Maurício Gugelmin

Maurício Gugelmin

Gugelmin at the 1991 United States Grand Prix
Born	(1963-04-20) 20 April 1963 Joinville, Brazil
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Brazilian
Active years	1988 - 1992
Teams	March, Leyton House, Jordan
Entries	80 (74 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	10
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1988 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last entry	1992 Australian Grand Prix

Maurício Gugelmin (born April 20, 1963 in Joinville) is a former racing driver from Brazil. He took part in both Formula One and the Champ Car World Series. He participated in 80 Formula One grands prix, debuting in 1988 for the March team. He achieved one top-three finish and scored a total of ten championship points in the series. He competed in the Champ Car series between 1993 and 2001, starting 147 races. He won one race, in 1997 in Vancouver, finishing fourth in the championship that year. His best result in the Indianapolis 500 was in 1995 where he started and finished in sixth position, leading 59 laps. For a period, he held the world speed record for a closed race track, set at California Speedway in 1997 at a speed of 240.942 mph (387.759 km/h). Gugelmin retired at the end of 2001 after a year that included the death of his son.

Personal and early life

Gugelmin was born in Joinville, Brazil on April 20, 1963 into a wealthy family. His father is a timber merchant and a collector of antique cars. Gugelmin is married to Stella Maris and they have two sons, Bernardo and Gabriel. Their third son, Giuliano, who was Bernardo's twin, died from cerebral palsy in April 2001 at the age of six.

Career

Pre-Formula One

Gugelmin started racing go-karts as a child in Brazil in 1971, winning his local championship nine years in a row from 1971 to 1979. He progressed to the Brazilian national championship in 1980, which he also won. He progressed to single-seater racing cars in 1981, when he won the Brazilian Formula Fiat Championship.

In 1982 Gugelmin, like many Brazilian drivers of his generation, moved to the United Kingdom to further his racing career. He was a longtime friend of future Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna, who was already racing in the UK, and the two shared a house from 1982 to 1987. Senna, having previously been a Formula Ford driver with the Van Diemen team, used his influence within the organisation to secure Gugelmin a race seat with them for 1982. By the end of the year, Gugelmin was British Formula Ford 1600 cc champion. He followed this up by finishing as runner-up in the British Formula Ford 2000 cc series the following year. He moved to the European Formula Ford series in 1984, and won the title at his first attempt. A step up to Formula Three followed in 1985 with West Surrey Racing, winning the British championship and the prestigious Macau Grand Prix. Gugelmin then spent two years in Formula 3000, the final step before Formula One. Gugelmin took one victory in Formula 3000, at Silverstone in 1986 while driving for the Ralt factory team.

Formula One

Related Articles: March Engineering, Leyton House Racing, Jordan Grand Prix

Gugelmin entered Formula One, the highest category of circuit racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body, with the March team in 1988, as team-mate to Ivan Capelli. He had previously been in contention for a drive with Lotus in 1986 but was overlooked in favour of Johnny Dumfries. The season started badly as Gugelmin suffered five retirements from the first six races due to mechanical failure, but soon afterwards he took his first points scoring finish with fourth place at the British Grand Prix. Gugelmin scored points in one other race with fifth place at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished the season as the highest-scoring newcomer in the Formula One World Championship, ending the year in 13th position overall.

1989 was barren for the March team, and Gugelmin took their only points scoring finish of the year at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He finished in third position; an excellent result given that March were financially troubled. At the French Grand Prix, Gugelmin was involved in a large accident at the start of the race which resulted in a spectacular barrel roll. A photograph of the accident was later selected for a London Exhibition as one of Formula One's most striking photographs. The race was stopped as a result; Gugelmin took the restart from the pit lane and set the race's fastest lap, the only one of his F1 career.

Gugelmin at the 1991 US Grand Prix.

In 1990 the March team was sold, and became known as Leyton House. Gugelmin was once again partnered by Capelli, but the team's CG901 chassis proved troublesome and between them they failed to qualify six times, including at the Mexican Grand Prix. However, at the next race, the French Grand Prix, modifications had been made to the car which improved the performance. Running the whole race without changing their tyres, Capelli and Gugelmin ran first and second during the race. Gugelmin retired mid-race with engine problems and Capelli was passed by Alain Prost for the lead late in the race. Gugelmin also scored a point for finishing sixth in Belgium.

1991 saw internal turmoil at the team with several key staff leaving. The car lacked pace and both Gugelmin and Capelli struggled; the team scored just one point all season. Gugelmin's best result amounted to three seventh-place finishes, although he retired from eight of the season's sixteen races. In September, the team's principal, Akira Akagi, was arrested on suspicion of fraud. Money was tight and Gugelmin made the decision to leave the team at the end of the year. A switch to the Jordan team for 1992 did not improve Gugelmin's fortunes. The team struggled with financial difficulties and scored only one point all year. The team's Yamaha engine suffered from a lack of power, and the car was unreliable. Gugelmin failed to finish eleven out of the sixteen races, and scored no points.

