(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000

Родился: 22.04.1978 Буэнос-Айрес Сезонов в Ф1: 1 Лет в Ф1: 1 Гран При: 16 Старты: 16 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: 8 Лучший старт: 17 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: Круги: 613 - лидирования: Километры: 3031.77 - лидирования: Очки: - за один сезон: - подряд:

Ф1: 1998

Год	Команда	Шасси
1998	Minardi Team	Minardi M198

If Conan Doyle had penned a short story entitled The Strange Case of the Disappearing Racing Driver', it would have been entirely appropriate to Esteban Tuero, a young Argentinian who was assiduously groomed for stardom. Sent around the world at great expense, he was found a place in a Grand Prix car only to end up back in his homeland racing a VW Polo within a year.

After an apprenticeship in the Sud-Am F3 series, Esteban travelled to Italy in 1996 to race in the national F3 championship but before long he had been elevated to F3000 with Draco. Plans had already been laid for his graduation to F1 with Minardi and the following season he headed off to Japan to compete in Formula Nippon alongside Norberto Fontana. Precious little was achieved in the way of results, but it did not stop the still inexperienced Tuero from gaining the superlicence required to take up a Grand Prix drive with the Italian team in 1998.

His one season in the big time went well enough. Proving a quick learner, he was evenly matched with team-mate Nakano, but in the last race of the year in Japan he tangled with Takagi's Tyrrell and injured vertebrae in his neck. Esteban went home to convalesce and never returned. He later announced his retirement from Formula 1 on 'irrevocable personal grounds', mysteriously adding that he was sworn to secrecy on his reasons for taking such a decision.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000