Roberto Moreno facts for kids
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Roberto Pupo Moreno (born February 11, 1959) is a former Brazilian racing driver. He is often called Roberto Moreno or Pupo Moreno. He competed in 75 Formula One races, earning one podium finish and a total of 15 championship points.
Moreno also raced in CART and became the Formula 3000 champion in 1988. He was known as the "Super Sub" because he often stepped in to replace injured drivers. Today, he works as a driver coach and consultant. He also enjoys building light airplanes.
Contents
Racing Adventures
Starting Out in Racing
Roberto Moreno began his racing journey by winning the Brazilian 125cc Karting championship in 1976. He then moved to England in 1979 to race in Formula Ford. He worked hard, even acting as his own mechanic.
In 1980, he joined Van Diemen as a factory driver. He won the Townsend Thoresen British Formula Ford title, with eight victories. He also won the Formula Ford Festival, a big event for young drivers.
His success caught the eye of Colin Chapman, the famous owner of Formula One's Team Lotus. Chapman gave Moreno a testing contract, which helped him continue racing.
Winning in Australia
Moreno became very popular in Australia. He won the Australian Grand Prix three times: in 1981, 1983, and 1984. These wins happened before the race became part of the Formula One World Championship.
He often beat famous drivers like Nelson Piquet, Alan Jones, Niki Lauda, and Keke Rosberg. He drove a Ralt RT4 car with a Ford engine.
Formula One: The "Super Sub" Years
Moreno got his first chance in Formula One in 1982. He was called by Colin Chapman to replace Nigel Mansell at Lotus for the 1982 Dutch Grand Prix. Mansell had broken his wrist. Unfortunately, Moreno struggled with the car and did not qualify for the race. This made it hard for him to get another F1 chance for a while.
Five years later, in 1987, he got another call. He replaced Pascal Fabre for the AGS team at the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix. He didn't qualify at first, but then Nigel Mansell withdrew from the race, allowing Moreno to make his F1 debut.
In the next race, the 1987 Australian Grand Prix, Moreno finished 7th. After another driver was disqualified, Moreno was moved up to 6th place. This earned him his first-ever point in Formula One, and it was also the first point for the AGS team!
Between F1 Chances
After his first F1 attempts, Moreno returned to other racing series. In 1984, he raced in the European Formula Two Championship. He finished second overall, winning races at Hockenheim and Donington Park.
He almost joined the Brabham Formula One team in 1984. His friend, Nelson Piquet, suggested him to team owner Bernie Ecclestone. However, Brabham's sponsor wanted an Italian driver, so the deal didn't happen.
In 1988, Moreno won the FIA International Formula 3000 Championship. He won four races, showing his great skill.
More F1 Opportunities
Even after winning the F3000 championship, Moreno didn't get a spot with a big F1 team. He signed a testing contract with Ferrari and then raced for the Coloni team in 1989. The car wasn't very good, and he only qualified for four races.
In 1990, he started with the EuroBrun team, but they also struggled. However, a big chance came when Alessandro Nannini of Benetton was injured. Moreno was called to replace him for the last two races of the season.
At the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, Moreno finished an amazing 2nd place in his first race for Benetton! This earned him a full contract for the 1991 season.
In 1991, Moreno's best results were two 4th place finishes. At the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, he even set the fastest lap. However, he was soon replaced by a young driver named Michael Schumacher.
Moreno then raced for Jordan and Minardi for a few races. In 1992, he joined the Andrea Moda team, which was very new and struggled a lot. He only qualified for one race, the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix, before the team closed down.
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After a break, Moreno returned to Formula One in 1995 with the Forti team. Their car was slow, and his best finish was 14th. He left Formula One after the 1995 season.
IndyCar Racing
In 1996, Moreno started racing in Champ Car. He finished 3rd at Michigan. In 1997, he drove for three different teams, which helped him earn his "Supersub" nickname. He finished 5th at Detroit.
In 2000, he got a full-time seat with Patrick Racing. He led the series for a while and finished 3rd overall in the championship. He won his first Champ Car race at Cleveland, which was his first win in 12 years! He won again in Vancouver the following year.
Moreno announced his retirement from racing at the end of 2003. However, he still makes appearances in historic racing events.
Helmet Design
Moreno's racing helmet has always been yellow. It features blue, red, and white wing designs around the visor, sides, and chin. His name, "Moreno," is written on the lower part of the helmet. Later versions of his helmet included blue cylindrical shapes along with the wings. His helmets were designed by Sid Mosca.
Images for kids
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Moreno in 2007.
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Practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Moreno para niños
