Bruno Junqueira

Bruno Junqueira (* November 4, 1976 in Belo Horizonte ) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver.

In 1997, he won the South American Formula 3 From 1998 to 2000 he was active in Formula 3000 and decided in his last season in the championship. Junqueira occurred from 2001 to 2007 in the Champ Car series and was three times ( 2002-2004), second overall. He started at 101 races and won eight of them. From 2001 to 2011 Junqueira also participated in some events, the IndyCar Series.

Career

Karting and Formula 3 (1987-1997)

Junqueira began his motorsport career in karting in 1987, where he remained active until 1993. 1994 Junqueira debuted in Formula racing and launched in the Brazilian Formula 3 Championship. He finished his debut season in fourth place in the overall standings.

1995 Junqueira competed in the South American Formula 3 Championship. He won a race and finished fifth in the drivers' standings. In his second South American Formula 3 season he won again a race. In the overall classification he reached the sixth. In 1997, he completed his third season in the South American Formula 3 Championship. Junqueira won six out of twelve races and decided to fight for the title with 171 to 139 points, ahead of Gabriel Furlan for themselves.

Formula 3000 (1998-2000)

Junqueira 1998 left South America to Europe. He started for the team Draco Engineering in the International Formula 3000 Championship and was teammate of Giovanni Montanari. With a fifth place as best result Junqueira was the only pilot in the team who got points. In the championship, he was on the 18th Place.

In 1999, Junqueira within the F3000 for the second team of Supernova Racing, the first Den Blå Avis and finally called Petrobras Junior Team. In the first four races he twice scored points in the fifth race at Silverstone followed with a second place finish his first podium placement. After he failed the qualification in the subsequent race, he decided on the Hockenheimring race for themselves. In the championship, he finished with 20 points in fifth place. He sat down opposite his teammate and countryman Max Wilson, who finished eighth with 14 points, by. In addition, Junqueira was in 1999 Formula 1 test driver for Williams.

For the 2000 Formula 1 season Williams Junqueira and Jenson Button was in a duel for a Formula 1 cockpit race against each other. Button it decided for himself and remained Junqueira Williams test driver. Race went Junqueira again in Formula 3000, where he completed his third season in 2000. He remained at Petrobras Junior Team, the second Super Nova team. In the first five races he stood on the podium four times, winning the race in Barcelona, Nürburg and Monte Carlo. Over the next four races, however, managed to get him more points with a win at the Hungaroring, while Nicolas Minassian, his rival for the title, who drove for the first Super Nova team, made good points. Before the last race of the season it was on points 48 to 41 for Junqueira. Minassian had to win the last race to have a theoretical title chances. Fernando Alonso won the race, while Minassian third parties and Junqueira finished ninth. This Junqueira decided the Formula 3000 European title for themselves.

Champ Car / IndyCar (2001-2008)

Ganassi (2001-2002)

In 2001, Chip Ganassi Racing to Junqueira in the North American CART series and drove a Lola - Toyota. His teammate was initially his former Formula 3000 rival Minassian, who was replaced after the seventh race of the CART- experienced racer Memo Gidley. Junqueira won the race in Elkhart Lake and was 16th in the overall standings. Behind Scott Dixon, he was the second best rookie. While within the team who beat Minassian, he was defeated Gidley. In addition, Junqueira took for Chip Ganassi Racing in a G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora at the Indianapolis 500, a race in the Indy Racing League, in part. It has not been rounded up on his debut and was in fifth behind Jimmy Vasser second best Ganassi pilot. He was also the second-best rookie in this race behind the winner Helio Castroneves.

2002 remained at Chip Ganassi Racing Junqueira. Kenny Bräck, the runner-up the previous season, was his new team mate and also Dixon started from the fourth race for Ganassi. He won the race in Motegi and Denver and was with 164 to 237 points runner-up behind his compatriot Cristiano da Matta. He also participated, this time in a G-Force Chevrolet, for Ganassi at the Indianapolis 500 in part. He scored the pole position. However, in the race, he dropped out with transmission problems.

Newman / Haas (2003-2006)

For the 2003 CART season Junqueira was taken from the champion team Newman / Haas Racing under contract. He replaced da Matta, who moved into Formula 1, and was team-mate Sébastien Bourdais, who was like Junqueira Formula 3000 champion. The team used a Lola and used, as from all other teams this season also, a Cosworth engine. In the first twelve races Junqueira did not come only once in the top -5 finish and he scored a victory in Elkhart Lake. At this time he led the championship ahead of Paul Tracy. In the last six races, he scored but only with a win in Denver another top 5 ranking and remained three times with no points. At the end of the season he finally defeated Tracy and was with 199 to 226 points runner-up. Bourdais, his teammate, had indeed achieved in the season, more wins, with 159 points, however, he remained in the overall standings behind Junqueira.

