We had our money on Bruno Spengler, but it's Robert Wickens who became the first Canadian driver in a long while to win a European racing title.
On Sunday, the 22-year-old Wickens beat Jean-Éric Vergne from France to secure the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, a hotly-contested series that produced talented drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica.
The problem is that Formula Renault 3.5 races seldom take place during F1 Grand Prix, leaving the GP2 series as the foremost breeding ground for future F1 drivers.
However, Wickens enjoys a sizable advantage. His sponsor is none other than Marussia, a small but wealthy Russian sports car manufacturer and co-owner of Virgin Racing. The latter might not be the best F1 team out there, but newly-developed ties with McLaren will arguably improve its future results.
I've known Robert Wickens since his karting days. He was one of the rare Canadians who didn't hesitate to move across the pond to take on the best drivers and learn the European way of racing.
Representing Red Bull at first, Wickens went through a down period and had to revise his strategy two or three years ago. Despite being dumped by Red Bull, he continued his career in Europe and even competed in three different classes at one point.
Now an official driver for Marussia, he's completely changed. Wickens has become a real pro, and just before the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, he was named as a reserve driver for F1 Marussia Virgin Racing.
Marussia asked him to win the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship, which he just did. Now, if all goes well, Wickens could participate in various tests for emerging F1 drivers that will take place in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season. He will need to make a very strong impression on the track by showcasing his speed, adjustability, nerves of steel, excellent technical knowledge and top physical shape.
With a solid performance during these tests and presuming Marussia is willing to invest extra millions in Virgin Racing, Wickens could wind up on the 2012 starting grid at the wheel of a McLaren-inspired Virgin MVR-03. Here's wishing him all the success he deserves!
On Sunday, the 22-year-old Wickens beat Jean-Éric Vergne from France to secure the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, a hotly-contested series that produced talented drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica.
The problem is that Formula Renault 3.5 races seldom take place during F1 Grand Prix, leaving the GP2 series as the foremost breeding ground for future F1 drivers.
However, Wickens enjoys a sizable advantage. His sponsor is none other than Marussia, a small but wealthy Russian sports car manufacturer and co-owner of Virgin Racing. The latter might not be the best F1 team out there, but newly-developed ties with McLaren will arguably improve its future results.
I've known Robert Wickens since his karting days. He was one of the rare Canadians who didn't hesitate to move across the pond to take on the best drivers and learn the European way of racing.
Representing Red Bull at first, Wickens went through a down period and had to revise his strategy two or three years ago. Despite being dumped by Red Bull, he continued his career in Europe and even competed in three different classes at one point.
Now an official driver for Marussia, he's completely changed. Wickens has become a real pro, and just before the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, he was named as a reserve driver for F1 Marussia Virgin Racing.
Marussia asked him to win the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship, which he just did. Now, if all goes well, Wickens could participate in various tests for emerging F1 drivers that will take place in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season. He will need to make a very strong impression on the track by showcasing his speed, adjustability, nerves of steel, excellent technical knowledge and top physical shape.
With a solid performance during these tests and presuming Marussia is willing to invest extra millions in Virgin Racing, Wickens could wind up on the 2012 starting grid at the wheel of a McLaren-inspired Virgin MVR-03. Here's wishing him all the success he deserves!