Tarso Marques

Infobox F1 driver
Name = Tarso Marques

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Caption = Marques in 2007, as a Stock Car Brasil driver
Nationality = flagicon|Brazil Brazilian
Years = F1|1996 - F1|1997, F1|2001
Team(s) = Minardi
Races = 26 (24 starts)
Championships = 0
Wins = 0
Podiums = 0
Points = 0
Poles = 0
Fastest laps = 0
First race = 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix
First win =
Last win =
Last race = 2001 Belgian Grand Prix

Tarso Anibal Santanna Marques (born January 19, 1976 in Curitiba) is a racing driver from Brazil. He participated in 24 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 31, 1996. He scored no championship points in three separate seasons, all driving for the Minardi team, never completing a full year in Formula One.

Career

After five years of karting, Marques raced in Formula Chevrolet in his home country aged only 16, and he won the title at his first attempt. In 1993 he moved up to Formula Three Sudamericana and subsequently European Formula 3000, and became the youngest driver to win races at both levels. In F1|1996, he started racing for Minardi in Formula One, competing with various drivers for the seat over the following two years, including Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli and Pedro Lamy. Minardi's financial situation demanded that drivers with strong sponsorship were generally favoured, and there were several driver changes in the team at that time.

In 1999, he moved stateside to drive in the American Champ Car ranks, and caught the eye of legendary team-owner Roger Penske. When two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. was injured, Penske asked him to fill in. His best finish was 9th. In 2000, 2004, and 2005, he drove sporadically in that series for perennial hopeful team owner Dale Coyne, with a best result of 11th.

Marques returned to Formula One in F1|2001 to race alongside future World Champion Fernando Alonso in the Minardi team, newly purchased by Paul Stoddart. It was a difficult season for Marques, with the team's financial difficulties not always allowing equal equipment for both drivers. Marques was employed under the provision that another driver with more sponsorship money could replace him at any point in the season, and that prospect was realised towards the end of the year, when Minardi replaced Marques with Alex Yoong.

Since his last Champ Car outing in 2005, Marques has returned to South America to drive in the TC2000 and Stock Car Brasil touring car championships.

Motorsports career results

Complete Formula One results

()

American Open-Wheel

() (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in "italics" indicate fastest race lap)

Champ Car

1999-2000 results to be completed

External links

* [http://www.tarsomarques.com Tarso Marques official website]
* [http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/marques/index.html Profile on F1 Rejects]
* [http://www.fiagt.com/driverinfo.php?drivername=Tarso+Marques Profile] - by [http://www.fiagt.com/ FIA GT Championship official website]