Champ Car

Maurício Gugelmin
Nationality	Brazil
Height	5' 10
Weight	170 lbs
Champ Car career
147 races run over 8 years
Years active	1993-2001
Team(s)	Dick Simon Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, PacWest Racing
Best finish	4th in 1997
First race	1993 Pioneer Electronics 200
Last race	2001 Marlboro 500
Wins Podiums Poles 1 8 2

Related Articles: Chip Ganassi Racing, PacWest Racing

Gugelmin signed with Dick Simon Racing to take part in the North American Champ Car racing series for the last three races of 1993. Although races at Mid Ohio and Nazareth resulted in non-finishes, Gugelmin finished 13th at Laguna Seca although this was not high enough to receive any points. Despite this, Gugelmin demonstrated promise. In 1994, Gugelmin signed with Chip Ganassi Racing to partner Michael Andretti who returned to the series after a season in Formula One. Andretti was more successful than Gugelmin, and took two wins, including Reynard's first win in Champ Car at Surfers Paradise. Gugelmin was hindered by a lack of cooperation between his and Andretti's crews, and his first full-time year in the Champ Car World Series resulted in seven points finishes and 16th in the points standings.

1995 started promisingly as Gugelmin finished as runner-up to Jacques Villeneuve in the opening round at Miami. He had a strong race at the Indianapolis 500, finishing in sixth place after leading the most laps of all the drivers. Eight additional points finishes, including a third place at the final round at Laguna Seca, meant he finished tenth in the final points standings, nine places ahead of experienced team mate and former series champion Danny Sullivan.

For 1996, Gugelmin was partnered at PacWest by the British driver, Mark Blundell. He established a reputation for being quick at superspeedway tracks after taking a second and a third place at the two events at Michigan International Speedway. On top of this he took four other points finishes, finishing mid-table in 14th place. For 1997, the PacWest team switched to using Firestone tyres and Mercedes-Benz engines. The package was competitive throughout the year and Gugelmin and Blundell finished fourth and sixth in the championship respectively. Gugelmin's notable races of the year include the Detroit Indy Grand Prix, where Gugelmin was leading the race on the last lap when he ran out of fuel, and the Molson Indy Vancouver, where Gugelmin won his first Champ Car race. One of the most popular men in the championship, virtually the entire pit-lane was full of happiness for him. In qualifying for the final race of the season at the California Speedway, Gugelmin set a world record for the fastest ever lap of a closed race track at 240.942 mph (387.759 km/h). This record stood until the year 2000 when Gil de Ferran surpassed it with a lap of 241.428 mph (388.541 km/h), also at California Speedway. Gugelmin went on to finish the race in fourth place.

1998 proved not to be as successful. Setbacks plagued the team and they struggled to get to grips with the new chassis. Gugelmin showed determination, and scored nine points-scoring finishes. A highlight was Gugelmin leading 40 laps during the final event at California Speedway, en route to fifth place. Gugelmin was unable to reproduce his race-winning form, and finished no higher than 15th position in the final standings over the next three years. In 2000, Gugelmin was named as the chairman of the Championship Drivers Association, the organisation set up to represent the interests of the drivers in the Champ Car World Series.

2001 proved to be a difficult year for Gugelmin. During the practice session for the race at Texas Motor Speedway, he crashed after he lost control in the second turn and hit the wall with a force of 66.2 g, before a second impact with the wall which exerted a force of 113.1 g. The event was eventually called off after drivers complained of dizziness, nausea and blurred vision, which were caused by the high g-forces experienced when driving at speed on the track. During the week before the race at Nazareth Speedway, Gugelmin's son, Giuliano, died from respiratory complications. Giuliano was quadriplegic and a lifelong sufferer from cerebral palsy owing to complications at birth. The PacWest team announced that Gugelmin would not be taking part in the race. Gugelmin's team mate at PacWest, Scott Dixon, won the race beating Kenny Bräck into second place. At the end of 2001, Gugelmin decided to retire from the sport, stating "I definitely want to spend more time with my family. After those two big accidents, and Alex [Zanardi]'s deal in Germany, I said, 'That's it. Forget it.' " Zanardi lost both legs in a crash during a Champ Car race at the Lausitzring in Germany in September 2001.

Post-Champ Car

In 2003 Gugelmin was announced as a competitor by the organizers of the new Renault Megane Super Cup in his native Brazil. However, the series didn't launch and since then Gugelmin has made no competitive appearances in motorsport. Following his retirement, Gugelmin put his Florida mansion in Coral Gables up for sale for $17 million, and moved back to live in Brazil full-time. He runs the family business along with his brother, Alceu, and has also done consultancy work for Mercedes-Benz subsidiary AMG. Both his surviving sons compete in go-kart events.

