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Esteban Gutiérrez
Esteban Gutiérrez en el Gran Premio de Italia 2019 (cropped).jpg
Gutiérrez at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix
Born
Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez Gutiérrez

(1991-08-05) 5 August 1991 (age 33)
Spouse(s)
Mónica Casán
(m. 2017; div. 2022)
Relatives José Gutiérrez (brother)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Mexico Mexican
Active years 20132014, 2016
Teams Sauber, Haas
Car number 21
Entries 59 (59 starts)
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 6
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 1
First entry 2013 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years 2022–2023
Teams Glickenhaus
Best finish 7th (2023)
Class wins 0
Previous series
2011–2012
2011
2010
2009–2010
2009–2010
2008
2007
GP2 Series
GP2 Asia Series
GP3 Series
F3 Euro Series
British F3
Formula BMW Europe
Formula BMW USA
Championship titles
2010
2008
GP3 Series
Formula BMW Europe

Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez Gutiérrez (born August 5, 1991) is a Mexican former racing driver and businessman. He competed in Formula One, the highest class of international racing, from 2013 to 2016.

Before his time in Formula One, Gutiérrez drove for the Sauber team in 2013 and 2014. After that, he became a test and reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari in 2015. He then returned to racing with the Haas F1 Team for the 2016 Formula One season.

Esteban achieved great success in his early career. In 2008, he won the Formula BMW Europe championship. This made him the youngest Mexican driver to win an International Championship at just 17 years old. He also won the first-ever GP3 Series season in 2010. Later, in 2012, he became the first GP3 graduate to finish in the top three of the GP2 Series, which is a step below Formula One.

Gutiérrez has also raced in other major series like Formula E and the IndyCar Series. His younger brother, José Gutiérrez, is also a racing driver. Since 2024, Esteban has been a special ambassador for Mercedes in Formula One. He also started his own company, EDASI Drive, which sells official Formula One merchandise in Latin America.

Esteban's Life Outside Racing

Esteban Gutiérrez was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. He is the second of four brothers and also has one sister. Today, he lives in London, England.

Esteban's Early Racing Journey

Starting in Karting

Esteban began his racing journey in 2004 with karting. He joined the Mexican Rotax Max Challenge for the last three races of that season. In 2005, he raced in the same series again. He also competed in the Grand Nationals in South Bend, Indiana, where he finished third. This result earned him a spot at the World Finals in Malaysia, but he finished 22nd due to car problems.

In 2006, Esteban showed his talent by winning all five races in the Camkart Challenge Mexico. He also continued to race in the Mexican Rotax Max Challenge. He finished fourth in the Mexican Grand Nationals held in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Moving to Formula BMW Series

Success in 2007 and 2008

In 2007, Gutiérrez moved up to single-seater racing cars in the Formula BMW USA series. He finished second overall in the championship. He won four races, stood on the podium eight times, and earned nine pole positions. He was also named Rookie of the Year.

Gutiérrez then moved to Europe to compete in the 2008 Formula BMW Europe championship. This was the first season for this new championship. He won the title by 26 points, beating his closest rival, Marco Wittmann. Esteban secured seven wins, with six of them in a row. He also had five other podium finishes. He rarely finished outside the points, showing how consistent he was.

In his last Formula BMW race, the 2008 World Final in Mexico City, Gutiérrez started from pole position and finished third.

EstebanGutierrez 2008
Gutiérrez winning the 2008 FBMW Europe championship

Racing in Formula 3 Euro Series

For 2009, Gutiérrez joined the Formula 3 Euro Series with the ART Grand Prix team. He finished ninth overall in the championship. He achieved two podium finishes at the Nürburgring and Dijon Prenois. He also raced in two rounds of the British Formula 3 season, where he earned a podium finish.

Dominating the GP3 Series

In 2010, Gutiérrez moved to the GP3 Series with ART Grand Prix. He won the very first season of the GP3 Series with two races still to go. He secured the championship by taking pole position for the final race weekend in Monza. Gutiérrez was very strong throughout the season. He scored points in ten out of 16 races, with eight podium finishes and five wins.

Climbing to the GP2 Series

First Steps in 2009 and 2010

Gutierrez Esteban
Picture taken during a DTM race weekend at the Hockenheimring

Gutiérrez was invited to test a GP2 car for the first time in October 2009. He drove for ART Grand Prix in Jerez, Spain. He improved his times and was recognized as the third fastest rookie that day. He also took part in another GP2 test session later that year.

After winning the GP3 season in 2010, ART Grand Prix, which also had a GP2 team, signed him for a full season in 2011.

Learning and Winning in 2011 and 2012

For 2011, ART Grand Prix was renamed Lotus ART. Gutiérrez finished 11th in the GP2 Asia series. In the main GP2 series, he finished 13th. He scored his first points with a seventh-place finish in Valencia. He then won his first GP2 race in the sprint race there and set his first fastest lap.

He stayed with Lotus ART for the 2012 season, with the team now called Lotus GP. He finished third in the championship, scoring 176 points. He won three races, had four other podium finishes, and set five fastest laps. This made him the first GP3 graduate to finish in the top three of the GP2 series.

2012 GP2 Malaysian round Sprint race opening lap
Gutiérrez follows teammate James Calado in 1st place out of the first corner at the 2012 Malaysian Sprint race.

Esteban's Formula One Career

Gutiérrez first tested a BMW Sauber Formula One car in December 2009. This was a prize for winning the Formula BMW Europe championship. Even though the team lost its BMW support, he joined them as an observer for some races. He was also part of the same training program as the main drivers. In September 2010, he was officially named the team's test and reserve driver. He took part in a young drivers' test in Abu Dhabi, setting the fourth fastest time.

