with the team's GP2 activities but this was terminated mid-way through 2005
. The team finished sixth in their debut season with Piquet scoring a single win at Spa-Francorchamps
.
2006
saw Piquet produce their most competitive season to date, with the Piquet Jr. taking four wins and challenging Lewis Hamilton
to that year's title. The Brazilian, however, lost out by twelve points to the Brit and the team also lost out to Hamilton's ART Grand Prix
team in the Teams' Championship.
Piquet Jr. left the squad at the end of 2006 to join Renault Formula One team
as the team's test driver.
Roldán Rodríguez
was employed to replace Piquet, Jr. The newly named team enjoyed little, if any, success in 2007 GP2 Series season
with Negrão failing to take the mantle of team leader and only scored a single podium position. The team finished the year with 22 points and outside the top ten in the Teams' Championship. In the Euro Series 3000 GP Racing won both the drivers and teams championship both with Davide Rigon
and Diego Nunes
completing a championship 1-2.
For 2008, the Minardi name was dropped from the team's title. 2008 saw the team gain some success, with Italian
Marco Bonanomi
taking a win in the newly formed Asia series
and new signing Pastor Maldonado
, winner of the previous season's race in Monaco
, taking the team's first pole position in the series at the opening round in Catalunya
.
2008 would be the team's final year in the Euro Series 3000. Fabio Onidi
joined the team alongside the returning Roldan Rodriguez who shared the lead car with Pastor Maldonado
and Fabrizio Crestani
. Onidi just lost out on the drivers title by 2 points to Nicolas Prost
while Crestani ended up 5th. The team also lost out to Bull Racing by 8 points in the battle for the teams championship.
For the 2009 season, the team was renamed Piquet GP and Rodriguez returned to the team alongside Durango
exponent Alberto Valerio
.
Roman legion. Pastor Maldonado
rejoined the team, alongside Luiz Razia
. Maldonado currently leads the GP2 standings.
s on the Dallara
made it a "prototype" model – the team escaped punishment.
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...
. In 2007, Piquet Sports and GP Racing merged to create "Minardi Piquet Sports". In 2008, the team dropped "Minardi" from their name. In early 2009, the team was sold and rebranded as Piquet GP, but changed its name again in November to Rapax Team, once all remaining ties to part-owner Piquet were cut.
GP Racing
GP Racing was founded in 1997 by Tancredi Pagiaro to compete in the Italian Formula Three ChampionshipItalian Formula Three Championship
The Italian Formula Three Championship is the Formula Three racing competition in Italy.-History:Formula Three has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone for F1 hopefuls - it is typically the first point in a driver's career at which most drivers in the series are aiming at...
. The team then debuted in the FIA International Formula 3000 championship in 1998 with French driver, Cyrille Sauvage
Cyrille Sauvage
Cyrille Sauvage is a French racing driver. He has competed in such series as International Formula 3000 and Porsche Supercup. He won both the Championnat de France Formule Renault and the Eurocup Formula Renault in 1995....
, only managing two points. In 1999 they expanded to two cars with Italian, Fabrizio Gollin in one car and Giovanni Montanari, Gaston Mazzacane
Gastón Mazzacane
Gastón Hugo Mazzacane is a racing driver from Argentina. He participated in 21 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 12, 2000. He scored no championship points....
and Laurent Delahaye sharing the second. However none of the drivers managed to score points
Towards the end of 1999, GP Racing entered the Italian F3000 with just a single car driven by Thomas Biagi
Thomas Biagi
Thomas Biagi is a professional racecar driver from Italy. Biagi was born in Bologna, in 7 May 1976.Biagi started his career in single seaters, driving in Formula Alfa Boxer and Italian Formula Three Championship, where he was 5th best in 1995, with two wins. From there, he moved up to the FIA...