Motorsports career results

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1986	West Surrey Racing	SIL 4	VAL 14	PAU DNS	SPA 7	IMO Ret	MUG DSQ	PER Ret	ZEL 8	BIR 14	BUG 9	JAR 5	13th	5
1987	Team Ralt	SIL 1	VAL 3	SPA Ret	PAU Ret	DON Ret	PER Ret	BRH 2	BIR 3	IMO 7	BUG 10	JAR 2	4th	29

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Pts.
1988	Leyton House March Racing Team	March 881	Judd V8	BRA Ret	SMR 15	MON Ret	MEX Ret	CAN Ret	DET Ret	FRA 8	GBR 4	GER 8	HUN 5	BEL Ret	ITA 8	POR Ret	ESP 7	JPN 10	AUS Ret	13th	5
1989	Leyton House Racing	March 881	Judd V8	BRA 3	SMR Ret															16th	4
		March CG891	Judd V8			MON Ret	MEX DNQ	USA Ret	CAN Ret	FRA NC	GBR Ret	GER Ret	HUN Ret	BEL 7	ITA Ret	POR 10	ESP Ret	JPN 7	AUS 7
1990	Leyton House	Leyton House CG901	Judd V8	USA 14	BRA DNQ	SMR Ret	MON DNQ	CAN DNQ	MEX DNQ	FRA Ret	GBR DNS	GER Ret	HUN 8	BEL 6	ITA Ret	POR 12	ESP 8	JPN Ret	AUS Ret	18th	1
1991	Leyton House	Leyton House CG911	Ilmor V10	USA Ret	BRA Ret	SMR 12	MON Ret	CAN Ret	MEX Ret	FRA 7	GBR Ret	GER Ret	HUN 11	BEL Ret	ITA 15	POR 7	ESP 7	JPN 8	AUS 14	NC	0
1992	Sasol Jordan Yamaha	Jordan 192	Yamaha V12	RSA 11	MEX Ret	BRA Ret	ESP Ret	SMR 7	MON Ret	CAN Ret	FRA Ret	GBR Ret	GER 15	HUN 10	BEL 14	ITA Ret	POR Ret	JPN Ret	AUS Ret	NC	0

American Open-Wheel

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

CART

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Rank	Points
1993	Dick Simon Racing	SRF	PHX	LBH	IND	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIC	NHM	ROA	VAN	MID Ret	NZR Ret	LAG 13						-	0
1994	Chip Ganassi	SRF 6	PHX 15	LBH 7	IND 11	MIL 15	DET 8	POR Ret	CLE 8	TOR Ret	MIC Ret	MID Ret	NHS 14	VAN 5	ROA Ret	NZR 10	LAG Ret						16th	39
1995	PacWest	MIA 2	SRF 4	PHX 13	LBH 5	NZR 17	IND 6	MIL 14	DET 15	POR 7	ROA Ret	TOR 12	CLE Ret	MIC 11	MID 6	NHS 11	VAN Ret	LAG 3					10th	80
1996	PacWest	MIA Ret	RIO 7	SRF 4	LBH 15	NZR 15	MIC 2	MIL 15	DET 16	POR 16	CLE Ret	TOR 12	MIC 3	ROA Ret	MID Ret	VAN Ret	LAG 5						14th	53
1997	PacWest	MIA 6	SRF 17	LBH 2	NZR 9	RIO Ret	GAT 6	MIL 5	DET Ret	POR 6	CLE 15	TOR 6	MIC 6	MID 7	ROA 2	VAN 1	LAG 9	FON 4					4th	132
1998	PacWest	MIA 10	MOT Ret	LBH 10	NZR Ret	RIO 9	GAT 16	MIL Ret	DET 19	POR 7	CLE Ret	TOR 12	MIC 13	MID 4	ROA Ret	VAN 6	LAG Ret	HOU Ret	SRF 12	FON 5			15th	49
1999	PacWest	MIA 11	MOT 7	LBH 14	NZR 18	RIO Ret	GAT Ret	MIL 8	POR Ret	CLE Ret	ROA 12	TOR 14	MIC Ret	DET Ret	MID Ret	CHI Ret	VAN 4	LAG 11	HOU 6	SRF Ret	FON 6		16th	44
2000	PacWest	MIA 16	LBH 10	RIO Ret	MOT Ret	NZR 2	MIL 11	DET 16	POR Ret	CLE 10	TOR Ret	MIC Ret	CHI 7	MID Ret	ROA Ret	VAN Ret	LAG 7	GAT Ret	HOU Ret	SRF 10	FON Ret		17th	39
2001	PacWest	MON 15	LBH Ret	FTW Canc	NZR DNP	MOT 12	MIL 10	DET 10	POR Ret	CLE 10	TOR 7	MIC 15	CHI 22	MID 14	ROA Ret	VAN 15	LAU 16	ROC 20	HOU Ret	LAG Ret	SRF Ret	FON Ret	24th	17

References

All Formula One race and championship results are taken from:

• Official Formula 1 Website. Archive: Results for 1988 – 1992 seasons www.formula1.com Retrieved 26 August 2006

All Pre-Formula One race and championship results are taken from:

• Maurício Gugelmin - Official Site [1]. Retrieved 26 August 2006

External links

• Maurício Gugelmin's Official Website (Portuguese)

Sporting positions
Preceded by Johnny Dumfries	British Formula 3 Champion 1985	Succeeded by Andy Wallace
Preceded by John Nielsen	Macau Grand Prix Winner 1985	Succeeded by Andy Wallace