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The model
pupil
His favourite pastimes don't really fit in with the dynamic world of
racing - Marc Gené loves reading, whenever and wherever he can. He devours
books by the shelfload, preferably biographies and specialist books on
history and psychology. When it comes to newspapers, he devotes particular
attention to the financial pages. The Spaniard graduated from the
University of Buckingham in 1995 with a degree in economics.
Academics are a rare breed among the sporting elite. Strict training
precludes the pursuit of further vocational studies in the interests of
one's professional career. Even school can quickly become a regrettable
drain on precious sporting time. Marc, on the other hand, was a model
pupil. Good grades were the foundation stone of his racing career. "At the
age of ten I used to get very good marks," he recalls, "and I was allowed
to choose a present as a reward." It didn't take him long to decide - for
the hobby he shared with Jordi, one of two older brothers, he was given
his first go-kart.
At the age of twelve Marc was contesting his first races. At 14 he was
Catalan and Spanish karting champion. In 1993, at the age of 19, he first
drew attention to himself in international Formula racing. Anyone hoping
to appear in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in England has to
beat the best young racing talent from around the world, race for race, in
a knockout system. Gené was runner-up in this world cup and achieved the
same result in the Formula Ford European Championship.
First Formula One test in 1998
Two years in the British Formula 3 Championship were followed in 1996 by
victory in the Fisa Golden Cup Superformula in Italy and in 1997 by his
move into the international Formula 3000 Championship, before Giancarlo
Minardi gave him the chance of testing a Formula One car. "That was the
best experience of all," recalls Marc. "That day a childhood dream come
true for me."
That test paved the way for him to ascent into Formula One. In 1999 and
2000 the proud Catalan drove for the Italian team. He came away with a
single world championship point - "even so, nobody should knock Minardi,"
he emphasises. "The team makes the most of what it's got and optimises
with the resources available."
A new opportunity with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team
For Marc Gené, signing up as the official test driver for the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team for the 2001 season was like hitting the jackpot. "I knew
straightaway that this was a chance to get my hands on top-flight material
and prove my ability in Formula One - it's the only way I can show myself
worthy of a firm place in one of the established teams. I might miss not
being able to race full time," admits Marc. "But even so, I'll be clocking
up more Formula One kilometres in 2001 than in any previous season.
Technology and development are the heart of Formula One, and I'll be
learning a lot."
Learning, for him, is a passion. After perfecting his English he is now
tackling Italian, French and German. And he's also toying with the idea of
going back to university - to do an MA in economics, for example, or a
completely new degree, preferably in law or psychology.
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