Fernando Rees

Infobox racing driver
name = Fernando Rees

|
caption = Rees in Interlagos, 2007
nationality = flagicon|Brazil Brazilian
date of birth = Birth date and age|1985|1|4
place of birth = São Paulo, São Paulo State (Brazil)
current series = Le Mans Series
first year = 2007
current team = Barazi-Epsilon
car number = 32
starts = 5
wins = 1
poles = 0
fastest laps = 0
podiums = 1

Fernando Rees (born: January 4, 1985 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian racecar driver. He started his career in motor racing at age 8, and most recently competed in the World Series by Renault championship. Rees has 15 years of racing experience and is a quick driver capable of competing well in today's advanced race cars.

After three years competing in the major single-seater categories in Europe (2002 – 2005), and having proved himself driving for the low budget team Interwetten.com in World Series by Renault during its 2005 season, Fernando was awarded a test in the renowned Italian dream Draco Racing in the winter of that same year. With more than 30 drivers in track, including 2005 season champion Robert Kubica, Rees lead the field in the demanding track of Valencia with more than half a second gap to Pastor Maldonado, who emerged second. The test opened new doors for the Brazilian driver. [cite news| title =Rees dominates day one of WS test| publisher =Crash.net| url =http://www.crash.net/motorsport/renault/news/122504-0/rees_dominates_day_one_of_ws_test.html| date =2006-03-23| accessdate =2007-11-11] [cite news| title =Fernando Rees in control| publisher =Motorsport.com| url =http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=206471&FS=WSR| date =2005-11-23| accessdate =2008-10-03]

But in early 2006, at the Italian circuit of Monza, Fernando was unfortunately involved in a shunt during a Formula 3000 International Masters test day, under heavy rain, and was seriously injured. [cite news| title =Fernando Rees crashes heavily in testing| publisher =AOL AUTOS| url =http://aol.auto123.com/en/info/news/racing,view.spy?artid=58661| date =2005-11-23| accessdate =2008-10-03] Fernando had two broken vertebrae, a broken ankle and other excoriations in both legs. As a consequence, Rees was away from motor racing for 18 months.

With his convalescence complete, Fernando made his sportscar debut in the last Le Mans Series event of 2007, the Mil Milhas of Interlagos. [cite news| title =Larbre Competition set for Brazilian finale| publisher =Planetlemans.com| url =http://www.planetlemans.com/2007/10/31/larbre-competition-set-for-brazilian-finale/| date =2007-10-31| accessdate =2007-11-11] Racing for Larbre Compétition with an Aston Martin DBR9, together with drivers Roland Berville, Gregor Fisken and Steve Zacchia, Fernando took a clear win in the GT1 class after almost nine hours of racing. [cite news| title =Interlagos: Series race report| publisher =Motorsport.com| url =http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=275259&FS=ALMS-LEMANS| date =2007-11-11| accessdate =2007-11-11]

Fernando made his debut in the LMP2 class of Le Mans Series in the second round of the 2008 championship, in Monza. Returning to the place of his huge accident back in 2006 for the first time, Fernando had a strong pace racing for the Barazi-Epsilon team alongside drivers Juan Barazi and the experienced Michael Vergers. Fernando Rees had taken over from Juan Barazi for the second stint in the race, and was immediately quick, recording the the car's fastest lap. [cite news| title =Monza: Zytek race report| publisher =Motorsport.com| url =http://motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=287331&FS=ALMS-LEMANS| date =2008-04-28| accessdate =2008-04-29] An "ever-improving" Fernando got progressively quicker during the 2008 Le Mans Series season, becoming recognized as the fastest driver of the team. [cite news| title =Round 4. Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres| publisher =MG Lola| url =http://www.mg-lola.com/LMS2008/LMS2008_04Nurb_saturday.htm| date =2008-08-17| accessdate =2008-09-15] But a "black cat" surrounded the Barazi-Epsilon team during the 2008 season. With starting positions between second and fourth during the whole season, mechanical problems (in Spa-Francorchamps) and racing accidents (two by Michael Vergers in Barcelona and Monza, and two by Juan Barazi in Nurburgring and Silverstone) resulted in a frustrating season with the team's best result an eighth place in Nurburgring. [cite news| title =Fernando Rees, le nouvel atout de Barazi-Epsilon| publisher =Endurance-Info.com| url =http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=5580| date =2008-05-14| accessdate =2008-09-15]

