Marco Campos

Marco Campos
Marco Campos
Nationality Brazil Brazilian
Born February 24, 1976(1976-02-24)
Curitiba (Brazil)
Died October 15, 1995(1995-10-15) (aged 19)
Paris (France)
Related to Julio Campos (brother)
International Formula 3000
Years active 1995
Teams Draco Engineering
Starts 8
Wins 0
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0
Best finish 13th in 1995
Previous series
1994 FOpel Lotus Euroseries
Championship titles
1994 FOpel Lotus Euroseries

Marco Campos (24 February 1976 in Curitiba, Brazil – 15 October 1995 in Paris, France) was a Brazilian racing driver. He died in an accident in a Formula 3000 race at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours circuit, making him the only driver ever killed in the International Formula 3000 series.

Career

Campos was a successful kart driver, winning the Panamerican championiship in 1992 and 1993. In 1993 he also won the South American karting championship. Then in 1994 he went to drive in the European Formula Opel championship, winning the title in his first year for the Draco Junior Team.

His personal friend Mario-Alberto Bauér negotiated a deal for Marco to race for the WTS F3 Team of Michael Schumacher's personal manager Willi Weber as a team mate to Ralf Schumacher. But a Brazilian sponsor lured Marco into staying with the Draco as the team jumped a step up to the International Formula 3000 championship in 1995.

On board of the newcomer's Lola-Cosworth results were hard to come by in his rookie season and Marco's only points-finish was a fourth place in Enna.

Death

Campos was killed in an accident at the season-ending race in Magny Cours. On the last lap of the season finale, on the straight before the Adelaide hairpin, his left front tyre collided with the right rear tyre of Thomas Biagi's car while racing, and was launched into the air. His car flipped over, and Campos' head struck the top of the concrete retaining wall whilst flying upside-down. The accident resulted in severe skull fractures, and massive head trauma and put him into a deep coma. Campos died the following day at the Lariboisière Hospital in Paris, France

Marco Campos was 13th in the final Drivers' Championship standings in his only F3000 season.

Other

His brother, Julio, went through karting and formula championships, winning the Skip Barber championship in 2001 in the USA and now competes in Brazil's Stock Car Brasil Championship.

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Patrick Crinelli		 European Formula Opel Lotus
Drivers' Champion
1994		 Succeeded by
Jason Watt


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