Tarso Marques facts for kids
Marques in 2007, as a Stock Car Brasil driver
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| Born | 19 January 1976 Curitiba, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Active years | 1996–1997, 2001 |
| Teams | Minardi |
| Entries | 26 (24 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2001 Belgian Grand Prix |
Tarso Anibal Santanna Marques (born 19 January 1976) is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in Formula One races for the Minardi team. He raced in three different seasons but never completed a full year. Tarso did not score any championship points during his time in Formula One.
Contents
Racing Career
Early Racing Days
Tarso Marques started his racing journey with karting for five years. When he was just 16, he raced in Formula Chevrolet in Brazil. He won the championship in his very first try!
In 1993, he moved up to Formula Three Sudamericana. After that, he raced in European Formula 3000. He became the youngest driver ever to win races in both of these series.
Formula One with Minardi
In 1996, Tarso joined Minardi to race in Formula One. He shared his racing seat with other drivers like Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli. Minardi often needed drivers who could bring money to the team. This meant that drivers sometimes changed during the season.
Tarso returned to Formula One in 2001, again with Minardi. His teammate was Fernando Alonso, who later became a two-time World Champion. It was a tough season for Tarso. The team had money problems, and sometimes the cars were not exactly the same for both drivers.
Tarso did not bring money to the team. He knew another driver with more sponsorship could replace him. This happened near the end of the season when Alex Yoong took his place. Tarso said this extra money would help the team improve. His two ninth-place finishes were Minardi's best results that year.
Racing in America
In 1999, Tarso went to the United States to race in Champ Car. He caught the attention of Roger Penske, a famous team owner. When Al Unser Jr., a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, got hurt, Penske asked Tarso to race for him. Tarso's best finish was 9th place.
He raced sometimes in Champ Car in 2000, 2004, and 2005. He drove for the Dale Coyne Racing team. His best result with them was 11th place.
Stock Car Racing
After his last Champ Car race in 2005, Tarso went back to South America. He started racing in touring car championships. These include the TC2000 and Stock Car Brasil series.
In March 2022, it was announced that Tarso would race in the NASCAR Cup Series. He was set to drive for Team Stange Racing. However, NASCAR did not approve him to race without more experience in a stock car. So, the team planned for him to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series first. But the team and Tarso did not show up for the race. They ended up not racing at all in 2022.
Images for kids
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Marques in 2007, as a Stock Car Brasil driver
See also
In Spanish: Tarso Marques para niños
