Name Bas Leinders | Role Racing driver | |
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Total 24h of spa 2013 driver interview bas leinders marc vds racing team
Bas Leinders (born 16 July 1975) is a professional racing driver from Belgium. He was a Formula One test and reserve driver in 2004 for the Minardi F1 team, taking part in the Friday practice sessions during Grand Prix weekends, making 17 appearances in all.
Contents
- Total 24h of spa 2013 driver interview bas leinders marc vds racing team
- 24h n rburgring post race interview bas leinders
- Career
- Career highlights
- Complete International Formula 3000 results
- Complete Formula One participations
- NASCAR
- References
24h n rburgring post race interview bas leinders
Career
Born in Bree, Leinders was one of the most successful Belgian racing drivers of the nineties and the beginning of the 21st century. He started his career in karting, winning his very first race. At the age of 14 he was already a European Champion beating Jarno Trulli, Ralph Firman and others. In 1992 Leinders was an official works driver for the Italian Tony Kart outfit.
Leinders started his automobile career with the Formula Ford. He was not only crowned Benelux Champion but he also obtained the pole position at the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at his first participation, later becoming European and British Formula Ford Champion. Not being able to gather enough money to make the step to Formula Three, Leinders decided on the European Formula Opel Championship (for Van Amersfoort Racing). With a record of 8 wins he secured the Championship several races before the end.
With some more backing he graduated to the German Formula 3 series with VAR. The Belgian finished 2nd in his maiden F3 weekend just behind Nick Heidfeld. In his second year, he won the Championship and was invited by the McLaren Junior team to partner Nick Heidfeld in the last race of the Formula 3000 season. Leinders obtained his best F3000 results in 2001, finishing second twice behind Tomáš Enge and Justin Wilson respectively.
In 2002 and 2003 Leinders competed in the World Series by Nissan, he finished third in the Championship on both occasions. His good performance in this series and especially winning the last race of the season gave him the opportunity to test with the Jordan F1 Team which resulted in a contract with the Minardi F1 Team as an official Friday Test and reserve driver in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Leinders was pre-selected several times by journalists for the title “Belgian Sportsman of the Year”. Leinders was crowned “Champion of Belgium” in 2001 by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, the award presented by Crown-prince of Belgium, Prince Philippe. The Belgian also won the Golden Helmet in 2004 for his performances in Formula One with the Minardi F1 Team.
From 2005, Leinders was a regular racer in the FIA GT Championship with Gillet Vertigo. Now the Belgian racer is also a Sporting Manager at the Marc VDS Racing Team.
In 2014, he ran the entire season of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series with Marc VDS Racing's Toyota Camry in the Elite 1 category.
In 2015, after Marc VDS's victory in the 24 Hours of Spa, Leinders announced he has parted ways with the team.
Career highlights
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula One participations
(key)
* Leinders was entered as Third Driver for Australia '04 but was refused a superlicence until he completed the required mileage in an F1 car. He satisfied this requirement before the next race.
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)