🇳🇱 Robert Doornbos

Robert Doornbos is an established professional who raced single-seater formula cars from 2002 to 2006, followed by a stint in IndyCar in 2009. He drove for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1 during 2005 and 2006, taking 11 starts across two seasons, and spent earlier years competing in the junior formulas and International Formula 3000 for Arden International, where he scored his only career win.[1]

His record spans Formula 3 Macau and the Formula 3 Euro Series early in his career, International Formula 3000 in 2004 where he took one win and four podiums from ten starts, and Formula 1 with Red Bull. His Formula 3 Euro Series campaign in 2003 with Team Ghinzani yielded three podiums from 16 starts. After Formula 1, he moved to the United States, competing in IndyCar in 2009 with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and later HVM Racing, finishing 22nd in the championship across 17 rounds; twelve of those starts came on oval tracks. Across six indexed seasons he accumulated 59 starts, one win and seven podiums.[2]

Doornbos raced in fields that included future champions and established professionals. He finished ahead of Nico Rosberg, who would go on to win the 2005 GP2 Series and the 2016 Formula 1 championship, on four occasions in the junior categories. In IndyCar he beat Dario Franchitti twice, despite Franchitti winning four IndyCar championships. Among his regular opponents in the junior formulas were Ryan Briscoe, the 2003 Formula 3 Euro Series champion, and Christian Klien; he typically finished behind both. His strongest performances came in International Formula 3000, where he outpaced much of a professional field to score his sole victory.