Tom Coronel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Coronel Coronel at the 2011 FIA WTCC Race of Japan. Nationality Dutch Born (1972-04-05) 5 April 1972 (age 53) Naarden, Netherlands Related to Tim Coronel (brother) Rocco Coronel (son) World Touring Car Championship and World Touring Car Cup career Debut season 2005 Current team Comtoyou Racing Racing licence FIA Gold Car no. 32 Former teams SR-Sport GR-Asia, ROAL Motorsport, Boutsen Ginion Racing Starts 282 Wins 6 Poles 0 Fastest laps 3 Best finish 4th in 2011 Previous series 1990–91 1992, 2001 1992–93 1993 1993 1993 1994 1995 1996–97 1998–99 1998–99, 2003 2000–01, 2004 2001 2001 2002, 2004–05 2002–04 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005/06, 06/07 2007 2007/08 2008, 2009 2008 2009 Dutch Citroën AX Cup Dutch Touring Car Championship Dutch Formula Ford Championship German Formula Ford Italian Touring Car Championship Vauxhall Lotus Winter Series Euroseries Formula Opel German F3 Japanese Formula 3 Formula Nippon Japanese GT Championship FIA GT Championship European Le Mans Series European Superproduction Dutch Winter Endurance Series ETCC Spanish GT Championship Italian Super Touring EuroBOSS American Le Mans Series McGregor Porsche GT3 Cup European Touring Car Cup Dutch Winter Endurance Series BTCC Dutch Winter Endurance Series Le Mans Series Benelux Formula Ford Dakar Rally Championship titles 1991 1992 1993 1994 1997 1997 1999 2004 2006 2009 2023 Dutch Citroën AX Cup Dutch Touring Car Championship Dutch Formula Ford EFDA Nations Cup Japanese Formula 3 Marlboro Masters Formula Nippon ETCC Independents Trophy WTCC Independents Trophy WTCC Independents Trophy TCR Europe Touring Car Series Awards 1994 Dutch Driver of the Year 24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1999–2006, 2009 – Teams Racing for Holland, Johansson Motorsport, Spyker Squadron Best finish 8th (2002) Class wins 0

Tom Romeo Coronel (born on April 5, 1972) is a professional race car driver from the Netherlands. His twin brother, Tim, is also a racer. Their father, Tom Coronel Sr., was a racer too.

Tom has achieved many important wins. He won the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 race in 1997. He also won the Formula Nippon championship in 1999. In 2006 and 2009, he won the Independents' Trophy in the World Touring Car Championship. By September 2016, Tom Coronel had competed in over 1,000 races!

He still races in the WTCC. He won his first WTCC race in Okayama, Japan, in 2008. For many years, Tom raced as an independent driver for SEAT. In 2011, he switched to BMW. In 2014, he stayed with ROAL Motorsport. His team started using Chevrolet Cruze cars. These cars were specially built by RML for new racing rules. Even without official factory support, Tom is a top driver. This is because of his experience and past wins.

Tom has also raced for the Dutch Spyker Squadron team. He competed in the Le Mans Series and the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race for many years. Sometimes, Tom is invited to special one-off races. An example is the 24 hours race at the Nürburgring track.

Tom Coronel's Racing Journey

Starting His Career

Tom Coronel was born in Naarden, Netherlands. He began his racing career in 1990. He joined the Dutch Citroën AX Cup. He was chosen after being named the most talented driver at a local racing school. After a year of learning, he became very successful in 1991. He won four races and earned 105 points. This helped him win the championship title. He also won an international Citroën AX race in Barcelona.

In 1992, he moved to the Dutch Touring Car Championship. He raced a BMW 320i. He became champion that same year. He even beat his older brother and teammate, Raymond Coronel. He also started racing in the Dutch Formula Ford championship with team Fresh. By the end of 1992, he decided to focus on single-seater racing.

He continued with team Fresh in 1993. He was a strong competitor again. He won three races and became the Dutch Formula Ford champion. He also finished second in the Benelux championship. He competed in some German Formula Ford races. There, he earned several podium finishes. He finished ninth in the Formula Ford Festival that year.

Racing in Europe

In 1994, Coronel started racing in the Euroseries Formula Opel Lotus. He raced for the Dutch Van Amersfoort Racing team. He was very successful, getting eight pole positions and two wins. However, he lost the championship to Marco Campos. He won the Nations Cup for the Netherlands with Donny Crevels. He was also named 'Dutch Driver of the Year'. This award helped him get money to race in the German Formula Three championship the next year.

