UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Le Mans winner named as Campos F1 candidate

Gene to make race return

Jun.15 (GMM) 2009 Le Mans winner, Ferrari test driver and veteran of 36 grands prix Marc Gene has been named as a possible driver for a new Spanish formula one team.

Campos Grand Prix, headed by former Minardi driver Adrian Campos, was nominated by the FIA last Friday, alongside US F1 and Manor, as one of the winners of three new places on the 2010 grid.

The Spaniard confirmed that the team, launched in 1998 and having contested series including GP2 and European F3, will prioritise targeting Spanish drivers.

Spain's AS newspaper said Campos, 49, has not made any decisions about 2010 but mentioned Gene, McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa, GP2 youngster Javi Villa and former Force India tester Roldan Rodriguez as potential candidates.

"I will speak with them," Campos confirmed.

"I will try to support Spanish drivers, but that does not mean that anyone is going to drive for us just because he is Spanish."

30-year-old reigning GP2 champion Giorgio Pantano, an Italian, said at the weekend that he is hoping for a Campos seat in F1. He drove for the team in GP2 in 2007.

Campos Grand Prix will be based in Madrid and Valencia and its car will be designed by Dallara.

In a team also including Alex Wurz and Sir Jack Brabham's son David, 35-year-old Marc Gene won the Le Mans 24 hour race on Sunday driving a Peugeot prototype.

Pondering F1's current political crisis in his recent blog for Spain's El Mundo, he wrote: "Any driver who dreams about F1 thinks of Ferrari, McLaren, Renault. Nobody dreams about a private team."

Written: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:15:59