| 02/11/99 | ||
| REPSOL AND DE LA ROSA WILL COMPETE
WITH ARROWS IN FORMULA ONE
|
||
The commitment between both companies is
not limited merely to an advertising sphere, but also implies technological
co-operation. Repsol will become the team�s supplier, and will develop a line of
products including lubricants, fuel and other oil derivatives to meet the
extremely high quality demanded by Formula One. As far as Jorge Segrelles, Director of
External Relations at Repsol, is concerned, "This is the second year our company
is active in the top category of motor racing. Last year we were present with
Jordan and achieved our first win in a Grand Prix. With Arrows, we expect great
results and feel sure Pedro M. De la Rosa will realise his magnificent potential
as a racing driver. We have finally reached an agreement after long
negotiations, especially because of the technological and logistical aspects
forming part of the operation. Tom Walkinshaw, owner of the racing team,
expressed great satisfaction that one of the most active oil companies in the
world of top competition was to join his team. "Repsol has the same ambition to
win as Pedro and I. As a driver, Pedro has been full of surprises for me right
from his first kilometres at the wheel, because of his talent and
technique." This season�s agreement may be extended to
following seasons. This step completes Repsol�s presence in the world of motor
sports, where it won the last World Motorcycling Championship for 500
cc. There will be an official presentation of
the team in Madrid, at 12 noon, on Wednesday, February 17th next, in
Repsol�s head offices. CALENDAR FOR THE FORMULA 1 WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP / 1999 MARCH 7 Australia
(Melbourne) APRIL 11 Brazil (Sao Paulo) MAY 02 San Marino (Imola) 16 Monaco 30 Spain (Barcelona) JUNE 13 Canada (Montreal) 27 France (Magny
Cours) JULY 11 England (Silverstone) AUGUST 01 Germany (Hockenheim) 15 Hungary (Budapest) 29 Belgium (Spa) SEPTEMBER 12 Italy (Monza) 26 Europe
(Nurbutgring) OCTOBER 17 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) 31 Japan (Suzuka) Reserve: China
(Zhouai) REPSOL IN FORMULA 1 Last year, Repsol celebrated its 30th
anniversary in the world of motor racing and, with its participation in the
Formula One World Championship, undertook its most ambitious programme to date,
with respect to both research and development, and the sponsorship of Spanish
sportsmen. This year, our efforts have brought their reward, and Pedro Mart�nez
de la Rosa will be at the wheel of an Arrows A20 on the starting grid of Formula
One World Championship races. The results achieved in 1998 could not have
been better. Pedro Mart�nez de la Rosa had the opportunity of driving a Formula
1 car belonging to the Jordan Team for numerous test sessions, and this gave him
the experience necessary to take a final step in his sporting career. For
Repsol, it was also a year of successes at the height of sports car racing. This
Spanish corporation was the first oil company to win the World Rally
Championship, the World Motorcycling Championship for the top 500 cc category,
and a Formula 1 race during its first year of competition. The Jordan team, with
Repsol�s technological support, won the fourth place in the Championship for
Makers of Formula 1 cars, and its driver, Damon Hill, was sixth in the drivers�
championship. This new season in Formula 1 represents a
fresh challenge for Repsol and for motor racing in Spain. The oil company will
not only co-operate in the technological field with a traditional Formula 1 team
like Arrows, it will also be helping a Spanish driver to make a place for
himself among the best 22 drivers in the world. De la Rosa and Repsol alike will
do their best to prove that their country�s industry and Spanish sportsmen can
stand their ground at the very top level. Repsol�s continued presence in Formula 1
will also show the world the importance of this company, whose ongoing expansion
plans have spread its business activities to Latin America, where Formula 1
Championship racing is closely followed. NATIONALITY:
Spanish Pedro has been interested in racing cars
since he was very young. When he was eight, he asked his Dad for a go-kart so he
could race, but he was bought a radio controlled model car instead. Pedro
decided this was the first step to obtaining a go-kart, and he studied all the
secrets of that tiny racing car. When he was only 14, he won two Championships
of Europe and was second in the World Off-Road Championship. At 16, his father
finally bought him the go-kart he wanted so much, and he began to compete in the
Catalonian Championship races. He was selected by the Spanish Automobile
Federation to take part in a promotional programme called "Offensive One" in
1989. This was the beginning of a sports career, which, after much effort, has
taken him to the Formula 1. In his debut in motor racing, he won the
Spanish Fiat Uno Championship and the confidence of the Federation to continue
in the promotional Offensive Two (Formula Ford) programme. Then, he moved on to
the British Formula Renault and Formula 3, where he accumulated titles,
experience and international recognition, forming part of the federation team
"Racing for Spain" for four years. During this period, Pedro did not neglect his
studies in Economics at the Central University of Catalonia, where he qualified
brilliantly. In 1995, after two seasons in the British
F3 Championship, Pedro decided to accept an offer from the famous Japanese team
Tom�s-Toyota to race in the same category as lead driver for this team in Japan.
