Will the Sperafico Bros. be the next set of brothers in F1?

[LucaBadoer]

I don't really know a lot about F3000 (I occasionally watch the highlights of races on ITV) and I've heard about the Sperafico brothers. I'm not sure how good Rodrigo and Ricardo are: Are they good racers or will they never make it into F1? Also, I would like to know whether they are twins or not. Someone, please enlighten me about their situation!

[FEUsmart]

The Speraficos are twins, pretty identical ones at that.

In FF, Ricardo was usually the quickest of the two. They drove for Haywood, pre-Button, and were fairly reasonable. One of them had a pole at Snett, they crashed a bit... typical brasilians

They did SudAm F3, where Rodrigo was quickest, now in F3000, Ricardo is quickest again, but they are with different teams - Ricardo is with Junqueira's old team and Rodrigo is with the F3000 equivallent of Minardi. (To be fair, they are a little better than that!)

As for getting to F1, it's all about right place, right time, amazing management, so who knows! I wouldn't have really picked Bernoldi for F1, but there he is. Shows what I know!!

[BTC-P fan]

I personally feel that the Van der Ende brothers, Jacky and Ricardo, are more talented. Both had better records in FFord in 1997 but, as is fairly commonplace, suffered from lack of funding. Ricardo has only had 3 or 4 races since becoming Festival champion in 1999, a travesty for someone so talented. I really thought that they would both make it to F1, but there you go....

[Mekola]

And Sven Heidfeld has any opportunities to grow up to F1?

[badoer fan]

Originally posted by FEUsmart
Rodrigo is with the F3000 equivallent of Minardi. (To be fair, they are a little better than that!)

Coloni are quite good actually

[bella]

they're dead quick, if a little inconsistent (ricardo scored a podium a week ago, then came 13th in saturday's race..). coloni aren't that bad, badoer fan's right..

as for whether the dangerous twins will get in f1, i hope so. they seem like good kids, and should do really well given the chance (ricardo has driven a williams f1 car, and i think is testing one soon). they're a bit, er, emotional..

ricardo won the f3000 italia series last year, when they were both in the same team.

of course, you do know there's another brother, and a cousin also racing (in an american ladder series..). rafael and alexandre. not sure which way round they are.

(the fact they're good local cambridge lads is of no relevance to my interest in the kids, of course.. )

[FEUsmart]

A brasilian racing driver would not be a brasilian racing driver if he had not lived in Cambridge!

[LucaBadoer]

FIA Formula 3000 ace Ricardo Sperafico began a three-day test for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team at Lurcy-Levis, France, yesterday.

The 21-year-old Brazilian drives for the Petrobas Junior Team in the FIA Formula 3000 Championship and is currently 10th in the standings, one place and two points behind his team-mate and British Formula 3 Champion Antonio Pizzonia.

While this is Sperafico's first constructive test work in the FW23, he has driven it before for filming purposes. Last season WilliamsF1 test driver Bruno Junqueira donned Ralf Schumacher's helmet to drive in a commercial photoshoot and filming session arranged by Compaq.

Sperafico is relishing the opportunity to forge stronger links with WilliamsF1 and to drive a proven race winner. "I already worked with them at Silverstone and it seems they liked me because they have found a gap in their programme so I can test again," he said. "It will be very important to get to know the car. I will do aerodynamic testing so they can compare the result in the wind tunnel. I will also work on the engine, the electronics and the tyres."