Marc Gene is a Spanish professional racing driver whose Formula One career traversed both the grid and the garage. With 36 race starts and a long-standing role as a test driver for Williams and Ferrari, Gené later moved into a successful endurance racing career, including a victory at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot, and became a well-known F1 commentator and Ferrari brand ambassador.
| Nationality | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Born | Marc Gené i Guerrero 29 March 1974 Sabadell, Spain |
Formula One Career
Minardi: 1999–2000
Gené made his Formula One debut in 1999 with Minardi, one of the sport’s perennial underdogs. Despite the team’s limited resources, Gené showed consistency throughout the year. After a string of midfield finishes, he delivered a breakthrough performance at the 1999 European Grand Prix, finishing sixth and scoring Minardi’s first point since 1995.
That race became infamous for its high attrition rate and heartbreak for his teammate Luca Badoer, who had been running fourth before suffering a gearbox failure with just 13 laps to go. While Badoer broke down in tears in the garage, Gené crossed the line to claim a crucial point for the team and a milestone in his own career.
Gené continued with Minardi in 2000, now partnered with Argentine rookie Gaston Mazzacane. Both drivers struggled in the uncompetitive car, and neither scored points. Gené’s best results were two eighth-place finishes (Australia and Austria), but the car’s performance ceiling remained low.
Williams Substitute and Testing Role: 2001–2004
With no race seat available in 2001, Gené moved to a development role, joining Williams as a test driver. Though mainly confined to the test team, he received brief opportunities to race.
His most notable outing came at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, standing in for an injured Ralf Schumacher. Gené impressed with a fifth-place finish, scoring four points. Despite the strong performance, Schumacher returned for the next round in the USA.
In 2004, another back injury sidelined Schumacher after the 2004 United States Grand Prix. Gené was again called up, racing in France and Britain, but this time results were more modest. He was subsequently replaced by Antônio Pizzonia and did not make another Grand Prix start.
Ferrari Test Driver: 2005–2010
In November 2004, Gené signed with Ferrari as a test and development driver—reuniting with former teammate Luca Badoer. At Ferrari, Gené became an integral part of the team’s technical feedback loop, though opportunities for track time diminished.
With testing restrictions introduced in 2007 and 2008, Gené’s role became more limited, but his experience and data-gathering ability kept him as a valuable asset behind the scenes.
In late 2010, Ferrari reshuffled its test lineup. Gené, along with Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella, was replaced by rising star Jules Bianchi ahead of the 2011 season.
Marc Gene Formula One World Championship Career
| F1 Career | 1999–2000, 2003–2004 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Minardi, Williams |
| Entries | 36 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 5 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1999 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2004 British Grand Prix |
Marc Gene Teammates
| 5 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luca Badoer | 16 | 1999 | |
| Stéphane Sarrazin | 1 | 1999 | |
| Gaston Mazzacane | 17 | 2000 | |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 3 | 2003 | 2004 |
| Ralf Schumacher | 1 | 2003 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Fondmetal Minardi Ford | Minardi M01 | Ford V10 | AUS Ret | BRA 9 | SMR 9 | MON Ret | ESP Ret | CAN 8 | FRA Ret | GBR 15 | AUT 11 | GER 9 | HUN 17 | BEL 16 | ITA Ret | EUR 6 | MAL 9 | JPN Ret | 17th | 1 | ||
| 2000 | Telefónica Minardi Fondmetal | Minardi M02 | Fondmetal V10 | AUS 8 | BRA Ret | SMR Ret | GBR 14 | ESP 14 | EUR Ret | MON Ret | CAN 16† | FRA 15 | AUT 8 | GER Ret | HUN 15 | BEL 14 | ITA 9 | USA 12 | JPN Ret | MAL Ret | 19th | 0 | |
| 2003 | BMW WilliamsF1 Team | Williams FW25 | BMW V10 | AUS | MAL | BRA | SMR | ESP | AUT | MON | CAN | EUR | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | ITA 5 | USA | JPN | 17th | 4 | ||
| 2004 | BMW WilliamsF1 Team | Williams FW26 | BMW V10 | AUS | MAL | BHR | SMR | ESP | MON | EUR | CAN | USA | FRA 10 | GBR 12 | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | CHN | JPN | BRA | 23rd | 0 |
