So, who do you think the next Canadian driver to make it to F1 will be?
No, it probably won’t be Bruno Spengler, even though he has Mercedes-Benz’s support and the German automaker has its own F1 team and supplies engines to McLaren and Force India.
Strange though it may sound, Spengler never got the chance to try an F1 car. Two-time DTM runner-up and current leader of the 2011 series, Spengler never got the opportunity to show us what he was capable of behind the wheel of an F1 car. Not even for a quick, one-day affair. Politics, apparently…
And yet, last November Mercedes had Sam Bird test for two days. Do you know Sam Bird? Probably not. He’s a decent English driver, but with a rather short list of accomplishments. But apparently Mercedes only has eyes for him.
Nope, the next Canadian to make it into F1 should be Toronto’s Robert Wickens.
The 22-year-old started out racing karts in Ontario and went on to win the North American Formula BMW series in 2006. A year later, he finished third in the Formula Atlantic series.
Then it was off to Europe. Supported by Red Bull, he raced in Formula Renault 3.5, A1 Grand Prix, Formula 3 and Formula 2 and even in GP3. Red Bull eventually dropped him, but he didn’t give up. He managed to attract sponsors as well as the attention of small (but rich) Russian sports car manufacturer Marussia.
He’s been dominating the field in Formula Renault 3.5 this year and has been named the reserve driver for the Marussia Virgin Racing F1 team. That’s a good sign.
On paper, he’s the Canadian with the best chances of breaking into F1. Marussia gave him the goal this year to win the FR 3.5 championship, a series that saw such talents as Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel flourish.
The quiet driver, always smiling, yet terribly determined, hopes to 1) be crowned champion and 2) drive for Marussia Virgin during the Young Driver Tests at the end of the season. If he has the necessary resources (read: budget), the Canadian flag will (finally) adorn an F1 car again.
Wish him luck!
No, it probably won’t be Bruno Spengler, even though he has Mercedes-Benz’s support and the German automaker has its own F1 team and supplies engines to McLaren and Force India.
Strange though it may sound, Spengler never got the chance to try an F1 car. Two-time DTM runner-up and current leader of the 2011 series, Spengler never got the opportunity to show us what he was capable of behind the wheel of an F1 car. Not even for a quick, one-day affair. Politics, apparently…
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| Photo: WRI2 |
And yet, last November Mercedes had Sam Bird test for two days. Do you know Sam Bird? Probably not. He’s a decent English driver, but with a rather short list of accomplishments. But apparently Mercedes only has eyes for him.
Nope, the next Canadian to make it into F1 should be Toronto’s Robert Wickens.
The 22-year-old started out racing karts in Ontario and went on to win the North American Formula BMW series in 2006. A year later, he finished third in the Formula Atlantic series.
Then it was off to Europe. Supported by Red Bull, he raced in Formula Renault 3.5, A1 Grand Prix, Formula 3 and Formula 2 and even in GP3. Red Bull eventually dropped him, but he didn’t give up. He managed to attract sponsors as well as the attention of small (but rich) Russian sports car manufacturer Marussia.
He’s been dominating the field in Formula Renault 3.5 this year and has been named the reserve driver for the Marussia Virgin Racing F1 team. That’s a good sign.
On paper, he’s the Canadian with the best chances of breaking into F1. Marussia gave him the goal this year to win the FR 3.5 championship, a series that saw such talents as Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel flourish.
The quiet driver, always smiling, yet terribly determined, hopes to 1) be crowned champion and 2) drive for Marussia Virgin during the Young Driver Tests at the end of the season. If he has the necessary resources (read: budget), the Canadian flag will (finally) adorn an F1 car again.
Wish him luck!