Team owner Adrian Campos dies aged 60

Michelle Foster
Adrian Campos.jpg

Adrian Campos' death shocked Giancarlo Minardi.

Former F1 driver and founder of the Campos Racing team Adrian Campos has died age 60, his team has announced.

The Spaniard, who spent a year and a half racing in Formula 1 in the late 1980s, passed away on Wednesday night.

“Today is the saddest day in the history of Campos Racing,” his team said in a brief statement on social media.

“Our President and founder, Adrián Campos Suñer, has left us.

“His heart stopped beating, but his memory will be the engine that will keep us all fighting to continue his legacy. Rest in Peace.”

Campos made his big break into Formula 1 in 1987, signed to Minardi.

It was, however, a largely unsuccessful and short stint as he managed to finish just two races, 14th at the Spaniard Grand Prix that season and 16th in San Marino a year later.

Hanging up his helmet, he became involved in team management and in 1998 founded Adrian Campos Motorsport, later renamed Campos Racing.

Moving into the GP3 and GP2 series, winning the 2008 teams’ title in the latter, Campos Racing later moved into Formula 3, bagging podiums, and Formula 2 where it took race wins.

Campos also had a very brief foray into Formula 1, lodging an entry for the 2010 championship. Finances, though, meant by the time the first race came around, the team was under new ownership and with a new team manager.

Fernando Alonso, Marc Gene, Vitaly Petrov, Lucas di Grassi and Jack Aitken count themselves amongst the Formula 1 drivers who spent time under Campos’ leadership in their early careers.

PlanetF1 sends our deepest condolences to Campos’ family and friends.

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