Adrián Campos facts for kids
| Born | Adrián Campos Suñer 17 June 1960 Alzira, Valencia, Spain |
|---|---|
| Died | 27 January 2021 (aged 60) Valencia, Spain |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Spanish |
| Active years | 1987 – 1988 |
| Teams | Minardi |
| Entries | 21 (17 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1988 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
|---|---|
| Years | 1997 |
| Teams | Pilot Racing |
| Best finish | DNF |
| Class wins | 0 |
Adrián Campos Suñer (born June 17, 1960 – died January 27, 2021) was a Spanish Formula One driver. He took part in 21 Grand Prix races. His first race was on April 12, 1987. He didn't score any championship points as a driver.
Later, Adrián became very successful in managing racing teams. He started the Campos Meta Formula One team. This team was later known as HRT. It raced in Formula One from 2010 to 2012. He also founded Campos Racing in 1998.
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Adrián Campos's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Racing
Adrián Campos first found success in a different kind of racing. He won the Spanish Championship in radio-controlled car racing in 1980. A year later, he switched to racing actual cars. He competed in Formula Three from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, he finished third in the German Formula Three Championship. He then raced in Formula 3000 in 1986. He had some small successes there.
Racing in Formula One
In 1986, Adrián did some test driving for the Tyrrell team. After that, he joined the Minardi team as a driver. He raced for them in the 1987 and 1988 F1 seasons. He raced alongside Alessandro Nannini and later Luis Pérez-Sala.
Adrián entered 21 races but only finished two of them. Many times, his car had mechanical problems. These issues made him lose his motivation to race. In 1988, he was replaced by Pierluigi Martini. This happened after he failed to qualify for three races in a row.
Life After Formula One
After his time in Formula One, Campos continued racing. He competed in Spanish Touring Cars. He even won the championship in 1994. The year 1997 was Adrián's last as a professional driver. He raced in sports prototypes, like the Ferrari 333 SP. After that, he decided to start his own racing team.
Becoming a Team Boss
After leaving Formula One as a driver, Adrián Campos became very successful as a team manager. In 1998, he founded Adrian Campos Motorsport. This team was later renamed Campos Racing. In its very first year, Marc Gené won the 1998 Euro Open by Nissan championship for the team. Marc Gené then quickly moved on to Formula One. Adrián also helped manage Fernando Alonso when he was starting his racing career.
Campos Racing joined the GP2 series when it began in 2005. Their best results that year were two fifth-place finishes. In 2006, the team started well with a podium finish for Adrian Valles at Valencia. However, neither he nor Félix Porteiro got another podium that year.
In 2007, the team signed experienced driver Giorgio Pantano. This helped the team improve a lot. Pantano won two races and finished third overall. His teammate, Vitaly Petrov, won a race at the end of the season in Valencia. For 2008, Petrov stayed with the team. Ben Hanley was replaced by Lucas di Grassi after three races. Di Grassi quickly started performing well. He finished second three times in his first four races. He then won races at the Hungaroring and the new Valencia Street Circuit. This was a great day for the team, as Petrov also won the first race there. The Campos team won the 2008 Teams' Championship.
In October 2008, Campos announced he would step down from running the GP2 team. He planned to sell his share in it. However, he would still be involved in F3 racing and a new, secret project. Alejandro Agag took over the GP2 team. It was then renamed Barwa Addax.
Leading a Formula One Team
Adrián Campos had always wanted to move into Formula One team ownership. He even thought about buying parts of the Super Aguri team. In May 2009, Campos Grand Prix applied to join the 2010 Formula One season. Their application was one of four that were accepted. The other teams were Lotus F1, Manor GP, and US F1. On October 30, 2009, the team, now called Campos Meta, announced that Bruno Senna would be one of their drivers for 2010. Bruno Senna is the nephew of the famous driver Ayrton Senna.
In February 2010, the Campos team faced financial difficulties. A deal was made where shareholder José Ramón Carabante took full control. As part of this change, Campos was replaced as team principal by Colin Kolles. The team was renamed Hispania Racing (or HRT F1). Adrián Campos then took on the role of executive vice-president.
About Adrián Campos
Adrián's mother's father, Luis Suñer, was a well-known businessman in Spain. His own father started the Avidesa frozen food company. Adrián also had a son named Adrián Campos Jr..
Adrián Campos passed away on January 27, 2021, at the age of 60. He died due to a problem with his heart called an aortic dissection. The final turn at his home racing track, Circuit Ricardo Tormo, has been named after him to honor his memory.
See also
In Spanish: Adrián Campos para niños
