Gené Re-signs With BMW Williams for 2004
Written by John Davison · October 31, 2003
Oxford, 31 October, 2003. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team today confirmed that Marc Gené (ESP) has re-signed as the team’s official test and reserve driver for the 2004 season.
29 year old Gené, a native of St Quirze del Vallés near Barcelona in Spain, has undertaken testing duties for the team since 2001, and in three years of relentless work, has completed nearly 42,000 km of testing on the team’s behalf.
As Chief Operations Engineer, Sam Michael reflects, “Testing is the backbone of our racing performance and the essential hard grind of the job. I’m confident that the BMW WilliamsF1 Team could have no-one better as the mainstay of our testing programme. Marc is quick, consistent, and provides the team engineers with excellent and intelligent feedback. It gives me great confidence to know that he will be with the team again next year. I’m also comfortable knowing that Marc, if needed, can also race competitively as he showed this season.”
While most test drivers conduct their trade away from the glare of publicity, Marc has 34 Grand Prix starts to his name, and also holds the position of Official Reserve Driver for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team.
After a mid-season testing accident involving Ralf Schumacher, Marc deputised for the German driver in the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. In his first race representing the team, he claimed a highly creditable 5th place on the grid, and showed an extremely competitive race pace, contributing a valuable four points to the team by finishing in 5th place. Despite only having one solitary race start in the 2003 season, Marc finished ahead of three regular drivers in the FIA Formula One Drivers’ Championship, as well as being ahead of four other drivers who between them recorded 19 GP starts.
Team Principal Frank Williams reflected, “We are fortunate to have a driver of Marc’s calibre who can test with metronomic precision and efficiency, but who also has the racecraft and depth of experience to represent the team at a Grand Prix when circumstances require. I am very pleased that we have managed to extend our relationship for another season given that Marc’s testing knowledge and abilities are highly regarded elsewhere.”
The Spaniard said on confirmation of his contract for 2004, “I am delighted to continue my relationship with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team for next year.” He continued, “2003 has been a very busy and special year, busy because so far this season I have completed 24,000 testing kilometres, and obviously special since it marked my debut with the team as a race driver at Monza, a race I really enjoyed.
For next season, my goal is to assist the team in every way to win the World Championship.”
Marc Gené
Date and place of birth: 29th March 1974/Sabadell (Barcelona, ESP)
Nationality: Spanish
Place of residence: St Quirze del Vallés
Website: www.marcgene.com
Marital status: Single
Height: 1.73 m
Weight: 69 kg
Hobbies: Reading (esp. history and psychology), cinema, mountain-biking, diving, mountain-climbing
Favourite dish: Pasta
Favourite drink: Milk
First drove a car: At the age of eight in a Ford Fiesta
First drove a racing car: A go-kart at the age of six
Career highlights
1987 Second in the Catalan Kart Championship.
1988 First in the Spanish Kart Championship (national class);
first in the Catalan Kart Championship (national class).
1989 Tenth in the European Kart Championship (junior class);
19th in the World Kart Championship (national class).
1990 First in the Spanish Kart Championship
(youngest winner in the senior class).
1991 First in the Catalan Kart Championship (senior class);
13th in the World Kart Championship, Formula A
1992 Fifth in the Spanish Formula Ford Championship, one win, one pole position.
1993 Second in the Formula Ford Festival (World Cup), Team Manor Motorsport; second in the Formula Ford European championship one win and three podium placings in four races.
1994 British Formula 3 Championship, Alan Docking Racing, “Rookie of the Year”; seventh in the international Formula 3 Challenge at Donington Park.
1995 British Formula 3 Championship, West Surrey Racing, two podium placings; second Avon Prize for the three fastest drivers in British Formula 3.
1996 First in the II Fisa Golden Cup Superformula, one win, four podium placings, four pole positions.
1997 International Formula 3000 Championship, Pacific Racing Team and Nordic Racing Team.
1998 First in the Formula Open Fortuna by Nissan, Team Adrian Campos Motorsports, six wins; Formula One test with Fondmetal Minardi Ford.
1999 17th in the Formula One World Championship, Fondmetal Minardi Ford, ten out of 16 possible finishes, sixth in the Nürburgring Grand Prix; nominated “Best Rookie of the Year” by the Spanish Car and Driver magazine and as Driver of the Year by Spanish Motor Racing World.
2000 19th in the Formula One World Championship, Telefonica Minardi Team, eight out of 17 possible finishes.
2001 Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team
2002 Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team
2003 Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team 17th in the Formula One World One Championship, one race, 5th place
Formula One statistics:
Formula One debut: Melbourne 1999
Best qualifying: 5th, Monza 2003
Best GP result: 5th, Monza 2003
GP starts: 34
Career points 5
Fastest laps: 0
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