Ricardo Teixeira (racing driver)
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Angolan
Portuguesevia dual nationality
| Ricardo Teixeira | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Nationality | Angolan Portuguese via dual nationality |
| Born | 2 August 1984 |
| GP2 Series | |
| Racing licence |  FIA Silver (until 2013) FIA Gold (2014–)[1] |
| Years active | 2009, 2012–13 |
| Teams | Rapax, Trident Racing |
| Car number | 20 |
| Starts | 42 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 26th in 2009 |
| Previous series | |
| 2010 2008–09 2002, 2005–08 2007 2001 | FIA Formula Two GP2 Asia Series British Formula 3 ATS Formel 3 Cup FBMW Junior Cup Iberia |
Ricardo Teixeira (born 2 August 1984 in Lisbon, Portugal) is an Angolan-Portuguese former racing driver. He holds dual nationality and has raced under both nationalities at various points in his career. He was the first Angolan driver to drive a Formula 1 car when he was announced as a test driver for Team Lotus for 2011. He has been sponsored throughout his career by the Angolan oil company Sonangol.[citation needed]
Formula BMW
Teixeira began his formula racing career in 2001 by driving in the Formula BMW Junior Cup in Portugal. He finished in 20th position in the drivers' championship.[citation needed]
Formula Three
Teixeira moved to the National Class of the British Formula 3 Championship in 2002, but did not start a race that year. In 2003, he raced occasionally in the BRSCC's ARP Formula Three Championship, taking one win and three podiums finish at club racing level.[citation needed]
Teixeira returned to the British Championship in 2005 after taking a couple of years out for study with the Carlin Motorsport team, finishing ninth in the National Class. The following season, he improved to seventh, despite switching teams to Performance Racing Europe part-way through the year finishing twice in the podium. In 2007, he moved up to the Championship Class of the series with Performance Racing, scoring no points. For 2008, he moved to the Ultimate Motorsport team's Mygale chassis. Teixeira also competed in two races of the German ATS Formel 3 Cup in 2007, and has driven in two Masters of Formula Three races, with a best finish of 24th.[citation needed]
GP2 Series
Teixeira was signed by the Trident Racing team to drive in the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series season. He replaced Frankie Provenzano, and was the seventh competitor to drive one of the team's two entries. He was the first Angolan driver to compete at this level of motorsport. Trident kept a hold of Teixeira for the 2009 GP2 Series.[citation needed]
After two years away from the series, one in FIA Formula Two Championship and then as a test driver for the Lotus Formula One team, Teixeira returned to GP2 by signing with the Rapax team for the 2012 season, in which he partnered Tom Dillmann. After ten races, and with a best finish of 13th, he was replaced by Daniël de Jong after suffering from illness.[2] He returned to action for the next round at Silverstone, with De Jong taking Dillmann's seat instead.[3] Teixeira eventually finished 29th in the championship.
FIA Formula Two Championship
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Teixeira moved to the FIA Formula Two Championship for 2010. He finished fifth in his third race in the series, at Marrakech, but suffered a spectacular aerial accident in the following race when he collided with Ivan Samarin under braking for a chicane. Teixeira was uninjured in the accident.[4] Over the course of the season he amassed 23 points to finish 16th in the drivers' championship: his best showing in any series since 2006.[citation needed]
Formula One
After driving for Team Lotus in pre-season testing for the 2011 season, Teixeira was confirmed as a test driver for the team in March 2011.[5]
GP2 again
In July 2013, Teixeira returned to the GP2 series in Hungary with the Trident team.[6]
