Durango (racing team)

Not to be confused with Team Durango.
Italy Durango
Founded 1980
Team principal(s) Ivone Pinton
Enrico Magro
Former series Italian Formula Three Championship
International Formula 3000
24 Hours of Le Mans
GP2 Series
GP2 Asia Series
Auto GP
Superleague Formula
Noted drivers Brazil Lucas di Grassi
Brazil Carlos Iaconelli
France Yannick Schroeder
Brazil Rodrigo Sperafico
Italy Davide Valsecchi
Folded 2010

Durango Automotive SRL was an Italian auto racing team founded in 1980 by Ivone Pinton and Enrico Magro, which competed in Formula 3000, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the GP2 Series. The team finished racing after withdrawing from the Italian round of the 2009 GP2 Series season, although it was linked to Jacques Villeneuve and his bid to return to Formula One for the 2011 season.[1]

History

Davide Valsecchi driving for Durango at the Silverstone round of the 2008 GP2 Series season.

The Durango team took part in the Italian Formula Three Championship from 1987 to 1992. They expanded to compete in the International Formula 3000 Championship and the British Formula Two Championship in 1991, and entered a Lancia LC2 in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, under the banner of Veneto Equipe. Durango took part in the Renault Formula Two championship and Euroseries in 1994 and continued to race in Formula Three until 1999.

In 2003, Durango designed and built a Le Mans Prototype car, the PM02, to compete in the FIA Sportscar championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The car was powered by a Judd GV4 V10 engine. The team participated for the 2nd time in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished in 24th position, after qualifying 18th. The car's best result was a 4th place at the Estoril round of the FIA sportscar championship. The car was never raced again after the 2003 season.

In 2005, Durango became part of the GP2 Series, a new series designed to help young drivers enter into Formula One. In 2006, the team participated in Formula Azzurra, a series supported by the Italian Karting Federation.[2] Due to financial problems the team was forced to withdraw from the final races of the 2009 GP2 Series season, and pulled out of competing in the 2009-10 GP2 Asia Series season.[3]

Formula One entry bid

Durango attempted to enter Formula One in 2010, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile opened an entry process for an additional thirteenth team.[4] The team principal Ivone Pinton stated there were investors only interested with competing in F1,[4] and announced a partnership with 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve. The team would compete as Villeneuve Racing and Villeneuve would initially be one of the two drivers.[5] The FIA did not accept any of the applications for the 2011 season.[6]

Results

GP2 Series and Formula 3000

GP2 Series Results
Year Car Drivers Races Wins Poles FLaps Points D.C. T.C.
2005 Dallara-Mecachrome Monaco Clivio Piccione 23 1 0 1 14 15th 11th
Italy Ferdinando Monfardini 17 0 0 0 5 17th
Italy Gianmaria Bruni 4 0 1 0 35 10th
2006 Dallara-Mecachrome Brazil Lucas di Grassi 21 0 0 1 8 18th 13th
Spain Sergio Hernández 21 0 0 0 1 23rd
2007 Dallara-Mecachrome Spain Borja García 21 0 0 0 28 10th 8th
India Karun Chandhok 21 1 0 2 16 15th
2008 Dallara-Mecachrome Italy Davide Valsecchi 16 1 0 0 11 15th 11th
Italy Marcello Puglisi 2 0 0 0 0 33rd
United Kingdom Ben Hanley 2 0 0 0 0 24th
Brazil Alberto Valerio 20 0 0 0 0 26th
2009 Dallara-Mecachrome Italy Davide Valsecchi 12 0 0 0 10 17th† 11th
Monaco Stefano Coletti 4 0 0 0 0 25th
France Nelson Panciatici 16 0 0 0 0 24th
Source:[7]

After the end of FIA Formula 3000 championship Durango participated in various other Formula 3000 series.

Sports car

Series Year Drivers Car Notes
Italian Formula 3000 2005 Lola-Zytek As technical part of Fisichella Motor Sport
Euroseries 3000 2006 Lola-Zytek As technical part of Fisichella Motor Sport
Euroseries 3000 2007 Omar Julian Leal, Luiz Razia Lola-Zytek

Other Series History

Series Year Drivers Car Notes
European Formula Renault 2000 2002
European Formula Renault 2000 2003
Italian Formula Renault 2000 2004
Italian Formula Renault 2000 2006
Italian Formula Azzurra 2006
Endurance GT Series 2007 Niccolò Valentini, Enrico Moncada, Matteo Meneghello Porsche 911 GT3

References

  1. "Villeneuve confirms Durango tie-up". autosport.com. Haymarket Media. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  2. "Origin and History". Durango. Archived from the original on 26 August 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  3. "Durango pulls out of Asia Series". gpupdate.net. JHED Media. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Durango pursuing 2011 Formula One entry". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  5. "Jacques Villeneuve confirms Durango commercial link". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  6. Beer, Matt (8 September 2010). "FIA decides against new team for 2011". Autosport.com. Haymarket Media. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  7. 1 2 GP2 and Formula 3000 entry list and complete results speedsportmag.com
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