Tiago Monteiro Facts for Kids

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 48) 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 being the only Portuguese driver to ever get on the podium in a Formula One race. This happened during the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

After his time in Formula One, Tiago started racing in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2007. He drove for Seat Sport and later for Honda. He helped Honda win a championship in 2013. In 2017, he was leading the championship but had a serious crash that forced him to stop racing for a while. He made an amazing comeback in 2019 in the new WTCR series, even winning a race in his home country. He also won the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in the TCR class twice, in 2019 and 2020.

Tiago's Early Racing Days
Racing in Formula One
- Joining Jordan in 2005
- Racing for Midland in 2006
World Touring Car Career
- Driving for SEAT (2007–2012)
- Moving to Honda (2012–Present)
Team Ownership and Management
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Tiago's Early Racing Days

Tiago was born in Porto, Portugal. His dad inspired him to start racing. In 1997, he raced in the French Porsche Carrera Cup, winning five races and becoming the champion in his class. He was also named "rookie of the year."

In 1998, he moved to the French F3 Championship and was again named "rookie of the year." He kept racing in F3, winning races and finishing second overall in 2000 and 2001. He also competed in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1999.

In 2002, Tiago raced in the F3000 Championship. He even got to test a Formula One car with the Renault team. In 2003, he raced in the Champ Car World Series in America.

Before joining Formula One, he was a test driver for the Minardi F1 team in 2004. He also raced in the Nissan World Series, finishing second overall and earning the "Rookie of the Year" award. Interestingly, one of his middle names, "Vagaroso," means "slow" in Portuguese, which is funny for a racing driver!

Racing in Formula One

Joining Jordan in 2005

In 2005, Tiago became a full-time Formula One driver for the Jordan Grand Prix team. His teammate was Narain Karthikeyan.

Monteiro at the 2005 United States GP.

His most famous moment was at the 2005 United States Grand Prix. Most teams pulled out of the race because of concerns about their tires. Only three teams raced, and Tiago finished third out of six drivers. This meant he got on the podium, which is a huge achievement in Formula One! He was the first and only Portuguese driver to do so.

Tiago also set a record in 2005 for a rookie driver: he finished every single race that season. This record stood for many years.

Before the 2005 Turkish Grand Prix, Tiago had a bad toothache. But his team boss, who was also a dentist, fixed it for him so he could race!

Racing for Midland in 2006

Monteiro driving the Midland M16 at Silverstone.

In 2006, the Jordan team changed its name to Midland. Tiago continued to race for them with teammate Christijan Albers. The car wasn't very fast, and they didn't score any points that year. His best finish was ninth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In late 2006, it was announced that Tiago would not be racing for the team (which was renamed Spyker) in 2007. He looked for other teams but couldn't find a spot, so his Formula One career ended.

World Touring Car Career

Driving for SEAT (2007–2012)

In 2007, Tiago joined the SEAT Sport team to race in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). He quickly showed his skill, getting three podium finishes and one pole position in his first year.

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

In 2008, he won his first WTCC race in Mexico and another one at home in Portugal. He continued to race for SEAT, helping them win manufacturer championships. In 2010, he had a great season, winning two more races and finishing fifth overall in the drivers' standings. He stayed with SEAT until 2012.

Moving to Honda (2012–Present)

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

In late 2012, Tiago switched to the new Honda team. He quickly made an impact, getting a podium finish for Honda in Macau.

In 2013, he won his first race with Honda in Shanghai and helped them win the manufacturers' world championship. He continued to be a strong driver for Honda, getting many podiums and wins in 2014 and 2015.

The 2016 season was his best, as he finished third in the championship. In 2017, he was leading the championship with two wins and five podiums. However, he had a very serious crash during testing in Spain due to a brake failure. This crash caused bad injuries and forced him to miss the rest of the season.

After a long recovery, Tiago made an amazing return to racing in the new WTCR series in 2019. He even won his home race in Portugal, which was a very emotional victory after his accident. He continued to race in WTCR for three more seasons, getting another win.

Team Ownership and Management

Tiago also has experience owning a racing team. In 2008, he bought a team and renamed it "Ocean Racing Technology". His team competed in the GP2 and GP3 series. He also helps manage the career of another Portuguese racing driver, António Félix da Costa.

Personal Life

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