In spite of his scarce knowledge of Japanese motor racing, his spirit of
adventure made Pedro decide to accept the challenge, and he went to that distant
country to form part of the team. Now, in Japan, from the very first race, he
became the driver to beat, something his Japanese rivals only achieved on one
occasion in the nine races making up the Japanese F3 Championship that year,
when Pedro won his fifth Championship. As the finishing touch to 1995, he was
third in the renowned Macao Grand Prix, in which only the top 30 F3 drivers
compete each season. Of the six national Champions present that year, Pedro was
the best at training sessions and the races themselves. The great experience gained in Great
Britain and Japan opened the door to the best F3000 teams in Japan and Europe
for the 1996 season. He competed in the Japanese F3000, called Formula Nippon,
with the Shionogi Nova team, which is one of the best in its category. At the
same time, he remained in the Tom�s team to race in the Japanese GT championship
with an official Toyota Supra shared with the local driver Masanori Dekiya,
winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. In Formula Nippon, Pedro was amongst the
leaders from the first race onwards, and was about to move up from second place
when he ran out of gasoline at the last bend, in second place and in pursuit of
the leader Ralf Schumacher. In the last race, he was second after heavy rain. In
GR, Pedro and Sekiya obtained two podium places and they were in the struggle to
win the event right up to the last race. After his second season in Japan, Pedro
received offers from the three-times Formula 1 World Champion, Jackie Stewart,
and Mercedes-Benz to form part of their respective racing teams, but Pedro
decided to stay in Japan. He wanted to win everything before returning to
Europe. 1997 was the year when Pedro really became
a top driver. The season could not have gone better for the Spaniard. Six wins,
three second places and a third in ten Formula Nippon races. This made him the
undeniable Champion and launched him to world fame. He also won the GT
Championship, thanks to two wins and two podium places, at the controls of a
Toyota Supra, partnered by Michael Krumm. After this spell of good results, Pedro was
ranked third best racing driver in the world, behind Jacques Villeneuve and
Michael Schumacher, in the World Ranking of Racing Drivers organised by the
Champion brand. This USA spark-plug company analyses 25 motor championships and
over 600 drivers world-wide. In the last months of 1997, and in spite of
the fact that the main Formula 1 drivers had already been signed up, Pedro
received offers from several teams, and finally accepted a place as test and
reserve driver in the Jordan-Mugen Honda team. Throughout 1998, Pedro did his
job perfectly as test driver in the British team, covering nearly 5,000 Km. at
the wheel of the Jordan-Mugen Honda B198. It is the experience gained during this
year with Jordan that has won him a place as official driver in the Formula 1
team. The Catalonian driver finally chose Arrows, where he will spend the 1999
season. Since 1990, Pedro has received formal
support from the R.A.C.C. (Royal Automobile Club of Catalonia), which jointly
owns the Catalonia Circuit and organised the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, the
Catalonia-Costa Brava Rally and the Motorcycling Grand Prix. He is also aided by
the CSD (Consejo Superior de Deportes), the FEA (Spanish Automobile Federation),
and several companies. DATE OF BIRTH:
30.11.66 This will be the Finish driver�s second
season in the Arrows team, since his debut in Formula 1 in 1994 as a member of
the British Lotus team. Mika Salo was born in Helsinki (Finland) on
November 30th, 1966. He first raced in karts and then went into
Formula Ford 1600, both categories in his native country. He won a contract with
the Japanese tyre firm Yokohama, as test driver. He competed in the Japanese
Formula 3000 for four seasons, obtaining great experience. This enabled him to
occupy the vacant place in the Lotus team and make his debut in Formula 1 in the
Japanese 1994 Grand Prix: the last-but-one in that season. In 1995 he signed for Tyrrell, and continued with this
team until 1997, winning his first championship points there. In 1998 he joined
the British Arrows team, and had as co-driver for the season the Brazilian Pedro
Diniz. In 1999 he will continue in Arrows, this time with Pedro Mart�nez de la
Rosa, who will make his debut as |