. Despite only competing in the last 3 races, Biagi scored enough points to end the season 4th in points. In 2000, Swiss driver Gabriele Gardel joined the team in a second car alongside Biagi. It was a somewhat disappointing season with Biagi only ending the season 5th with Gardel failing to score. GP Racing came 6th in the teams championship. Both Biagi and Gardel continued with the team in 2001. Biagi had a much better season taking the GP Racing's first win at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
on his way to 2nd in the championship. Gardel came 9th overall while the team came 2nd in the teams championship. 2002 was once again a peak season: GP Racing came 4th out of the 14 teams that participated on the constructor’s classification with Alessandro Piccolo
Alessandro Piccolo
-Formula Renault:Piccolo finished fourth in the 2003 Formula Renault 2000 Italy championship, with 131 points.-Euro F3000:Piccolo competed in the Euro Formula 3000 championship in both 2001 and 2002, establishing himself as a frontrunner with one win, two pole positions and five podium finishes...
and Martin Basso
Martín Basso
Martín Basso is an Argentine racing driver. He has run in different series, with major success in Formula Three Sudamericana and TC 2000....
. In 2003 for the third consecutive year, GP Racing competed in Euro 3000 Series Championship with promising young talents behind the wheel: Italian Fabrizio Del Monte
Fabrizio del Monte
Fabrizio Del Monte is an Italian racing driver.He drove three seasons in European Formula 3000 before driving three Champ Car events in 2005, often on the strength of sponsorship. He said he had secured Midland's third driver seat for the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, but this fell through when ...
,Russian Roman Rusinov
Roman Rusinov
Roman Aleksandrovich Rusinov is a Russian auto racing driver.Rusinov was the first Russian driver to win an international race in Europe, in 2000 he won the International Renault Finals in French Formula Renault. In 2002 he led the Formula Palmer Audi championship till the last event, but collided...
and young Belgian Maxime Hodencq
Maxime Hodencq
Maxime Hodencq is a Belgian racing driver from Anderlecht.Hodencq moved directly from Karting to Belgian Formula Renault and a part-time Euro Formula 3000 ride in 2003 at 16 years old. In 2004 he competed full-time in Euro F3000 and finished 11th in points. He competed in two Formel 3 Cup races in...
who replaced Rusinov for the last two races. Once again, it was a positive season for the team: Del Monte was second in the driver’s classification and GP Racing was third in the constructor’s title. In 2004, GP Racing confirmed its position at the top in Superfund Euro 3000 as well with Tor Graves
Tor Graves
Tor Graves is a Thai racing driver.-Career:1993: British Formula First1994: 7th British Formula First1995: 10th British Formula Renault1996: 14th British Formula Renault1997: 11th British Formula Renault...
joining Del Monte and Hodencq in a third car for the team. The title slipped out of Del Monte’s hands during the last race by one point only. The Italian had already conquered three wins, various podiums and was in the lead for 9 out of 10 races. An unfortunate collision with Graves at the start of the last round took the joy of winning the much deserved title away from Fabrizio and GP Racing. Hodencq scored 3 points on the way to 11th overall while Graves failed to score.
In 2005 GP Racing participated in the Italian F3000 Championship with the Lola BO2 driven by Fabrizio Del Monte and by the débuting Juan Caceres
Juan Cáceres
Juan Ignacio Cáceres is a Uruguayan race car driver from Punta del Este.Caceres began racing in Europe in 2001 and has competed in Italian Formula Renault, Spanish/Portuguese Formula BMW Junior Cup , and Spanish Formula Three. In 2005 he drove in Italian Formula 3000 and had a Formula One test...
who ended the season 5th. Alex Lloyd
Alex Lloyd
Alex Lloyd is an Australian singer-songwriter. His most popular album Watching Angels Mend, which includes the songs "Amazing" and "Green", was released in 2001 went double platinum. His third album Distant Light released in 2003 featured three songs that made the Australian top 40 singles charts...
and Toni Vilander
Toni Vilander
Toni Markus Vilander is a Finnish race car driver who competed in the GP2 Series in 2005. He was also GT2 class champion of the FIA GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.-Career:...
also raced for the team later in the season after Del Monte left. GP Racing took 3rd in the teams championship. The team also participated in the LMES Championship with Promec (only one race in Monza).
