F1Weekly Podcast # 987

Play Podcast: 04-11-23f1weekly987.mp3

CLARK AND NASIR BOTH UNDERSTAND HOW THIS FOUR WEEK BREAK BETWEEN F1 RACES CAN BE BRUTAL ON THE PSYCHE! F1WEEKLY HAS YOU COVERED WITH A MONSTER MOTORSPORTS MONDIAL! WE ALSO HAVE ORIGINAL JB’S REPORTAGE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX! AND THIS WEEKS INTERVIEW…JOSE MARIA LOPEZ!!

Jose Maria López began in karting, before moving to the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup in 2001, finishing in 17th position, taking one pole position and one fastest lap. He stayed in the series for the 2002 season driving for Cram Competition, finishing in fourth position, taking one victory.

He also drove for Cram in Italian Formula Renault that year, where he became champion, taking four wins, beating Robert Kubica to the crown. He moved on to the Formula Renault V6 Eurocup in 2003, making his first association with the DAMS team, winning the title with five race wins.

In 2004 López moved up to International Formula 3000 with the CMS team, finishing sixth overall. He also continued in the V6 Eurocup that year, driving in four races.

López raced in the inaugural season of the GP2 Series in 2005, making him one of only a select few drivers in the series who had previous experience of a full season in Formula 3000, the series which GP2 replaced. He finished ninth in the standings racing for the DAMS team. For 2006 he moved to the Super Nova Racing team, finishing tenth in the standings.

López was announced as a driver for US F1 on 25 January 2010.[7] Former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann, a close friend of US F1 principal Peter Windsor and a leading politician in Argentina, helped put the funding package together for López. Complications in USF1’s progress and uncertainty over whether USF1 would be able to stay in F1 for 2010 caused rumours to surface that López was in talks with rival team Campos, in order to secure his place in F1. This was confirmed by his manager in late February. On 2 March 2010, he was freed from his contract due to US F1 not being able to attempt to race. On 4 March, Karun Chandhok completed the 2010 grid by signing for Campos (later renamed as the Hispania Racing F1 Team), leaving López without a race drive.