Adrián Campos

Adrián Campos Suñer (17 June 1960 – 27 January 2021) was a Spanish Formula One driver. He participated in 21 Grands Prix, debuting on 12 April 1987, without scoring a championship point. He later moved into team management, with more success. He was the founder of the Campos Meta Formula One team (later known as HRT), which competed in Formula One from 2010 to 2012.

Adrian Campos
Born(1960-06-17)17 June 1960
Alzira, Valencia, Spain
Died27 January 2021(2021-01-27) (aged 60)
Valencia, Spain
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Spanish
Active years1987 – 1988
TeamsMinardi
Entries21 (17 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1987 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last entry1988 Canadian Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1997
TeamsPilot Racing
Best finishDNF
Class wins0
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Campos and the second or maternal family name is Suñer.

Racing career

Early years

Campos' first success was in radio-controlled car racing, winning the Spanish Championship in 1980. He switched to car racing a year later, and competed in Formula Three from 1983 to 1985, finishing 3rd in the 1985 German Championship. He raced in Formula 3000 in the 1986 season, with modest success.

Formula One

Having done some testing for Tyrrell in 1986, Campos raced in the 1987 and 1988 F1 seasons for the Minardi team, alongside first Alessandro Nannini and then compatriot Luis Pérez-Sala. He only completed two of the 21 races he entered, although more of these were due to mechanical failures than driver errors. However, these retirements caused him to lose his motivation and in 1988, he was replaced by Pierluigi Martini after failing to qualify in three consecutive races.[1]

After Formula One

Campos competed in Spanish Touring Cars, winning the championship in 1994. 1997 would be the last year Campos would spend as a professional driver. After some races in sports prototypes such as the Ferrari 333 SP, he would go on to form his own team as an owner.

Team management
Main article: Campos Racing

After leaving Formula One, Campos was successfully involved in team management. He founded Adrian Campos Motorsport (later renamed Campos Racing) in 1998, with Marc Gené winning the 1998 Euro Open by Nissan championship in the championship's first year before immediately reaching Formula One. He also ran Fernando Alonso in his early years.

The team entered the GP2 series when it was launched for 2005. Two fifth places were the best results that year. The team opened 2006 with a podium at Valencia for Adrian Valles, but neither he nor fellow Spaniard Félix Porteiro scored another podium all year (Portiero was second on the road at Silverstone, but a steering rack irregularity caused him to be disqualified).

The signing of veteran Giorgio Pantano for 2007 led the team forward, Pantano scoring two victories and 3rd overall, with teammate Vitaly Petrov also winning at the season finale at Valencia. For 2008 Petrov remained, with Ben Hanley replaced in the second car by Lucas di Grassi after three rounds. Di Grassi immediately recaptured his 2007 form, with three second places in his first four starts, and subsequent wins at the Hungaroring and the new Valencia Street Circuit - which represented a double for the team, as Petrov won race one, having scored just one other podium all year. The Campos team won the 2008 Teams' Championship. In October 2008, Campos announced that he planned to step down from running the GP2 team and to sell his stake in it, but would still remain involved in F3 and a new project that was unspecified.[2] The GP2 team was taken over by Alejandro Agag and renamed Barwa Addax.[3]

Formula One

Campos had been linked to a move into Formula One, and he considered buying the assets of the defunct Super Aguri team.[4] In May 2009, Campos Grand Prix lodged an entry for the 2010 Formula One season,[5] which was one of four new ones to be accepted.[6] The entry was successful along with Lotus F1, Manor GP & US F1. The team, which was soon renamed to Campos Meta, confirmed on 30 October 2009 that Bruno Senna, who is Ayrton Senna's nephew, would be one of their drivers on the grid in 2010.

In February 2010, with the Campos team struggling financially, a rescue deal was completed whereby shareholder José Ramón Carabante took over full control of the team. As part of the restructuring, Campos was replaced as team principal by Colin Kolles.[7] The team was renamed Hispania Racing (or HRT F1), with Campos taking the role of executive vice-president.

Personal life

His maternal grandfather Luis Suñer was a noted industrialist in Spain.[8] His father founded the Avidesa frozen food company. He has a son whose name is also Adrián Campos Jr.[9]

Campos died on 27 January 2021, aged 60, due to an aortic dissection.

Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results

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

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Pts
1985 Barron Racing Tyrrell 012 Cosworth SIL THR EST NÜR
C		 VAL PAU SPA DIJ PER ÖST ZAN DON NC 0
1986 Peter Gethin Racing March 86B Cosworth SIL
16		 VAL
DNQ		 PAU
Ret		 SPA
DNQ		 IMO
Ret		 MUG
DNS		 PER
DNQ		 ÖST BIR NC 0
Lola Motorsport Lola T86/50 Cosworth BUG
Ret		 JAR
7

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1987 Minardi Team Minardi M187 MM V6 (t/c) BRA
DSQ		 SMR
Ret		 BEL
Ret		 MON
DNS		 DET
Ret		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
Ret		 GER
Ret		 HUN
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 ITA
Ret		 POR
Ret		 ESP
14		 MEX
Ret		 JPN
Ret		 AUS
Ret		 NC 0
1988 Lois Minardi Team Minardi M188 Cosworth V8 BRA
Ret		 SMR
16		 MON
DNQ		 MEX
DNQ		 CAN
DNQ		 DET FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0

24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1997 Pilot Racing Michel Ferte
Charlie Nearburg		 Ferrari 333 SP LMP 18 DNF DNF

References
  1. "Campos: we're aiming to finish inside the top ten". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  2. "Campos steps down from GP2 team". autosport.com. 13 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  3. "Renamed Addax team sign Grosjean". autosport.com. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
  4. "F1 : Adrian Campos interested in buying Super Aguri Formula 1 assets". F1sa.com. 7 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  5. Elizalde, Pablo (22 May 2009). "Campos's team lodges F1 entry". autosport.com. Haymarket. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  6. Noble, Jonathan (12 June 2009). "FIA announces 2010 F1 entry list". autosport.com. Haymarket. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
  7. Elizalde, Pablo (19 February 2010). "Carabante takes over Campos team". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  8. "Adrian Campos Suner". Grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  9. Official website of Adrián Campos Jr.
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