=Road Racing Career=

* 2008: Le Mans Series (Team - Barazi-Epsilon)
** 4 races, best start 2nd (Silverstone, Race 5); best race result 8th (Nurburgring, Race 4)
* 2007: Le Mans Series (Team - Larbre Compétition)
** One race, Interlagos. Qualified 2nd. Race: 1st.
* 2006: Formula 3000 International Masters (Team - Pro Motorsport)
* 2005: World Series by Renault 3.5 (Team - Interwetten)
** 12 races, best start 5th (Donington, Race 2); best race result 14th (Bilbao, Race 2)
* 2005: Formula Toyota Atlantic (Team - Brooks Associates Racing)
** One race, Long Beach. Qualified 3rd. Race: 16th.
* 2004: Formula 3 Euroseries (Swiss Racing Team) - Formula 3 Euroseries tests with ASM Mercedes-Benz
** two races with SRT
* 2003: South-American Formula 3 Championship (Team Cesario Formula) - Formula 3 Euroseries tests with ASM Mercedes
** 12 races in F3 Sudamericana, one win (São Paulo, Race 1), five third place finishes, sixth in championship
* 2002: Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (Team RC Motorsports) - Italian Formula Renault 2000 (Team RC Motorsports)
** 9 races, best start 5th (Imola), best race result 12th (Pergusa)

Karting Career

* 2001: Karting in Italian and European Championships (Birel Official Factory Team) - Formula Renault 2000 Winter Series, Italy (Team Bicar)
* 2000: Karting in Italian, European and World Championships (Danilo Rossi Racing Team)
* 1999: Karting in Italian and European Championships (Danilo Rossi Racing Team)
* 1998: Karting in Brazilian National Championships and North-American Championships (CRG Official Factory Team)
* 1997: Karting in Brazilian National Championships
* 1996: Karting in Brazilian National Championships
* 1995: Karting in Brazilian National Championships
* 1994: Karting in Brazilian National Championships
* 1993: Karting in Interlagos, São Paulo, Brazil

=Sim-Racing Career=

Fernando Rees also became a known figure among the international sim-racing online communities. His debut in online sim-racing is said to be in the 2001, in the Little Formula Racing Series (LFRS) league, at the time the top level of online sim-racing for the computer simulator Grand Prix series.

Rees was a present in the most well-known sim-racing leagues between 2001 and 2006, proving to be competent in simulators such as the Grand Prix series (Grand Prix 2, Grand Prix 3 and Grand Prix 4), Nascar Racing Series (by Papyrus Racing Games), F1 Challenge '99-'02 (by EA Sports) and later in the GTR FIA Racing series (GTR and GTR2).

His dozens of records and results are still online in the different league’s archives [cite news| title =LFRS Archive| publisher =LFRS| url =http://www.lfrs.net| date =2008-08-08| accessdate =2008-08-08] , and can be downloaded and watched using the appropriate simulators. Many of Rees’ laps are still celebrated in the sim-racing environment, especially in the Grand Prix series communities.

In an interview in November 27th of 2006 [cite news| title =GP4 2006 - Interview with Fernando Rees| publisher =LFRS| url =http://www.lfrs.net/gp4/06a/interviews/rees.shtml| date =2006-11-27| accessdate =2008-08-08] , LFRS disclosed that Fernando Rees would be rejoining the Grand Prix 4 championship in the next season. This information was never confirmed.

References

External links

* [http://www.fernandorees.com Fernando Rees' Official Website]
* [http://www.forix.com/driver.php?l=0&d=101&r=1985010400&c=0 Fernando's FORIX Profile]
* [http://www.champcaratlantic.com/Drivers/Driver.asp?ID=408 Formula Atlantic Profile from 2005]
* [http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/273/ Fernando Rees' Driver Database Profile]