In 2006, GP Racing linked-up with Gian Carlo Minardi to form 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...
Team by GP Racing, which competed with good results in the new Euroseries 3000. Caceres stayed on with the team alongside Christiano Rocha though neither would complete the season. Despite having somewhat of a revolving door with no less than 6 drivers racing throughout the season, the team secured 2nd in the teams championship. Roldan Rodriguez
Roldán Rodríguez
Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :...
, Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes is a Brazilian racing driver.-Formula Renault:Nunes began his car racing career by driving full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil championship in 2003 and 2004, having competed in selected events in 2002...
, Davide Rigon
Davide Rigon
Davide Rigon is an Italian racing driver.-Career:Starting out in Formula BMW ADAC in 2003, he progressed to the Italian Formula Renault Championship and Italian Formula Three...
and Fausto Ippoliti
Fausto Ippoliti
-Fausto Ippoliti's Career:1997: 4th Italian Formula Campus1999: 3rd Italian Formula 3 Federal2000: 13th Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup2001: 5th Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup2002: 5th Italian Formula 3 Championship ....
would complete the season while Rocha returned to the team in a third car. Rocha finished the season in 4th while Rodriguez and Caceras were 6th and 7th respectively.
Piquet Sports
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian 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...
, a triple 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...
World Drivers' Champion, for his son Nelson Piquet Jr. with Filipe Vargas, the team manager, setting up the operation. The team's first competition was the South American Formula Three Championship
Formula Three Sudamericana
Formula Three Sudamericana is the official name for the South American Formula Three Championship. It was inaugurated in 1987 and currently holds events in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay...
where Piquet Jr. took second in his first race and won four races later in Cascavel. The young Brazilian finished 5th in the championship with 77 points, while Piquet Sports finished fourth in the team's championship, also scoring 77 points.
The team stuck with competing in the South American championship the following year, which they took a majority thirteen of a possible eighteen wins scoring a total of 296 points as Piquet Jr. and Piquet Sports took the Drivers' and Teams' titles respectively, with the Brazilian having a margin of over a hundred points from his nearest rival Danilo Dirani
Danilo Dirani
Danilo Dirani is a racing driver from Brazil. He was born on January 10, 1983 in São Paulo. In his karting career , Danilo won 29 different championships in South America....
. The team's racing interest went across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
for 2003 as the team entered the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
. The team performed well in their début season, with Piquet Jr. taking six wins over the year with a further five podiums brought his points tally to 231 points, putting him third in the final standings for the Drivers' Championship behind Alan van der Merwe
Alan van der Merwe
style="float:right; background:transparent;"|Alan van der Merwe is a South African race car driver.He won the 2001 Formula Ford Festival, he was the 2003 British Formula Three Champion and ran for Super Nova Racing in Formula 3000 in 2004...
and Jamie Green
Jamie Green
Jamie Green is a British professional racing driver. He is currently employed by Persson Motorsport in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters touring car championship.-Early career:...
.
The team's racing involvement was split in 2004 with the team entering Piquet Jr. for a second season in the British championship while bringing their attention back to the South American championship, entering fellow Brazilian Alexandre Sarnes Negrão
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão , nicknamed Xandinho, is a Brazilian race car driver. He raced in the first three seasons of the GP2 Series, all with the Piquet Sports team, having won the Formula Three Sudamericana championship in 2004....
. Both Piquet and Negrão took their respective championship crowns, taking a total of sixteen wins between them.
GP2 Series
The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
, which replaced Formula 3000 as the feeder series of Formula One. The team entered their two champions Piquet Jr. and Negrão for their debut season in the category. British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
team HiTech Racing
HiTech Racing
Rapax Team, formerly known as Minardi Piquet Sports or Minardi by Piquet Sports, Piquet Sports and Piquet GP is a motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was created in 2000 by triple world champion...
formed an association with the team's GP2 activities but this was terminated mid-way through 2005
2005 GP2 Series season
The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second....
