Marc Gené facts for kids
Gené in 2007
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| Born | Marc Gené i Guerrero 29 March 1974 Sabadell, Spain |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||||
| Nationality |  Spanish |
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| Active years | 1999–2000, 2003–2004 | ||||||||||
| Teams | Minardi, Williams | ||||||||||
| Entries | 36 | ||||||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||||||
| Career points | 5 | ||||||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||||||
| First entry | 1999 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last entry | 2004 British Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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Marc Gené i Guerrero (born on March 29, 1974) is a professional racing driver from Spain. He is well-known for being a test driver for famous Formula One teams like Williams and Ferrari. He also raced for the Minardi Formula One team.
Marc Gené was a factory driver for Peugeot's team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which is a very long and famous endurance race. He even won this race in 2009! His brother, Jordi, is also a racing driver. Marc started 36 Formula One races. He scored his first point in 1999 at the European Grand Prix while racing for Minardi.
Since 2010, Marc Gené has been a commentator for Formula One races on Spanish TV. He also works as an expert analyst for Sky Sport F1 HD in Italy. Today, he is still connected to Ferrari as their special brand ambassador.
Contents
Early Racing Days
Marc Gené was born in Sabadell, Spain. He started racing karts when he was young. At 13, he was the second-best in the Catalan Kart Championship in 1987. The next year, 1988, he won both the Catalan and Spanish Kart Championships. He even raced in the European and World championships in 1989.
In 1990, Marc became the youngest driver to win the Senior Class of the Spanish Kart Championship. He continued racing karts until 1991.
In 1992, Marc moved to Formula Ford racing. He finished fifth in the Spanish championship, winning one race. In 1993, he was second in the European Championship and also took second place at the Formula Ford World Cup. In 1994, he was named "Rookie of the Year" in the British Formula 3 Championship. He won the FISA Superformula championship in 1996. In 1998, he won the Open Fortuna by Nissan Championship, winning six races.
Formula One Racing
Marc Gené got his big chance in Formula One in 1999 with the Minardi team. It was a tough year, but he managed to score his first point for Minardi by finishing sixth at the 1999 European Grand Prix. This was Minardi's first point since 1995! His teammate, Luca Badoer, was very unlucky in that race and missed out on points.
Marc continued with Minardi in 2000. He didn't score any points that year, but his best finishes were eighth place at the Australian and Austrian Grands Prix.
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Being a Test Driver
After 2000, Marc couldn't find a full-time racing spot in Formula One. So, in 2001, he joined Williams as a test driver. A test driver helps the team develop the car by driving it and giving feedback. They don't usually race, but sometimes they fill in for other drivers.
Marc raced in three Grands Prix for Williams when their main drivers couldn't. The first time was at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, when Ralf Schumacher was injured. Marc did a great job, finishing fifth and earning four points. Ralf returned for the next race. In 2004, Ralf Schumacher got another injury, and Marc raced in the French and British Grands Prix. After these races, another driver, Antônio Pizzonia, took his place, and Marc didn't race in F1 again.
In 2004, Marc Gené became a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari, one of the most famous Formula One teams. He worked alongside his former teammate, Luca Badoer. He continued as a Ferrari test driver until the end of 2010.
Sportscar Racing Adventures
Marc Gené also became a factory driver for Peugeot in their Le Mans Series races and the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race, starting in 2007. This race is a huge challenge where teams race for 24 hours straight!
In 2008, Marc had a big crash during practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but he was okay, only breaking a toe. However, in 2009, he had an amazing year. The Peugeot car he shared with David Brabham and Alex Wurz won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans. Marc drove the final part of the race, bringing the car across the finish line to a huge cheer from the crowd. This win was very special because it stopped Audi's winning streak at the event.
He also raced in the 1000 km Spa endurance race in 2008 and 2009, winning in 2008.
Career Highlights
- He started 36 Grands Prix races.
- He scored 5 points in Formula One.
- His best finish in a Formula One race was 5th place at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix.
- He won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
See also
In Spanish: Marc Gené para niños
