Sam Bird
Samuel "Sam" Bird ( born January 9, 1987 in Roehampton ) is a British racing driver. He started from 2010 to 2013 - with a one-year interruption - in the GP2 series.
Career
Bird began his motorsport career in karting in 1997, which he held until 2003. In 2004 he moved for two years in the British Formula BMW. After rank 14 in the first season Bird won the 2005 runner-up title. 2006 Bird went to the British Formula Renault at the start and was fourth in the overall standings. 2007 moved to Carlin Motorsport in the British Formula 3 Championship and was again fourth in the overall standings. 2008 Bird joined the Formula 3 Euro Series and launched for Manor Motorsport. Bird remained winless and finished at the end of the season in eleventh place overall. In 2009, he remained in the Formula 3 Euro Series and went for the German Mücke team at the start. With four podium finishes, he finished eighth overall.
After Bird by ART Grand Prix for the time being was engaged only for the Macau Grand Prix and the first race weekend of the GP2 Asia Series season 2009/2010, the end of November it was decided him for the rest of the season of the GP2 Asia Series and to take for the 2010 season of the GP2 main series under contract. After a weak start to the season, he finished at the end of the season of the GP2 Asia Series with a second place as best result seventh overall. In the regular GP2 Series Bird impressed on his first race weekend. After his car was damaged at the start of the first race and had to be repaired, he started from the end of the field to catch up, which ended in ninth place. In the second race he was from ninth on the grid going fourth. After he had already been twice as third on the podium, it succeeded in the Bird penultimate race weekend in Monza to win his first GP2 race. At the end of the season, he finished behind his team-mate Jules Bianchi fifth overall.
Bird, who in aerodynamics tests for Williams F1 collected first Formula 1 experience in 2007, adopted in November 2010 as part of the Young Driver Days in two Formula 1 Test days for Mercedes part. In 2011 he went to the GP2 Asia and GP2 Series for iSport International at the start. In the GP2 Asia Series Bird, who retired due to accidents or collisions in three out of four races finished, in twelfth place overall. In the GP2 series he started with a second and two third places from the first three races into the season. In Monte Carlo Bird occupied, although the pole position, he was not driving at the start but first go and dropped to the rear of the field. After he had fought his way back into midfield, his race was finally ended by a collision with his team-mate Marcus Ericsson. He eventually joined The championship onto sixth place overall. This season, he completed Formula 1 test driving for Mercedes.
2012 Bird moved to Formula Renault 3.5 for the Czech team ISR. Bird ever won a race in Monte Carlo and Silverstone. With seven podium finishes, he ended the season in third place in the drivers' standings. In addition, he was at the Formula 1 team Mercedes test driver.
2013 Bird returned back to the GP2 series and received a contract with Moto Park Academy, which supervised the newly created project Russian Time. Already in the second race weekend in as- Sachir Bird scored the first victory of Russian -time in the Sprint race. In Monte Carlo he won the main race itself. A weekend later, another victory at Silverstone. After he had remained with the next two events without pedestal placement, Bird decided the feature race at Spa- Francorchamps from pole position starting for themselves. In the following the main race in Monza Bird started again from pole position, the fastest lap of the race and finished second. The next race weekend in Singapore Bird won the sprint race. With 181 to 201 points, he defeated Fabio Leimer and closed the season as second overall in the GP2 series. Bird was with five wins one driver who had achieved the most wins in the 2013 season. Together with his team -mate Tom Dillmann, who had become with 92 points Tenth, he won the team title with Russian Time of the GP2 series. Moreover remained Bird Formula 1 test driver at Mercedes.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2008: Formula 3 Euro Series (No. 11)
- 2009: Formula 3 Euro Series (8th place )
- 2010: GP2 Asia Series (No. 7)
- 2010: GP2 Series ( 5th place)
- 2011: GP2 Asia Series (No. 12)
- 2011: GP2 Series ( 6th place)
- 2012: Formula Renault 3.5 ( 3rd place)
- 2012: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2013: GP2 Series (2nd place)
- 2013: Formula 1 ( test driver )