Norberto Fontana

Norberto Fontana

Born	20 January 1975 (1975-01-20)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Argentinian
Active years	1997
Teams	Sauber
Races	4
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1997 French Grand Prix
Last race	1997 European Grand Prix

Norberto Edgardo Fontana (born January 20, 1975 in Arrecifes, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentine racing driver. He participated in four Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on June 29, 1997. His opportunity to race came as a result of two separate injuries sustained by regular Sauber driver Gianni Morbidelli during the 1997 season. He scored no championship points.

Fontana raced in the German Formula Three Championship series in 1994 and 1995, winning the 1995 title as well as that year's Marlboro Masters event at Zandvoort circuit. He claimed the title ahead of drivers including Ralf Schumacher, Alexander Wurz, Jarno Trulli and Jan Magnussen.^{[citation needed]}

Norberto Fontana driving a Toyota Corolla touring car during a TC 2000 race at the Curitiba circuit in 2006.

After, and during F1, Fontana raced in Formula Nippon, Formula 3000, and he also made 8 CART starts in 2000 with a best finish of 11th at Cleveland.

He subsequently moved into Argentine touring car racing, driving in the Turismo Carretera,. TC2000 and Top Race V6. In the TC2000 he was 7th in 2001, champion in 2002, 3rd in 2003, 7th in 2006, 8th in 2008, 4th in 2009 and champion in 2010. Until 2009 he drove for Toyota, givben the relationship he had with the brand when he raced in Japan. Since 2010 he drives a works Ford. Fontana also competed at the 2011 Dakar Rally in a buggy.

Controversy

During the world championship-deciding 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez, Fontana appeared to block Jacques Villeneuve, who was the direct rival of Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher at the time. ITV commentator Martin Brundle dryly pointed out that the Sauber team used Ferrari engines at the time.

In 2006, in the Argentinian Magazine Olé, Fontana claimed that Jean Todt visited the Sauber motorhome during the weekend, and told Peter Sauber that the Saubers must block if they were in a position to do so in order to help Michael Schumacher win the World Championship. This was subsequently denied by both Sauber and Todt. Peter Sauber told Swiss newspaper Blick: "In the nine years that we co-operated, Ferrari never expressed the desire that we should obstruct an opponent of Schumacher's on the track."

Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	DC	Points
1996	Edenbridge Racing	NÜR	PAU	PER	HOC	SIL	SPA	MAG	EST Ret	MUG	HOC			NC	0
1999	Fortec Motorsport	IMO Ret	MON 5	CAT Ret	MAG Ret	SIL 5	A1R 8	HOC Ret	HUN Ret	SPA 14	NÜR 10			15th	4
2001	F3000 Prost Junior Team	INT	IMO	CAT	A1R	MON	NÜR	MAG	SIL	HOC	HUN 14	SPA Ret	MNZ Ret	32nd	0

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points
1997	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	Sauber C16	Petronas V10	AUS	BRA	ARG	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA Ret	GBR 9	GER 9	HUN	BEL	ITA	AUT	LUX	JPN	EUR 14	NC	0

American Open Wheel

(key)

CART

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Rank	Points
2000	Della Penna	MIA 15	LBH Ret	RIO Ret	MOT DNS	NZR Ret	MIL Wth	DET Ret	POR Ret	CLE 11	TOR Ret	MIS	CHI	MDO	ROA	VAN	LS	STL	HOU	SRF	FON	28th	2

External links

• Fontana web

Sporting positions
Preceded by Gareth Rees	Formula Three Masters Winner 1995	Succeeded by Kurt Mollekens
Preceded by Jörg Müller	German Formula Three champion 1995	Succeeded by Jarno Trulli
Preceded by Gabriel Ponce de León	TC2000 champion 2002	Succeeded by Gabriel Ponce de León
Preceded by Juan Manuel Silva	Turismo Carretera champion 2006	Succeeded by Christian Ledesma
Preceded by José María López Anthony Reid	Winner of the 200 km de Buenos Aires 2009 (with Ricardo Mauricio)	Succeeded by Bernardo Llaver Mauro Gialombardo
Preceded by José María López	TC 2000 Championship Champion 2010	Succeeded by Incumbent