Гонщики, C | |
Comas, Érik Курсивом отмечены гонщики, |
| Эрик КомасComas, Érik |
 (c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000 Родился: 28.09.1963 Романс, Франция Сезонов в Ф1: Лет в Ф1: 4 Гран При: Старты: 59* *не стартовал: 4 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: Лучший старт: 7 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: |
Год | Команда | Шасси |
With Jean Alesi and Eric Bernard, Comas is one of a trio of French drivers whose careers were closely intertwined as they made inexorable progress into Formula 1 along the French motor racing conveyor-belt, but ultimately only Alesi stayed the course.
A French karting champion in 1983, Érik was soon sampling cars, racing a Renault 5 previously driven by Alesi, with which he won the Volant Elf at Paul Ricard, then moving up to Formule Renault as number two to Bernard in 1985. Scoring consistently, he finished second on points to his team-mate but only fourth overall after his lowest scores had been discounted, but he made no mistake a year later.
This led to a seat in the Winfield team in the national Formula 3 series in 1987, but Comas found himself as number two to Bernard once more and was somewhat overshadowed, though he did finish sixth in the final placings. Érik also took the chance to compete in the French Superproduction category, and immensely enjoyed pitting himself against old hands such as Jabouille and Jarier in the powerful 400 bhp machines.
For 1988, he was chosen to lead the ORECA team, normally an absolute guarantee of success in French F3. Comas delivered, but only just, pipping Eric Cheli to the title after a fraught season spent developing the team's Dallara. However, the job was done and once again he followed Bernard on the upward path, joining him in the DAMS F3000 team for the 1989 season. After a slow start, Comas soon shone and by the season's end it was his turn to outshine his team-mate. Two wins at Le Mans and Dijon brought him level with Alesi at the top of the points standings, but Jean was champion by virtue of an extra win. Érik finished the job in 1990; still with DAMS, but now number one driver, he won four of the 11 rounds, and now he was ready for Formula 1.
On paper, a two-year contract with Ligier alongside the experienced Thierry Boutsen seemed to be ideal. The first season with the Lamborghini-engined car would allow Érik a chance to learn the ropes and the second, 1992, with Renault power, would put him in the front rank. The best-laid plans do not always work out, however, and with the team already split into factions, any potential assets it held had been dissipated, while Érik's working relationship with Boutsen was such that they were barely on speaking terms. For the 1993 and 1994 seasons he found refuge in the Larrousse team, making the best of a car run on very meagre resources. His sixth place at Monza in '93 was a fine achievement, but with the shortage of top seats in Formula 1 and a whole new generation of chargers knocking on the door, Comas had missed his big chance to make it to the very top. Personally he felt that Elf, who do so much for French drivers in the junior formulae, should have insisted that at least one of his compatriots be given an opportunity in a front-running team.
Érik subsequently found employment (and immediate success) driving in the All-Japan GT championship in a Toyota Supra in 1996, which led to an offer by Nissan to race their Skyline GT model alongside Aguri Suzuki in 1997. Comas rapidly became a key member of the NISMO team and was crowned All-Japan GT champion in 1998 and 1999. He has also been involved with the TWR-run Nissan prototype challenge, finishing sixth at Le Mans in 1998 with the R390 and winning the Fuji 1000 Km (with Motoyama and Kagayama) in 1999 with the R391.
(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000
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