After the race organizers CART went bankrupt after the season, the OWRS took over the organization of the race series, the name was from the 2004 Champ Car World Series. Junqueira and Bourdais stayed with Newman / Haas Racing and were in the season the determining pilots. In the first six races Bourdais won four times and Junqueira was second four times. In the last six races Junqueira always stood on the podium and won in Montreal and Surfers Paradise. In the Drivers' Championship he won for the third time in a row in second place. With 341 to 369 points he lost this season Bourdais. The two scored six double wins for Newman / Haas Racing, with only once Junqueira was the winner. In addition Junqueira returned back to Indianapolis in 2004, where Newman / Haas uniquely a G-Force Honda began as a one-man team. He qualified in fourth place and was on the lead lap in fifth place finish.

Began in 2005 Junqueira with a third place in Long Beach to the season. In the second race in Monterrey, he won and took over the lead of the championship ahead of his teammate Bourdais. Then took Newman / Haas, with its two race drivers in a Panoz - Honda on 29 May at the Indianapolis 500 in part. In the second third of the race Junqueira was on the sixth position and was about to overtake AJ Foyt IV, who had several laps down. Before curve 2 Foyt suddenly pulled inwardly whereby he touched Junqueira rear right. Junqueira lost control of his vehicle and spun into the wall. Junqueira lost consciousness in the accident and was severely injured taken to hospital. He had broken two vertebrae and needed emergency surgery. Junqueira survived the accident without a paraplegic to suffer, but had to be longer to recover from the consequences of the accident. It turned out the entire season and was represented by Oriol Servia, who was behind Bourdais runner-up.

In December 2005, Junqueira tested for the first time in a Champ Car, and he kept his Newman / Haas cockpit for the 2006 season. While Bourdais with seven wins for the third time won the Champ Car titles, three second places were the best results of Junqueira. He finished the season from fifth place. At season's end, Junqueira and Newman / Haas Racing parted after four seasons.

Dale Coyne (2007-2008)

In early 2007 took part Junqueira for the Brazilian team in three events of the A1GP. It was his best position seventh place. He then returned to the Champ Car World Series and received at Dale Coyne Racing cockpit as team-mate Katherine Legge. The team was, like, permanent under-funded in previous years. Nevertheless, we succeeded Junqueira to achieve 11 times in 14 races a Top 10 ranking. With the consecutive races in Zolder, Assen and Surfers Paradise, he scored a second and two third places. In the championship, he was charged with 233 points, seventh and sat down with it within the team against Legge through, which was on the 15th place with 108 points.

In early 2008 came to Junqueira to two A1GP race weekends. An eighth place was his best result. In the 2008 season he went to Dale Coyne Racing for the IndyCar Series, as the Champ Car series for racing set and the IndyCar Series had connected. His teammate was the rookie Mario Moraes. With a sixth place as best result Junqueira finished the season in 20th place. He was thus a position before Moraes.

Individual participation in various race series (since 2009)

2009 Junqueira was without a permanent cockpit. For Conquest Racing, he was given the opportunity to participate in the Indianapolis 500. In contrast to the regular driver Alex Tagliani he achieved the qualification. The team decided on Junqueira, who had not participated in the training, to withdraw from the race and leave the starting area Tagliani.

2010 Junqueira was given the opportunity for the FAZZT Race Team at Indianapolis 500 to start. Like last year, Tagliani was his team mate. Junqueira qualified, retired in the race but on the 32nd. In addition, he made off of formula racing in Formula Truck, a Brazilian racing series, experience in truck race. He was Gesamtsiebzehnter.

2011 Junqueira was committed for the second IndyCar cockpit of AJ Foyt Enterprises for the Indianapolis 500. Junqueira after qualifying in 19th place. As early as 2009 he had, however, another pilot handed over the cockpit for the race this time. Andretti driver Ryan Hunter -Reay failed in qualifying and got the Foyt car that Junqueira had qualified. Unlike Junqueira, who came into the cockpit without sponsors, Andretti had several sponsors for Hunter reays vehicle. In addition, Junqueira started in the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS) and finished 26th in the GT championship. He also took part in two races in the Stock Car Brasil and the Brazilian Petrobras de Marcas Cup.

Career stations

• 2001: CART ( 16th place)
• 2001: Indy Racing League ( 37th place )
• 2002: CART (2nd place)
• 2002: Indy Racing League ( No. 51 )
• 2003: CART (2nd place)
• 2004: Champ Car (2nd place)
• 2004: IndyCar Series ( No. 28 )
• 2005: Champ Car ( No. 19 )
• 2005: IndyCar Series (No. 36)
• 2006: Champ Car ( 5th place)

• 2007: A1GP
• 2007: Champ Car ( 7th place)
• 2008: A1GP
• 2008: IndyCar Series (No. 20)
• 2009: IndyCar Series
• 2010: IndyCar Series ( No. 39 )
• 2010: Formula Truck ( 17th)
• 2011: IndyCar Series ( No. 47 )
• 2011: Stock Car Brasil ( 29th place )
• 2011: ALMS, GT ( # 26 )