Enrique Bernoldi will be the driver of Flamengo's car in the Formula Superliga in 2009
rafael lopez Rio de Janeiro
GloboEsporte.com
Enrique Bernoldi will take over from Tuka Rocha as Flamengo's driver in the F-Superliga
Enrique Bernoldi, a former Formula 1 driver currently racing in Stock Car, will be the driver of Flamengo's car in the 2009 Formula Superliga season. Negotiations were led by the category's management, which had to intervene after the announcement of the withdrawal of the Astromega team, responsible for the Rubro-Negro team in 2008, due to lack of sponsorship. The first stage of the championship will be held on June 27th and 28th, next Saturday and Sunday, in Magny-Cours, France. The Formula Superliga management has revealed the name of the team that will represent the club in the 2009 season. It will be Delta/ADR, a partnership between two teams that operate in English motorsport, Delta and Alan Docking Racing, which also prepares the Corinthians car. As stipulated in the contract between Flamengo and the category, the directors are obligated to ensure the club's presence on the grid for all six stages of the year.
Tuka Rocha, a Flamengo driver in 2008, had not been contacted by the category's management after his departure from Astromega. The Brazilian lacked personal sponsorship to race in the category and was ultimately overlooked by Bernoldi from Paraná.
Relive Enrique Bernoldi's career
Born in Curitiba, Paraná, Enrique Bernoldi is 30 years old. He competed in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, both for the now-defunct Arrows team. The Brazilian became famous for the episode that occurred at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, when he was battling for position with McLaren's David Coulthard, who had a faster car. With a stunning performance, the driver held off the Scotsman for a long time, which angered Ron Dennis, then the team principal. The following year, Arrows went bankrupt mid-season, leaving Bernoldi stranded.
Prior to that, Bernoldi was the 1996 Formula Renault champion and also competed in Formula 3000 in 1999 and 2000. The Brazilian tested for Sauber before being hired by Arrows. In 2002 and 2003, he raced in the World Series, the entry-level category to Formula 1. The following year, the then-BAR team called him up for a test driver position. With no chance of becoming a full-time driver, he opted to return to Brazil. In 2008, the Brazilian would try his luck in Champ Car, but ended up being one of the victims of the category's unification with the IRL. In IndyCar, Bernoldi suffered from the team's lack of resources. At the end of the year, he injured his hand in an accident at the Chicagoland oval and had to withdraw from the season. In 2009, he returned to Stock Car, where he had raced in 2007, and raced for the RCM team alongside Valdeno Brito from Paraíba.