Emilio de Villota

Emilio de Villota Ruíz (born 26 July 1946) is a Spanish former racing driver, who competed in Formula One between and .

De Villota entered 15 World Championship Grands Prix, qualifying twice. He entered most Spanish Grand Prix between 1976 and 1982 and became a major force in the short-lived British Formula One Championship, winning the title in 1980.

Career

De Villota first arrived on the international motor sport scene in 1972, when he raced a SEAT 124 SC, in the 4 Horas de Jarama, a round of the European Touring Car Championship [ETCC]. In a car entered by Scuderia Filipinetti, was co-driven by H. Hengstenberg to 15th place overall. De Villota would not return to international motor sport until 1975, when he re-visited the ETCC, this time in a Ford Capri RS 2600, this time aided by Jorge de Bagration. The pair did not finish in the Zandvoort Trophy, held at the Circuit Park Zandvoort. However, when the Spanish pairing were joined by "Nicha" Cabral, for their home race, the 4 Horas de Jarama, they finished second, albeit five laps adrift of the winner.

For 1976, de Villota turned his back on Touring Cars to try his luck in single-seaters, with the ultimate aim of racing in the World Championship. In order to gain experience of high-powered racing cars, he entered the Shellsport G8 International Series. This was a UK-based Formula Libre championship which ran F1, F2, F5000 and Formula Atlantic cars in the same races. Racing with the Lyncar Engineering Ltd., de Villota scored two fifth places, and finished the season 14th in the overall standings.

Using a regulation which allowed the participation of private teams or drivers who could purchase a car and race alongside the official teams, de Villota debuted in the 1976 World Championship driving a Cosworth powered Brabham BT44B, purchased in effect to participate in the Gran Premio de España. De Villota failed to qualify, and did not return until the following season.

De Villota returned to England for the start of the next season, once again racing for Lyncar which was now entered under the name of Iberia Airlines, winning for opening race of the 1977 Shellsport G8 International Series, at Mallory Park. However, after just four meetings, de Villota abandoned the series for F1.

In 1977, de Villota developed a more ambitious project that would make him one of the first Spaniards to participate in Formula 1 after drivers such as Alfonso de Portago and Alex Soler-Roig. Under the sponsorship of Iberia, de Villota led a modest outfit that raced under the name of Iberia Airlines F1 and contested seven Grands Prix of the European season. For the project Iberia acquired a McLaren M23, Ford-Cosworth DFV engines, the cars painted in the colours of the airline. De Villota would qualify for just two of these Grands Prix, the first was his home event, Gran Premio de España, where he would finish 13th, albeit five laps adrift of the winner. The other race he started was the Grand Prix von Österreich, where an accident on the last lap deprived him of the finish, nevertheless classified in 17th position.

Between Grands Prix, de Villota did a number of selected Shellsport G8 races in his F1 McLaren, winning twice. He followed his earlier victory at Mallory, by winning there again, then taking the chequered flag at Brands Hatch. Although his season was split in two by his Grand Prix racing, de Villota still finished fifth in the championship.

De Villota's main focus for 1978, was the Aurora AFX F1 Championship. This series replaced the Shellsport Group 8 series. He continued to race his McLaren, now entered under the Centro Asegurador banner. The season started promising the trip to the podium in the first three races, however he was unable to keep the momentum going and failed to visit the podium again, although it was still enough to finish third overall at the end of the season.

Back in the Aurora AFX F1, de Villota was at the wheel of the same Williams FW07, as he raced in Spain. Having switched to RAM Racing for the Aurora series as well, de Villota brought the FW07 home, on the podium in nine of eleven races he entered, winning five of them. Twice at Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Silvestone and the big money event in Italy, the Gran Premio Lotteria di Monza. For one race, RAM switched de Villota to their Fittipaldi F5A, in which he still finished in fifth position. Adding this to the other trips to the podium, de Villota was crowned champion.

In 1982, de Villota made his final attempt to qualify for another Formula 1 race. As a privateer again (with LBT Team March) and this time in a March 821, powered by Ford Cosworth, sought qualification, unsuccessfully for five Grands Prix, It was to be the first time in his career as a racing driver, he would crossed the Atlantic to compete outside Europe.

De Villota continued with Grid Racing into 1983. However, their Cosworth-powered Grid S1 remained unreliable, with de Villota only finishing once in the points. Like 1982, this was at Brands Hatch, in the European Endurance Championship race. For the Grand Prix International 1000km, he was joined by Skeeter McKitterick and Dudley Wood, as they bring the Grid home in eighth place. Away from sportscars, de Villota tried his hand in two other categories with very mixed success. He had two drives in Formula Two; a ninth place at Silverstone with James Gresham Racing, in their March-BMW 832 and 13th at Jarama, for Minardi Team Srl aboard their Minardi-BMW M283. The other category was away from the international scene. Driving a Ford Capri RS3000, de Villota won the Spanish Touring Car Championship.

For 1984, Grid Racing had produced a new car, the Grid-Porsche S2. De Villota raced the car in the Budweiser Grand Prix of Miami, but did not complete a lap. He did not race again that season. He did return to the ETCC in 1985 with Escuderia Mezquita, taking in two races. He co-drove with Francisco Romero, finishing both races; 18th in the Vallelunga 500 km and 17th in the Donington 500, in their VW Golf GTi.

Having obtained Spanish backing from Danone for 1986, John Fitzpatrick Racing needed two Spanish drivers. De Villota was one, and he was joined at the team by Fermín Velez. Although the pair only racing seven times, they scored five top ten finished in the Porsche 956. This included a third in the ADAC Kouros 1000 km Nürburgring, and a fourth in the 24 Hour of Le Mans. This would be de Villota's last trip to Le Mans 24 hours.

After retiring

De Villota currently heads the team and racing school, Emilio de Villota Motorsport. His son Emilio de Villota Jr. has raced in Formula Three and Formula 3000. His daughter María de Villota was a test driver for Marussia F1; a major crash in a test in July 2012 left her with serious injuries; she died in October 2013.

Racing record

Career highlights

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts 1976 RAM Racing Brabham BT44B Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA JPN NC 0 1977 Iberia Airlines McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN NC 0 1978 Centro Asegurador McLaren M25/M23 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN NC 0 1981 Banco Occidental Williams FW07 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL NC 0 1982 LBT Team March March 821 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL NC 0

Non-Championship Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 1978 Centro Asegurador McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 INT 1979 Madom Formula 1 Team Lotus 78 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ROC GNM DIN 1980 Occidental F-1 RAM Williams FW07 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ESP

Complete Shellsport International Series/British Formula One Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete World Sportscar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1981 Team Lola Guy Edwards Juan Fernández Lola T600-Ford Cosworth S+2.0 287 15th 3rd 1982 Grid Racing Desiré Wilson Alain de Cadenet Grid Plaza S1-Ford Cosworth C 7 DNF DNF 1986 John Fitzpatrick Racing Fermín Velez George Fouché Porsche 956B C1 349 4th 4th

Complete European Formula Two Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts James Gresham Racing March 832 BMW SIL THR HOC NÜR VLL PAU NC 0 Minardi Team Srl Minardi M283 JAR DON MIS PER ZOL MUG