. The team finished sixth in their debut season with Piquet scoring a single win at Spa-Francorchamps
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...
.
2006
2006 GP2 Series season
The 2006 GP2 Series season began at Valencia, Spain on April 8, 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on September 10, 2006. The season was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton, with Brazilian Nelson Angelo Piquet finishing second.-The chassis:...
saw Piquet produce their most competitive season to date, with the Piquet Jr. taking four wins and challenging Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
to that year's title. The Brazilian, however, lost out by twelve points to the Brit and the team also lost out to Hamilton's ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix
Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:...
team in the Teams' Championship.
Piquet Jr. left the squad at the end of 2006 to join Renault Formula One team
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...
as the team's test driver.
Merger of GP Racing and Piquet Sports
Piquet Sports merged with GP Racing ahead of the 2007 season to create "Minardi by Piquet Sports". SpaniardSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Roldán Rodríguez
Roldán Rodríguez
Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :...
was employed to replace Piquet, Jr. The newly named team enjoyed little, if any, success in 2007 GP2 Series season
2007 GP2 Series season
The 2007 GP2 Series season began on April 14 at Bahrain. Timo Glock was crowned series champion on September 30 after winning the final round at Valencia, with Brazilian Lucas di Grassi finishing second.-Season summary:...
with Negrão failing to take the mantle of team leader and only scored a single podium position. The team finished the year with 22 points and outside the top ten in the Teams' Championship. In the Euro Series 3000 GP Racing won both the drivers and teams championship both with Davide Rigon
Davide Rigon
Davide Rigon is an Italian racing driver.-Career:Starting out in Formula BMW ADAC in 2003, he progressed to the Italian Formula Renault Championship and Italian Formula Three...
and Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes
Diego Nunes is a Brazilian racing driver.-Formula Renault:Nunes began his car racing career by driving full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil championship in 2003 and 2004, having competed in selected events in 2002...
completing a championship 1-2.
For 2008, the Minardi name was dropped from the team's title. 2008 saw the team gain some success, with 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...
Marco Bonanomi
Marco Bonanomi
-Formula Renault:Bonanomi began his car racing career in 2001 by competing in a few rounds of the Formula Renault Eurocup and Italian Formula Renault championships with the Cram Competition team...
taking a win in the newly formed Asia series
GP2 Asia Series
The GP2 Asia Series is a form of open wheel motor racing based on the GP2 series.The series was officially announced during the weekend of the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. GP2 series organiser Bruno Michel commented that "It is of great importance that the GP2 Asia Series maintains a strong and viable...
and new signing Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
, winner of the previous season's race in Monaco
Circuit de Monaco
Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.The circuit is used on one weekend in...
, taking the team's first pole position in the series at the opening round in Catalunya
Circuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit.-History:...
.
2008 would be the team's final year in the Euro Series 3000. Fabio Onidi
Fabio Onidi
Fabio Onidi is a professional racing driver from Italy.-Karting:Prior to starting his racing career, Onidi raced in karting for a number of years, finishing sixth in the European Championship ICA Junior category and winning the Italian Championship ICA Junior title in 2003.-Formula BMW:Onidi began...
joined the team alongside the returning Roldan Rodriguez who shared the lead car with Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
and Fabrizio Crestani
Fabrizio Crestani
- Career :Having competed in karts until 2005, Crestani moved up to the Formula Junior 1600 Italia championship, finishing in 4th place in the championship, driving for PSR Motorsport. Crestani had one win and finished behind Pasquale Di Sabatino, Mihai Marinescu and Jaime Alguersuari in the...
. Onidi just lost out on the drivers title by 2 points to Nicolas Prost
Nicolas Prost
Nicolas Jean Prost is a French-Armenian racing driver currently racing for A1 Team France in the A1 Grand Prix series, and for ELK Motorsport in the Euroseries 3000, which he won in 2008.-Career:...
while Crestani ended up 5th. The team also lost out to Bull Racing by 8 points in the battle for the teams championship.