In October 2012, Gutiérrez participated in a free practice session at the 2012 Indian Grand Prix. He filled in for an unwell driver and recorded the 20th fastest time.

Driving for Sauber (2013–2014)

F1 2013 Jerez test - Sauber
Gutiérrez in the Sauber C32 during winter tests at Jerez, in 2013

In 2013, Gutiérrez became a full-time race driver for Sauber. His teammate was Nico Hülkenberg. His first race was the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, where he qualified 18th and finished 13th. This was the best result among all the new drivers that year. In Malaysia, he qualified 14th and finished 12th.

Esteban Gutierrez 2013 Malaysia FP1
Gutiérrez during FP1 in Malaysia

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Gutiérrez achieved his first fastest lap in a Formula One race. This made him the second youngest driver ever to set a fastest lap, after Nico Rosberg.

Esteban Gutierrez 2014 Singapore FP1
Gutiérrez at the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix

Gutiérrez scored his first and only Formula One points at the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix. He started 14th and climbed up to finish seventh, holding off Nico Rosberg at the end.

Working with Ferrari (2015)

On December 15, 2014, it was announced that Gutiérrez would join Scuderia Ferrari as their test and reserve driver for the 2015 Formula One season.

Racing for Haas F1 (2016)

Gutierrez Bahrain 2016 1
Gutiérrez driving for Haas at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

On October 31, 2015, at the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix, it was confirmed that Gutiérrez would return to racing in Formula One. He joined the new Haas F1 Team alongside Romain Grosjean.

Gutiérrez finished 14th at the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix. He finished 11th at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Austrian Grand Prix, German Grand Prix, and Singapore Grand Prix. He also finished 12th at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

On November 11, 2016, Gutiérrez announced that he would be leaving the Haas F1 Team.

Role with Mercedes (2018–Present)

On July 5, 2018, Gutiérrez joined Mercedes AMG as a simulator driver. He later became a reserve driver for both Formula 1 and Formula E. Gutiérrez often visits the team's factory to work on the simulator. This helps prepare for F1 races and develop the car, supporting drivers like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gutiérrez represented Mercedes in online esports events. He took part in several high-profile virtual races, winning and getting podium finishes.

Racing in Formula E

On January 10, 2017, Gutiérrez announced he would join Formula E, an electric racing series, for some races in the 2016–17 season. In March 2017, it was confirmed he would replace Ma Qing Hua at Techeetah. He competed in the Mexico City, Monaco, and Paris ePrix races. He finished in the top 10 twice and ended the season 22nd with five points.

Racing in IndyCar

Gutiérrez Road America
Gutiérrez racing for Dale Coyne Racing at Road America, in 2017

On June 1, 2017, it was announced that Gutiérrez would join the IndyCar Series. He filled in for the injured Sébastien Bourdais at Dale Coyne Racing. Gutiérrez participated in seven IndyCar events.

Esports Competitions

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Esteban Gutiérrez started participating in various esports events. Even though he was new to esports, he achieved multiple wins and podium finishes.

He competed in the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series and The Race All Stars. He was even fighting for the championship title in The Race All Stars until a technical problem affected him in the final round. Since these events, Gutiérrez has continued to stream his gaming on Twitch and Discord.

Esteban's Racing Achievements

Career Summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2007 Formula BMW USA Team Autotecnica 14 4 9 2 8 436 2nd
Formula BMW World Final 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 25th
Formula BMW ADAC Esteban Gutiérrez 2 0 0 1 0 46 26th
2008 Formula BMW Europe Josef Kaufmann Racing 16 7 3 9 12 353 1st
Formula BMW World Final 1 0 1 0 1 N/A 3rd
German Formula 3 Championship 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
International Formula Master Trident Racing 2 0 0 0 1 8 19th
2009 Formula 3 Euro Series ART Grand Prix 20 0 0 0 2 26 9th
British Formula 3 International Series 4 0 0 1 1 0 NC
Masters of Formula 3 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 17th
2010 GP3 Series ART Grand Prix 16 5 3 7 9 88 1st
Formula 3 Euro Series 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
British Formula 3 International Series 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2011 GP2 Series Lotus ART 18 1 0 1 2 15 13th
GP2 Asia Series 4 0 0 0 0 3 11th
GP2 Final 2 0 0 0 0 2 8th
Formula One Sauber F1 Team Test driver
2012 GP2 Series Lotus GP 24 3 0 5 7 176 3rd
Formula One Sauber F1 Team Test driver
2013 Formula One Sauber F1 Team 19 0 0 1 0 6 16th
2014 Formula One Sauber F1 Team 19 0 0 0 0 0 20th
2015 Formula One Scuderia Ferrari Test driver
2016 Formula One Haas F1 Team 21 0 0 0 0 0 21st
2016–17 Formula E Techeetah 3 0 0 0 0 5 22nd
2017 IndyCar Series Dale Coyne Racing 7 0 0 0 0 91 25th
2018 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Development driver
2019 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Reserve driver
2019–20 Formula E Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team Reserve/Development driver
2020 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Reserve driver
2021 Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Development driver
2022 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Inter Europol Competition 6 0 0 0 0 20 15th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 13th
Historic Grand Prix of Monaco - Series D Team BRM 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 13th
Formula One Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Development driver
2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2 CrowdStrike Racing by APR 1 0 0 0 1 0 NC‡
24 Hours of Le Mans - Hypercar Glickenhaus Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 7th
Source:

As Gutiérrez was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. Points only counted towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, and not the overall LMP2 Championship.

Formula One Records

  • He is seventh on the list of youngest drivers to lead a Formula One race for at least one lap.
  • He is fifth on the list of youngest drivers to set a fastest lap in a Formula One race.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Esteban Gutiérrez (piloto) para niños

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