Tiago Monteiro (born 24 July 1976) is a Portuguese racing driver whose career took him from Formula One to the World Touring Car Championship.
| Nationality | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Born | Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro 24 July 1976 Porto, Portugal |
Born in the vibrant city of Porto, Monteiro launched his racing journey in 1997 with a bang—winning multiple races in the Porsche Carrera Cup France. He quickly ascended the European motorsport ladder, moving into French Formula Three the following year. His F3 campaign peaked with consecutive runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2001, including a strong second place at the prestigious Pau Grand Prix.
Monteiro then made his way through International Formula 3000 and the Champ Car World Series before landing in the World Series by Nissan with Carlin. There, he narrowly missed out on the title, finishing second only to future F1 star Heikki Kovalainen.
Formula One Career
Jordan: 2005
Monteiro’s breakthrough came in 2005 when he was signed by Jordan Grand Prix—newly acquired by the Midland Group—as a full-time Formula One driver, partnering Indian rookie Narain Karthikeyan.
He made headlines at the notorious 2005 United States Grand Prix, where only six cars started due to tyre safety issues. Monteiro kept cool and crossed the line in third, becoming the first (and still only) Portuguese driver to claim a Formula One podium. While the Ferrari duo exited the ceremony with little fanfare, Monteiro stayed on the rostrum and celebrated alone—earning applause from fans who had otherwise been booing the farcical event.
As of that moment, Monteiro officially became the most successful Portuguese driver in F1 history, surpassing Pedro Lamy’s solitary point in 1995. He added further acclaim by finishing every race of the 2005 season—a feat that broke the rookie record for consecutive finishes, previously held by Jackie Stewart and Olivier Panis. This record stood until Max Chilton matched and beat it in 2013.
One of Monteiro’s most memorable off-track moments came just before the 2005 Turkish Grand Prix. Struck down by a severe toothache that nearly ruled him out, he was saved by team boss Colin Kolles—also a qualified dentist—who performed emergency root canal surgery in the paddock. Monteiro not only raced but finished 15th after a late-race tangle with Juan Pablo Montoya, which incidentally cost McLaren a 1–2 finish.
Midland: 2006
Monteiro remained with the team in 2006 as Jordan morphed into Midland and was joined by Dutch driver Christijan Albers. The season, however, was a tough slog. The new M16 car proved uncompetitive, often trailing Toro Rosso and even backmarker outfit Super Aguri.
Monteiro retired from six races that year, but his best performance came in a chaotic, weather-affected 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix where he finished ninth—agonizingly close to the points. Albers followed him home in tenth.
On 21 December 2006, it was confirmed that Monteiro would not be retained by the team—now renamed Spyker—for the following season. German rookie Adrian Sutil was signed in his place. Monteiro explored potential opportunities with Toro Rosso, but those plans were dashed when the team confirmed Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed for 2007. Monteiro’s Formula One career came to a close with 37 starts, one podium, and seven championship points to his name.
World Touring Car Championship
SEAT: 2007–2012
Monteiro pivoted to touring cars in 2007, signing with SEAT in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Over six years with the Spanish marque, he secured multiple race wins, especially during standout seasons in 2008 and 2010, and became a dependable frontrunner in the series.
Honda: 2012–2022
In late 2012, Monteiro joined Honda, kicking off a new chapter that would cement his status as one of the series’ most respected veterans. He played a pivotal role in Honda’s triumph in the 2013 World Manufacturers’ Championship and enjoyed his best individual season in 2016, finishing third overall behind touring car legends José María López and Yvan Muller.
Monteiro looked set for a title bid in 2017, leading the championship after 12 rounds. Tragically, his campaign was cut short by a high-speed testing crash that left him with serious injuries and sidelined for the remainder of the season.
After a determined recovery, Monteiro returned full-time in 2019 to the rebranded World Touring Car Cup (WTCR), where he captured an emotional victory in his home race in Portugal. He competed through to the series’ final season in 2022 before it was disbanded.
Endurance Success
During this period, Monteiro also tasted success in endurance racing, winning the TCR class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in both 2019 and 2020.
Life Beyond F1
Even after stepping away from full-time driving, Monteiro remained deeply embedded in motorsport. From 2008 to 2012, he owned and operated Ocean Racing Technology, a GP2 and GP3 team that developed emerging talent. He has also served as the manager for fellow Portuguese star António Félix da Costa, who clinched the 2019–20 Formula E World Championship, and also guided the budding career of his son, Noah.
Tiago Monteiro Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2005–2007 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Jordan, Midland |
| Entries | 37 (37 Starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 7 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2005 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Tiago Monteiro Teammates
| 11 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narain Karthikeyan | 19 | 2005 | |
| Robert Doornbos | 9 | 2005 | |
| Franck Montagny | 1 | 2005 | |
| Nicolas Kiesa | 7 | 2005 | |
| Sakon Yamamoto | 1 | 2005 | |
| Markus Winkelhock | 4 | 2006 | |
| Christijan Albers | 18 | 2006 | |
| Giorgio Mondini | 9 | 2006 | |
| Adrian Sutil | 3 | 2006 | |
| Alexandre Premat | 1 | 2006 | |
| Ernesto Viso | 1 | 2006 |
Tiago Monteiro 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 | 19 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Jordan Grand Prix | Jordan EJ15 | Toyota RVX-05 3.0 V10 | AUS 16 | MAL 12 | BHR 10 | SMR 13 | ESP 12 | MON 13 | EUR 15 | CAN 10 | USA 3 | FRA 13 | GBR 17 | GER 17 | HUN 13 | TUR 15 | 16th | 7 | |||||
| Jordan EJ15B | Toyota RVX-05 3.0 V10 | ITA 17 | BEL 8 | BRA Ret | JPN 13 | CHN 11 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Midland F1 Racing | Midland M16 | Toyota RVX-06 2.4 V8 | BHR 17 | MAL 13 | AUS Ret | SMR 16 | EUR 12 | ESP 16 | MON 15 | GBR 16 | CAN 14 | USA Ret | FRA Ret | GER DSQ | HUN 9 | TUR Ret | ITA Ret | 21st | 0 | ||||
| Spyker MF1 Racing | Spyker M16 | Toyota RVX-06 2.4 V8 | CHN Ret | JPN 16 | BRA 15 |