For the 2009 season, the team was renamed Piquet GP and Rodriguez returned to the team alongside Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
exponent Alberto Valerio
Alberto Valerio
-Formula Three:Valerio drove in the Formula Three Sudamericana championship from 2003 to 2005, winning the title in his final year of the category. For 2006 he moved to the British championship, finishing 11th in the championship...
.
Formation of Rapax
During 2009, the team was sold and all remaining ties with part-owner Nelson Piquet were severed. The team was rebranded "Rapax" at the beginning of 2010, after the Legio XXI RapaxLegio XXI Rapax
Legio vigesima prima rapax was a Roman legion levied in 31 BC by Augustus, probably from men previously enlisted in other legions. The XXI Rapax was destroyed in 92 by the Dacians and Sarmatians...
Roman legion. Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
rejoined the team, alongside Luiz Razia
Luiz Razia
Luiz Tadeu Razia Filho is a Brazilian racing driver.-Early career:Razia began his single seater career in 2005 in the South American Formula 3 championship. Driving for Dragão Motorsport, Razia finished sixth in the championship taking six podium finishes, including two race wins...
. Maldonado currently leads the GP2 standings.
Controversies
During their existence so far in motor racing, Piquet Sports have been involved some controversies over the years, most notably in 2002 when Piquet Jr. won that year's title. A number of teams protested at the team for "illegal testing" over the course of the season, Piquet Sports argued that the newly installed mudflapMudflap
A mudflap is used in combination with the vehicle fender to protect the vehicle, passengers, other vehicles, and pedestrians from mud and other flying debris thrown into the air by the rotating tire...
s on the 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...
made it a "prototype" model – the team escaped punishment.
Results
| GP2 Series GP2 Series The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1... Results |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team name | Car | Drivers | Races | Wins | Poles | Fast laps | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
| 2005 2005 GP2 Series season The 2005 GP2 Series season started in Imola, San Marino on April 23, and ended in Manama, Bahrain on September 30. The season was won by the German Nico Rosberg, with the Finn Heikki Kovalainen finishing second.... |
 HitechHitech Racing Hitech Racing is a British motor racing team. It was founded in 2002 by Dennis Rushen and David Hayle. The team started racing in the British Formula Three Championship in 2003.-Formula Three:... /Piquet Racing |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
 Nelson Angelo Piquet |
23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 8th | 6th |
| Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão , nicknamed Xandinho, is a Brazilian race car driver. He raced in the first three seasons of the GP2 Series, all with the Piquet Sports team, having won the Formula Three Sudamericana championship in 2004.... |
23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19th | ||||
| 2006 2006 GP2 Series season The 2006 GP2 Series season began at Valencia, Spain on April 8, 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on September 10, 2006. The season was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton, with Brazilian Nelson Angelo Piquet finishing second.-The chassis:... |
Piquet Sports |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
Nelson Angelo Piquet |
21 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 102 | 2nd | 2nd |
| Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão , nicknamed Xandinho, is a Brazilian race car driver. He raced in the first three seasons of the GP2 Series, all with the Piquet Sports team, having won the Formula Three Sudamericana championship in 2004.... |
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13th | ||||
| 2007 2007 GP2 Series season The 2007 GP2 Series season began on April 14 at Bahrain. Timo Glock was crowned series champion on September 30 after winning the final round at Valencia, with Brazilian Lucas di Grassi finishing second.-Season summary:... |
 Minardi Piquet Sports |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão Alexandre Sarnes Negrão , nicknamed Xandinho, is a Brazilian race car driver. He raced in the first three seasons of the GP2 Series, all with the Piquet Sports team, having won the Formula Three Sudamericana championship in 2004.... |
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 20th | 11th |
 Roldán RodríguezRoldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :... |
21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17th | ||||
