Mark Blundell

Mark Blundell ( born April 8, 1966 in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England ) is a British former racing driver. He was active among others in Formula 1, in the Champ Car series and the sports cars.

Career

Beginnings in motorsport

His first involvement in motor racing were motocross race in England at the age of 14 years. He was an immediate success, soon became one of the best drivers in the UK and has won several championships. In 1983, at 17, he moved to four wheels in the British Formula Ford Again he was successful quickly and was already in the first season runner-up in both Junior Championships with 25 victories and 24 pole positions. The following year he won both the Esso British Formula Ford and Formula Ford Snetterton in 1600. Following year he was promoted to the better motorized Formula Ford 2000 and promptly won the BBC Grandstand series. He even returned to the Formula Ford 1600 Championship back, drove to the pole and finished the race in fourth place. In 1986, he won the European championship in Formula Ford 2000.

At this time planned Blundell the rise in international motorsport. He had the traditional step, the formula 3, and has moved to TOMS Toyota in Formula 3000th Although he had a little competitive car, he could retract some promising successes and even celebrate victories. In 1987 he moved to the Lola factory team. He also participated in several Formula 3 race.

The following year he got a Formula 1 test drive for the Williams team. In 1990 he ended his Formula 3000 career in order to concentrate on sports cars. In the same year he made at the 24 Hours of Le Mans a new course record and ran as by then the youngest driver in history to the pole position.

Formula 1

Blundell debuted in 1991 at the U.S. Grand Prix in Phoenix on a Brabham. The first point he went into his eleventh race, the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps. He also renewed his contract with Williams test. The following year he got a regular place and instead was test driver for McLaren. In parallel, Blundell drove back sports car race and won with Peugeot, together with Derek Warwick and Yannick Dalmas that. 24 Hours of Le Mans

In 1993 he returned as a regular driver from Ligier back into Formula 1. In the Grand Prix of South Africa and Germany, he managed as a third party in each case the jump on the podium. For the 1994 season, he switched to Tyrrell. His vehicle was less competitive than last year, yet he managed a third place in Spain again. Due to lack of sponsors support he had his place in Tyrrell but cede again at the end of the season and signed again as a test driver for McLaren.

After former World Champion Nigel Mansell his contract did not meet the newly formed Team McLaren -Mercedes for the 1995 season, Blundell got the vacant regular place next to the later double world champion Mika Hakkinen. He started from the fifth race ( Monaco Grand Prix ) in Mansell's MP4/10 with the No. 7, which he already moved as a substitute driver in the first two races of the season. With 13 championship points Blundell was at the end of tenth in the standings, but had to give way to the Scots for 1996 David Coulthard, who came from Williams. Lack of alternatives, Blundell ended his Formula 1 career and joined the American Champ Car series.

Champ Cars

Blundell signed a contract with PacWest Racing team. The former Formula 1 driver Maurício Gugelmin was there his teammate. Blundell was at the end of the year third in the rookie standings with three top - six finishes at Indy 500, at the Detroit Grand Prix and at the Michigan International Speedway.

1997 Blundell drove race wins in Portland, Toronto and Fontana and was sixth at the end of the championship. In the same year he was also elected to the British Driver of the Year. The 1998 season was less successful. In early 1999 Blundell suffered a serious accident. In 2000 he returned for a final season PacWest. However, it was another disappointing season, it reached only 18 points and was 21 overall. This led to the separation of PacWest.

Sport car

Blundell returned to Europe to bring back to concentrate on sports cars. He could not finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Lola MG.

He tested a Dale Coyne Champ Car to help Darren Manning to prepare for his first Champ Car race in Britain and drove the British race of the World Rally Championship.

In 2003 he celebrated great success in the sports car. Along with Johnny Herbert and David Brabham, he finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Bentley. He was also third in the 12 Hours of Sebring race, as the best Bentley drivers.

Le Mans results

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