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

Родился: 23.03.1976 Куритиба Сезонов в Ф1: 5 Лет в Ф1: 7 Гран При: 38 Старты: 36* *не стартовал: 2 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: 6 Лучший старт: 6 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: Круги: 1716 - лидирования: Километры: 8499.76 - лидирования: Очки: 3 - за один сезон: 3 - подряд: 2

Ф1: 1999-2005

Год	Команда	Шасси
1999	British American Racing	BAR 01
2000	Lucky Strike British American Racing Honda	BAR 002
	Lucky Strike Reynard British American Racing Honda	BAR 002
2001	Benson & Hedges Jordan Honda	Jordan EJ11
2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	Toyota TF104B
2005	Panasonic Toyota Racing	Toyota TF105

When British American Racing launched their new challenger at the beginning of 1999 all eyes were quite naturally on Jacques Villeneuve, and Ricardo Zonta's Grand Prix debut in the second car went largely unheralded. The disastrous season that BAR were to endure provided the Brazilian with the toughest of baptisms in the big time. Ricardo was injured in a practice crash at his home track which forced him to miss three races, and then emerged unscathed from a massive off at Eau Rouge during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa later in the year. Through all this, his self-confidence remained unshakeable, for the ambitious Brazilian has been a champion in every major category in which he has competed.

His father was a racer on the local dirt tracks around his native Curitiba and the young Ricardo was soon bitten by the racing bug. In 1986 his dad bought him his first kart and the following year his competition career began. By 1991 he was Brazilian champion, and after a season in Formula Chevrolet Zonta moved up to Formula 5 in the Sud-Am series. Six victories in the 1995 season brought him the South American championship and with it the opportunity to go to Europe and race in the F3000 series with the Italian Draco Engineering team.

Wins at Mugello and Estoril marked him out as a man to watch and, switching to the crack Super Nova team for 1997, he had the equipment and the talent to take the F3000 title after a tremendous battle with Juan Montoya. Grand Prix teams had already been alerted to his ability and a highly promising F1 test for Jordan brought a testing contract with McLaren in 1998. Mercedes placed him alongside the experienced Klaus Ludwig in their CLK-GTR to contest the FIA GT championship and the pair duly shared the drivers' crown after five wins in the ten-round series.

Zonta now looks forward to a second year in Formula 1 with BAR. His philosophy is: 'being the best in everything I do'. Don't bet against him reaching the very top in the future.

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