| 2008 2008 GP2 Series season The 2008 GP2 Series season was the fourth GP2 Series season. It began on April 26 at Barcelona, Spain and it finished on September 14 at Monza, Italy. This is the first season using a new car design to be used during the following 3 seasons. The series was won by Giorgio Pantano.-Season summary:4th... |
Piquet Sports |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
 Pastor MaldonadoPastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:... |
20 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 60 | 5th | 3rd |
 Andreas ZuberAndreas Zuber Andreas "Andi" Zuber is a motor racing driver. An Austrian by birth, he races under a licence issued by the United Arab Emirates.- Formula König :... |
20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 9th | ||||
| 2009 2009 GP2 Series season The 2009 GP2 Series season was the fifth GP2 Series season. The season consisted of twenty races at ten rounds, beginning on May 9 at the Circuit de Catalunya and finishing on September 20 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Algarve circuit hosted its first GP2 weekend, and was the only... |
Piquet GP |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :... |
20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 11th | 7th |
| Alberto Valerio Alberto Valerio -Formula Three:Valerio drove in the Formula Three Sudamericana championship from 2003 to 2005, winning the title in his final year of the category. For 2006 he moved to the British championship, finishing 11th in the championship... |
20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 15th | ||||
| 2010 2010 GP2 Series season The 2010 GP2 Series season was the sixth GP2 Series season. The season began on 8 May at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain and ended on 14 November at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates after 20 races held at ten meetings.... |
Rapax |
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... -Mecachrome Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company involved in aviation, the automotive industry, motor racing and industrial engineering, but is most famous for assembling the engines designed by Renault for the Renault Formula One team.-Formula One:... |
Luiz Razia Luiz Razia Luiz Tadeu Razia Filho is a Brazilian racing driver.-Early career:Razia began his single seater career in 2005 in the South American Formula 3 championship. Driving for Dragão Motorsport, Razia finished sixth in the championship taking six podium finishes, including two race wins... |
20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 11th | 1st |
| Pastor Maldonado Pastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:... |
20 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 87 | 1st |
- D.C. = Drivers' Championship position, T.C. = Teams' Championship position.
| Euro Series 3000 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Drivers | Wins | Poles | Fast laps | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
| 1999 1999 Italian Formula 3000 season The 1999 Italian Formula 3000 season was contested over 7 rounds. 16 different teams and 27 different drivers competed. In this one-make formula all teams had to utilize Lola T96/50 chassis with Zytek engines.-Calendar:Note:... |
Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi is a professional racecar driver from Italy. Biagi was born in Bologna, in 7 May 1976.Biagi started his career in single seaters, driving in Formula Alfa Boxer and Italian Formula Three Championship, where he was 5th best in 1995, with two wins. From there, he moved up to the FIA... |
0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4th | 6th |
| 2000 2000 Italian Formula 3000 season The 2000 Italian Formula 3000 season was contested over 8 rounds. 13 different teams, 40 different drivers competed. In this one-make formula all teams had to utilize Lola T96/50 chassis with Zytek engines.-Calendar:Note:... |
Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi is a professional racecar driver from Italy. Biagi was born in Bologna, in 7 May 1976.Biagi started his career in single seaters, driving in Formula Alfa Boxer and Italian Formula Three Championship, where he was 5th best in 1995, with two wins. From there, he moved up to the FIA... |
0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 5th | 6th |
 Gabriele Gardel |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24th | ||
| 2001 2001 Euro Formula 3000 season The 2001 Euro Formula 3000 season was contested over 8 rounds. 11 different teams, 30 different drivers competed. All teams raced with Lola T96/50 chassis with Zytek engines... |
Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi Thomas Biagi is a professional racecar driver from Italy. Biagi was born in Bologna, in 7 May 1976.Biagi started his career in single seaters, driving in Formula Alfa Boxer and Italian Formula Three Championship, where he was 5th best in 1995, with two wins. From there, he moved up to the FIA... |
1 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 2nd | 2nd |
| Gabriele Gardel |
0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9th | ||
| 2002 2002 Euro Formula 3000 season The 2002 Euro Formula 3000 season was scheduled over 10 rounds and contested over 9 rounds. 14 different teams, 35 different drivers competed. All teams raced with Lola T99/50 chassis with Zytek engines.-Calendar:Note:... |
Alessandro Piccolo Alessandro Piccolo -Formula Renault:Piccolo finished fourth in the 2003 Formula Renault 2000 Italy championship, with 131 points.-Euro F3000:Piccolo competed in the Euro Formula 3000 championship in both 2001 and 2002, establishing himself as a frontrunner with one win, two pole positions and five podium finishes... |
1 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 4th | 4th |
 Martin BassoMartín Basso Martín Basso is an Argentine racing driver. He has run in different series, with major success in Formula Three Sudamericana and TC 2000.... |
0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8th | ||
| Giovanni Montanari |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14th | ||
| 2003 2003 Euro Formula 3000 season The 2003 Euro Formula 3000 season was scheduled over 10 rounds and contested over 9 rounds. 10 different teams, 26 different drivers competed. All teams raced with Lola T99/50 chassis with Zytek engines.-Calendar:-Driver:... |
 Roman RusinovRoman Rusinov Roman Aleksandrovich Rusinov is a Russian auto racing driver.Rusinov was the first Russian driver to win an international race in Europe, in 2000 he won the International Renault Finals in French Formula Renault. In 2002 he led the Formula Palmer Audi championship till the last event, but collided... |
0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9th | 3rd |
 Maxime HodencqMaxime Hodencq Maxime Hodencq is a Belgian racing driver from Anderlecht.Hodencq moved directly from Karting to Belgian Formula Renault and a part-time Euro Formula 3000 ride in 2003 at 16 years old. In 2004 he competed full-time in Euro F3000 and finished 11th in points. He competed in two Formel 3 Cup races in... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24th | ||
| Fabrizio Del Monte Fabrizio del Monte Fabrizio Del Monte is an Italian racing driver.He drove three seasons in European Formula 3000 before driving three Champ Car events in 2005, often on the strength of sponsorship. He said he had secured Midland's third driver seat for the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, but this fell through when ... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 2nd | ||
| 2004 2004 Euro Formula 3000 season The 2004 Superfund Euro Formula 3000 season was contested over 10 rounds. 10 different teams and 25 different drivers competed. All teams raced with Lola chassis and Zytek engines.-Driver and Team Lineup:-Calendar:-Driver:... |
Fabrizio Del Monte Fabrizio del Monte Fabrizio Del Monte is an Italian racing driver.He drove three seasons in European Formula 3000 before driving three Champ Car events in 2005, often on the strength of sponsorship. He said he had secured Midland's third driver seat for the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, but this fell through when ... |
3 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 2nd | 3rd |
| Maxime Hodencq Maxime Hodencq Maxime Hodencq is a Belgian racing driver from Anderlecht.Hodencq moved directly from Karting to Belgian Formula Renault and a part-time Euro Formula 3000 ride in 2003 at 16 years old. In 2004 he competed full-time in Euro F3000 and finished 11th in points. He competed in two Formel 3 Cup races in... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11th | ||
 Tor GravesTor Graves Tor Graves is a Thai racing driver.-Career:1993: British Formula First1994: 7th British Formula First1995: 10th British Formula Renault1996: 14th British Formula Renault1997: 11th British Formula Renault... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16th | ||
| 2005 2005 Italian Formula 3000 season The 2005 Trofeo Nazionale C.S.A.I. Formula 3000 Italia season was contested over 8 rounds. 9 different teams and 26 different drivers competed. In this one-make formula all drivers had to utilize Lola chassis and Zytek engines. This season also saw a Light Class running older Lola chassis and... |
Fabrizio Del Monte Fabrizio del Monte Fabrizio Del Monte is an Italian racing driver.He drove three seasons in European Formula 3000 before driving three Champ Car events in 2005, often on the strength of sponsorship. He said he had secured Midland's third driver seat for the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix, but this fell through when ... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8th | 3rd |
