Tiago Monteiro facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is da Costa and the second or paternal family name is Monteiro.

Quick facts for kids Tiago Monteiro
Monteiro at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium.
Nationality	Portuguese
Born	(1976-07-24) 24 July 1976 (age 49) Porto, Portugal
World Touring Car Championship and World Touring Car Cup career
Debut season	2007
Current team	Münnich Motorsport
Car no.	18
Former teams	Tuenti Racing Team SEAT Sport, JAS Motorsport, Boutsen Ginion Racing, KCMG
Starts	253
Wins	12
Podiums	45
Poles	11
Fastest laps	8
Best finish	3rd in 2016
Previous series
1998–01 2002 2003 2004 2005–06	French F3 International Formula 3000 Champ Car World Series by Nissan Formula One

Formula One World Championship career
Active years	2005–2006
Teams	Jordan, Midland
Entries	37
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	7
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2005 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2006 Brazilian Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1999, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015
Teams	Paul Belmondo Racing, Larbre Compétition, Team Oreca Matmut-AIM, OAK Racing
Best finish	17th (1999)
Class wins	0

Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro (born 24 July 1976) is a professional racing driver from Portugal. He is famous for competing in Formula One races in 2005 and 2006. He also raced in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR).

Tiago is the only Portuguese driver to ever finish on the podium in a Formula One race. This means he finished in the top three. He achieved this at the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

He started racing in the WTCC in 2007 with Seat Sport. Later, he joined the Honda team. He helped Honda win the manufacturers' championship in 2013. In 2016, he achieved his best result in the drivers' championship, finishing third overall.

In 2017, Tiago was leading the drivers' standings. However, a serious injury from a testing crash made him miss the rest of the season. He worked hard to recover and returned to racing in the WTCR series in 2019. He even won a race in his home country that year. He also won the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in the TCR class in 2019 and 2020.

Starting His Racing Journey
Moving Up to Higher Series
Formula One Adventures
- Racing for Jordan in 2005
- Driving for Midland in 2006
World Touring Car Career
- Success with SEAT (2007–2012)
- Joining Honda (2012–Present)
Team Ownership and Management
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Starting His Racing Journey

Tiago Monteiro was born in Porto, Portugal. His father inspired him to start racing. In 1997, he raced in the French Porsche Carrera Cup. He won five races and five pole positions, becoming the B-class champion. He was also named rookie of the year.

In 1998, he joined the French F3 Championship. He finished 12th and earned another rookie of the year award. He continued in F3 in 1999, winning one race and getting three other podium finishes. He also raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours race, finishing 17th overall.

In 2000, Tiago finished second in the French F3 Championship with four wins. He also came second in the Korea Super Prix. In 2001, he was again second in the French F3 Championship, with four wins and six pole positions.

Moving Up to Higher Series

In 2002, Tiago moved up to the F3000 Championship. He finished in the top ten five times. He also got his first chance to test a Formula One car with the Renault team.

In 2003, he raced in the Champ Car World Series. He started from the front row in Mexico City and led two races. He finished in the top ten ten times.

For the 2004 season, Monteiro became an official test driver for the Minardi F1 team. He also competed in the Nissan World Series. He won five races and finished second in the championship. He was named Rookie of the Year for this series.

Formula One Adventures

Racing for Jordan in 2005

When the Midland Group bought the Jordan Grand Prix team, Tiago Monteiro became a full-time race driver for the 2005 season. His teammate was Narain Karthikeyan.

Monteiro at the 2005 United States GP.

At the 2005 United States Grand Prix, Tiago achieved his only podium finish in Formula One. This race was unusual because most teams pulled out due to concerns about tire safety. Only three teams, using different tires, competed. Tiago finished third out of six drivers.

After the race, he celebrated his podium finish alone, as the other drivers left quickly. The fans, who had been booing, cheered for him. This made him the most successful Portuguese driver in Formula One history at that time.

Tiago also set a record in 2005 for a rookie driver. He finished every race of the season, breaking the record for consecutive finishes. This record stood until 2013.

Driving for Midland in 2006

In 2006, the team was renamed Midland. Tiago continued to race alongside Christijan Albers. Their car was not very competitive, and they did not score any points that season. Tiago's best finish was ninth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In December 2006, it was announced that Tiago would not be racing for the team in 2007. The team was renamed Spyker, and a new driver was signed. Tiago looked for other opportunities but did not find a Formula One seat for the 2007 season.

World Touring Car Career

Success with SEAT (2007–2012)

In March 2007, Tiago Monteiro joined the SEAT Sport team to race in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). He started racing from the second round of the 2007 season. In his first year, he achieved three podium finishes and one pole position, ending the season 11th overall.

Monteiro driving the SEAT León TDI at Brands Hatch in the 2008 WTCC season.

In 2008, driving a SEAT León TDI, he won his first WTCC race in Mexico. Later that season, he won another race at home in Portugal. He finished 12th overall, and SEAT won the manufacturers' title.

He continued with SEAT in 2009, getting two more podiums and finishing ninth overall. SEAT won the manufacturers' championship again. In 2010, SEAT officially left the WTCC, but Tiago continued to race with a team supported by SEAT. He had a very successful year, with five podium finishes and two wins, ending the season in fifth place. He stayed with the team until 2012.

Joining Honda (2012–Present)

Monteiro driving the Honda Civic WTCC at the 2014 FIA WTCC Race of Japan.

Tiago joined the Honda Racing Team JAS in 2012. He raced the new Honda Civic and achieved the car's first podium finish in the WTCC at Macau.

In 2013, he won his first race with Honda in Shanghai. He also had five other podium finishes, helping Honda win the manufacturers' world championship. In 2014, he earned five podiums and one pole position, finishing fifth in the championship. He continued with Honda in 2015, winning races in Russia and Japan.

The 2016 season was his best, with two wins in Slovakia and Portugal. He had five more podiums and finished third in the championship.

In 2017, Tiago was leading the championship with two wins and five podiums. However, he suffered serious injuries in a testing accident in Spain due to a brake failure. This forced him to miss the rest of the season.

After a long recovery, he returned to racing in the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) in 2018. He made his comeback at Suzuka, Japan, and was welcomed by other drivers. He was set for a full comeback in 2019 with the KCMG team. He achieved an emotional victory in his home race in Portugal, his first win since the accident.

Team Ownership and Management

Tiago Monteiro also became involved in team ownership. In 2008, he bought the BCN Competición team in the GP2 Series and renamed it "Ocean Racing Technology". The team had a good first year in 2009, including a win in Belgium. His team also competed in the GP3 Series. However, the team stopped racing in GP2 and GP3 in 2012 due to lack of money.

Tiago also helps manage the career of other racing drivers, like fellow Portuguese driver António Félix da Costa.

Personal Life

Tiago Monteiro married model Diana Pereira in 2008. They have a daughter named Mel (born 2008) and a son named Noah (born 2009). They divorced in 2019. Since 2020, Tiago has been dating Alexandra Carvalho.