In 1995, he raced for the WTS team. This team had worked with famous drivers like Michael Schumacher and Jos Verstappen. Tom was teammates with Ralf Schumacher. Their car used a Dallara chassis with Opel engines. He scored 74 points in sixteen races. He finished seventh in the championship. He did not do as well in big international Formula Three races. He did not finish in Macau and Monaco. He finished fifth in the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort.

Success in Japan

Coronel decided to try racing far from home. In 1996, he joined team TOM'S for the Japanese Formula 3 championship. He won his first race at the Sugo circuit. He also had five second-place finishes. These results helped him finish third in the championship that year. He also came in second at the Monaco Formula Three race with the Italian Prema Power team.

He stayed with TOM'S for the 1997 season. The team switched to a better Dallara chassis and used Toyota engines. Coronel was amazing that year. He won six out of the seven races he entered. He had such a big lead that he could miss two races. He used that time to compete in the Macau Grand Prix and Marlboro Masters. Earlier that year, he was leading the Monaco Formula Three race but had to stop. However, he won for his home crowd in Zandvoort. He started in fourth place and drove to the lead. He held onto it until the end. He became the second Dutch driver to win that event, after Jos Verstappen.

Formula Nippon and Le Mans Debut

In 1998, Coronel moved up to the next level. He stayed in Japan. He competed in both the Formula Nippon and Japanese GT championships. He raced for team Nakajima, owned by former Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima.

His first Formula Nippon season was a learning year. He had some bad luck. Also, the team had never worked with a non-Japanese driver before. He did much better in the GT championship. He shared a Honda NSX car with Japanese driver Koji Yamanishi. They almost won the title. But their car broke down at the start of the last race. They finished second overall.

In 1999, Coronel's racing plan stayed the same. In Formula Nippon, he became a strong contender for the championship. At first, his main rival, Satoshi Motoyama, had a lead. But Coronel fought back. He won his first race at Fuji Speedway. He led Motoyama by four points going into the last race at Suzuka. At the first corner, Coronel and Motoyama crashed into each other. Since no one else could win the title, Coronel became champion. This was a bit controversial. He was not as successful in Japanese GT that year. Tom also raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. He joined Jan Lammers' Racing for Holland team. He teamed up with Lammers and Peter Kox. They kept up with the factory teams. But they had to stop after 213 laps due to a technical problem.

Formula 1 Test and Return to Racing

After his success in Japan, Coronel got some attention. He wanted to find a seat in Formula One. He tried to raise money by letting people invest in his racing career. The plan did not work out. Some investors did not keep their promises. Coronel tested once for the Arrows team. But he lost the chance to race for them. Jos Verstappen and Pedro de la Rosa got the seats instead. Since Coronel had focused on Formula One, he did not have a team for the start of the 2000 season. He raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time with Racing for Holland. He also competed in some FIA GT races with Mike Hezemans.

In 2001, Coronel wanted to race a full season. He joined the BMW team for the Dutch Touring Car Championship. Just before the season started, Lister asked him to race in the FIA GT Championship. Coronel agreed. But he had to miss some races because he was already committed to BMW. He won races in both championships that year. He also planned to race at Le Mans with Stefan Johansson's team. But Johansson had to stop early in the race.

In 2002, Coronel moved to the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). He raced for Carly Motors with Peter Kox and Gianni Morbidelli. They could not keep up with the factory teams. But Coronel still got three podium finishes. He stayed with Carly in 2003. He mostly used an older car and struggled to keep up. He and Duncan Huisman won the independents trophy for Carly Motors. He also returned to Japanese GT for one year. He won a race in an older Honda NSX. The 2004 ETCC season was similar for him. His teammate was now Paulien Zwart, who was his partner. They won the independents team trophy for the second year in a row. Coronel also won the independent drivers title. He finished his first Le Mans race with Racing for Holland in 2002. He finished eighth overall. He also finished in 2003, this time with a Spyker C8. In 2004, he returned to Racing for Holland. He raced with famous drivers Justin Wilson and Ralph Firman. However, they did not finish the race. There were rumors he might join Minardi in Formula One. But a contract never happened.

World Touring Car Championship Success

Coronel driving the SEAT León TFSI in the second race at the 2008 WTCC Race of Japan in Okayama. He managed to hold off a charging Augusto Farfus and won his first WTCC race.