| Alex Lloyd Alex Lloyd Alex Lloyd is an Australian singer-songwriter. His most popular album Watching Angels Mend, which includes the songs "Amazing" and "Green", was released in 2001 went double platinum. His third album Distant Light released in 2003 featured three songs that made the Australian top 40 singles charts... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16th | ||
 Toni VilanderToni Vilander Toni Markus Vilander is a Finnish race car driver who competed in the GP2 Series in 2005. He was also GT2 class champion of the FIA GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.-Career:... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 4th | ||
 Juan Caceras |
0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5th | ||
| 2006 2006 Euroseries 3000 season The 2006 Euroseries 3000 season was the eighth Euro Formula 3000 season. The series was won by Italian Giacomo Ricci for the FMS International team.-Teams and drivers:-Race calendar:* Races valid also towards the F3000 Italian Championship.... |
Christiano Rocha |
1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 4th | 2nd |
| Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :... |
1 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 6th | ||
| Diego Nunes Diego Nunes Diego Nunes is a Brazilian racing driver.-Formula Renault:Nunes began his car racing career by driving full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil championship in 2003 and 2004, having competed in selected events in 2002... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15th | ||
| Juan Caceras |
0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 7th | ||
| Davide Rigon Davide Rigon Davide Rigon is an Italian racing driver.-Career:Starting out in Formula BMW ADAC in 2003, he progressed to the Italian Formula Renault Championship and Italian Formula Three... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 14th | ||
| Fausto Ippoliti Fausto Ippoliti -Fausto Ippoliti's Career:1997: 4th Italian Formula Campus1999: 3rd Italian Formula 3 Federal2000: 13th Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup2001: 5th Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup2002: 5th Italian Formula 3 Championship .... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 12th | ||
| 2007 2007 Euroseries 3000 season The 2007 Euroseries 3000 season was the ninth Euro Formula 3000 season. Both series were won by Italian Davide Rigon who would go on to win the 2008 Superleague Formula season and compete in GP2.-Teams and drivers:-Race calendar:... |
Davide Rigon Davide Rigon Davide Rigon is an Italian racing driver.-Career:Starting out in Formula BMW ADAC in 2003, he progressed to the Italian Formula Renault Championship and Italian Formula Three... |
5 | 4 | 6 | 108 | 1st | 1st |
| Diego Nunes Diego Nunes Diego Nunes is a Brazilian racing driver.-Formula Renault:Nunes began his car racing career by driving full-time in the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil championship in 2003 and 2004, having competed in selected events in 2002... |
4 | 1 | 1 | 77 | 2nd | ||
| 2008 2008 Euroseries 3000 season The 2008 Euroseries 3000 season was the tenth Euro Formula 3000 season. The main series was won by Frenchman Nicolas Prost.-Teams and drivers:-Race calendar:* Races valid also towards the F3000 Italian Championship.-Championship Standings:... |
Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Roldán Rodríguez Iglesias is a Spanish racing driver, who competed in the GP2 Series from 2007 to 2009. Prior to this he competed in Spanish Formula Three and various Formula 3000 categories.- Formula Three :... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8th | 2nd |
| Pastor Maldonado Pastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 12th | ||
| Fabrizio Crestani Fabrizio Crestani - Career :Having competed in karts until 2005, Crestani moved up to the Formula Junior 1600 Italia championship, finishing in 4th place in the championship, driving for PSR Motorsport. Crestani had one win and finished behind Pasquale Di Sabatino, Mihai Marinescu and Jaime Alguersuari in the... |
3 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 5th | ||
| Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi is a professional racing driver from Italy.-Karting:Prior to starting his racing career, Onidi raced in karting for a number of years, finishing sixth in the European Championship ICA Junior category and winning the Italian Championship ICA Junior title in 2003.-Formula BMW:Onidi began... |
2 | 0 | 6 | 58 | 2nd | ||
- D.C. = Drivers' Championship position, T.C. = Teams' Championship position.