In 2005, the European Touring Car Championship became a World Championship. Coronel changed teams. He left Carly and joined Team GR Asia. They used the SEAT Toledo. Coronel had a strong year. He just missed winning the Independents trophy in the last race. His luck improved in 2006. With the new SEAT León, he won the title. This was his second title in three seasons. He continued with team GR Asia in 2007. But he was less successful. For the last race of the 2007 British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, he raced for SEAT Sport UK. He helped them win the team's championship and Jason Plato win the drivers championship. In both 2005 and 2006, he raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Spyker. But he did not finish either race.

In 2008, Coronel raced for the new SUNRED SEAT Team. He drove another León. He got a podium finish in Oschersleben. He is still one of the most popular WTCC drivers. Autosport magazine named him one of the 10 best WTCC drivers. In the second race at the Race of Japan, at the Okayama International Circuit, he drove amazingly. This brought him his first victory in the WTCC.

Coronel competing in the 2014 World Touring Car Championship

In 2009, he was able to compete for the Independents' Trophy. He won it for Sunred. In 2010, he drove a turbo diesel León for the new SR-Sport team. This team was run by Sunred. Tom finished the season in 8th place. This was his highest finish ever. In 2011, Tom changed teams again. He joined ROAL Motorsport. This team used to run the BMW Italy-Spain factory team. Tom won the second race at Suzuka, Japan. This was his second overall WTCC victory. Coronel stayed with ROAL Motorsport for 2012. He was part of a two-car team with Alberto Cerqui.

Dakar Rally Adventures

Tom and his twin brother Tim raced in the 2009 edition of the Dakar Rally. This race took place in Argentina and Chile. It went from Buenos Aires to Valparaíso and back to Buenos Aires. This was Tom's first time in the Dakar Rally. His brother Tim had raced in 2007. Tim was also ready for the 2008 edition, but it was cancelled. The brothers drove a Bowler Nemesis for the dakarsport.com team. They finished in 70th place overall. They crossed two countries in 15 stages. The total distance was 6,000 kilometers.

Other Interests

The Coronel family owns two indoor go-karting tracks. They are located in Huizen and Enschede. Tom also co-hosts a TV show about cars with Tim. He used to be a regular guest on the Dutch Formula One TV show. But the TV channel decided to stop having studio shows. They wanted more "on track" time during the broadcast.

Coronel is in a relationship with fellow racing driver Paulien Zwart. They have a daughter and a son named Rocco. Tom and Paulien were teammates at Carly Motors in the 2004 European Touring Car Championship season. Paulien is the daughter of Ascari Cars owner Klaas Zwart. Klaas also raced for Carly in 2004. Rocco Coronel is also a racing driver. He currently races in karting and the Ginetta Junior Championship. He is also a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.

Racing Results

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1999	Konrad Motorsport Talkline Racing for Holland	Jan Lammers Peter Kox	Lola B98/10-Ford	LMP	213	DNF	DNF
2000	Konrad Motorsport Racing for Holland	Jan Lammers Peter Kox	Lola B2K/10-Ford	LMP900	38	DNF	DNF
2001	Johansson Motorsport	Stefan Johansson Patrick Lemarié	Audi R8	LMP900	35	DNF	DNF
2002	Racing for Holland	Jan Lammers Val Hillebrand	Dome S101-Judd	LMP900	351	8th	7th
2003	ST Team Orange Spyker	Norman Simon Hans Hugenholtz	Spyker C8 Double-12R	GT	229	NC	NC
2004	Racing for Holland	Justin Wilson Ralph Firman	Dome S101-Judd	LMP1	313	NC	NC
2005	Spyker Squadron	Peter van Merksteijn Sr. Donny Crevels	Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R	GT2	76	DNF	DNF
2006	Spyker Squadron	Donny Crevels Peter Dumbreck	Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R	GT2	40	DNF	DNF
2009	Snoras Spyker Squadron	Jeroen Bleekemolen Jaroslav Janiš	Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R	GT2	319	25th	5th
2010	Spyker Squadron	Peter Dumbreck Jeroen Bleekemolen	Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R	GT2	280	27th	9th

German Formula Three Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Japanese Formula 3 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

JGTC Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Formula Nippon Results

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European Super Production Championship Results

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European Touring Car Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

World Touring Car Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

^† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

British Touring Car Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded all races) (* signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap – 1 point awarded all races)

TCR International Series Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

World Touring Car Cup Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

^† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

TCR Europe Touring Car Series Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

TCR Spa 500 Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2019	Red Camel-Jordans.nl	Ivo Breukers Rik Breukers Pepe Oriola	CUPRA León TCR	P	454	1st	1st

Complete TCR World Tour Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

See also

In Spanish: Tom Coronel para niños