Miguel Ramos

Last updated
Miguel Ramos
GT World Challenge Europe 2024 Nurburg Nr. 188 Prette, Ramos, Smalley.jpg
Nationality Flag of Portugal.svg Portuguese
Born (1971-09-26) 26 September 1971 (age 53)
Porto (Portugal)
FIA GT1 World Championship career
Debut season 2010
Current team Vitaphone Racing
Racing licence FIA Bronze Driver.png FIA Bronze
Car number2
Starts18
Wins0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish21st in 2010
Previous series
1994–1996
1995
1997
1998
1999–2000
20012002
2002
200304, 0609
20042005
2005–2006
BMW Trophy Portugal
Portuguese Touring Car
Portuguese Racing
Italian Superturismo
Toyota Super Formula
Spanish Formula Three
Spanish GT
FIA GT
Le Mans Endurance Series
Italian GT
Championship titles
1996
2002
2005
BMW Trophy Portugal
Spanish GT w/(Chaves)
Italian GT w/(Malucelli)

Miguel Pedro Caetano Ramos (born 26 September 1971 in Porto) is a Portuguese racing driver. He is a former Spanish and Italian GT champion, and has raced in the FIA GT1 World Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2012 he races for V8 Racing, driving a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R in the International GT Open. In 2015 and 2016 he races for Teo Martín Motorsport in the International GT Open.

Contents

Early career

Ramos began his career in 1991, when he was only 18 years old, racing in the Autocross National Championship. During three years, he won several races and two national titles in Division II (2WD Touring Cars), in 1992 and in 1993, respectively. [1]

In 1994 he switched to touring car racing and took part in the Troféu BMW M3/Mobil spec series, which at the time was the most powerful car in one-make series in Portugal. Ramos drove in the series for three years, finally taking the title in 1996 with six race wins. He then switched to the Portuguese Touring Car Championship in 1997, driving a BMW 320is with backing from the Portuguese BMW importer, taking third place overall. [2] Winning one win in the final round of the series at the Ota Airport, he finished the championship in third position. He also took part in the Guia race of the Macau Grand Prix.

Career in Italy and Spain

In 1998, Ramos became the first Portuguese driver to take part in the Italian Superturismo Championship. With a lack of familiarity of the tracks and the competition, he ended the Privateer drivers classification in sixth position, with five podiums.

In 1999, at 27 years old, Ramos entered the Toyota Super Formula, his debut with single seater racing, his best result a third place in 2000. In 2001, Ramos moved up to the new Spanish Formula Three Championship, ending the season in 10th place overall. [3]

The year of 2002 was of consecration! In the difficult but spectacular and competitive world of Grand Tourism cars, Miguel Ramos won the Spanish GT Championship with a Saleen, having as team colleague Pedro Chaves. Also in the year 2002 he made his first participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the team Ray Mallock Ltd. team he achieved the 5th position on the GTS class.

The following seasons, in the years 2003 and 2004, was full of challenges. Having as adversaries some of the World's best drivers – some of them ex-Formula 1 drivers — Miguel Ramos participated in the prestigious and media-covered FIA GT Championship. Various impediments prevented well-deserved ascensions to the podium, but seven classifications in the first best ten positions, prove his unequivocal value.

Also in 2004 he participated on the Le Mans Endurance Series in a prototype with RML team driving a MG Lola prototype, getting for his team the 5th position on the championship.

2005 was and extremely competitive year for Miguel Ramos. The Italian GT Championship conflates the best of the Italian manufactures of GT, demonstrating a high level of the competitive pace. To traduce these, Miguel Ramos dispute until the last race the first position on the championship. With the same Ferrari 550 Maranello, the Portuguese driver defended the National Flag on the Le Mans Series in the category of GT1, he participated at 4 of the 5 races achieving one first place in 1000km of Spa and two second places at Nürburgring and Istanbul.

In the 2006 season Miguel Ramos returned to the most competitive GT world championship, the FIA GT Championship, with the Aston Martin DBR9 in the GT1 class. The Portuguese driver achieved the 12th classification helping the team BMS Scuderia Italia to achieve the 2nd position in the GT1 Championship Teams. Also compete in a few races of the Italian GT Championship with the Maserati MC12 achieving two victories and one second place accumulating 38 points.

Racing record

Complete GT1 World Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617181920PosPoints
2010 Vitaphone Racing Team Maserati ABU
QR

Ret
ABU
CR

6
SIL
QR

9
SIL
CR

15
BRN
QR

7
BRN
CR

6
PRI
QR

5
PRI
CR

Ret
SPA
QR

11
SPA
CR

4
NÜR
QR

7
NÜR
CR

12
ALG
QR

13
ALG
CR

Ret
NAV
QR

Ret
NAV
CR

12
INT
QR
INT
CR
SAN
QR

16
SAN
CR

4
21st28

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearClassNoTyresCarTeamCo-DriversLapsPos.Class
Pos.
2002 GTS68 D Saleen S7-R
Ford 7.0L V8
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML) Flag of Portugal.svg Pedro Chaves
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gavin Pickering
31223rd5th
2005 GT151 P Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello
Ferrari F133 5.9L V12
Flag of Italy.svg BMS Scuderia Italia Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Gollin
Flag of Italy.svg Christian Pescatori
67DNFDNF

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCarClass12345678910Pos.Points
2021 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo Pro-Am MAG
1

23
MAG
2

16
ZAN
1

18
ZAN
2

DNS
MIS
1

18
MIS
2

23
BRH
1

21
BRH
2

21
VAL
1

20
VAL
2

22
1st125
2022 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Pro-Am BRH
1

19
BRH
2

22
MAG
1

18
MAG
2

21
ZAN
1

Ret
ZAN
2

15
MIS
1

17
MIS
2

15
VAL
1

20
VAL
2

21
1st119
2023 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Bronze BRH
1
BRH
2
MIS
1

13
MIS
2

20
HOC
1

29
HOC
2

23
VAL
1

22
VAL
2

25
ZAN
1
ZAN
2
2nd60.5
2024 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Bronze BRH
1
BRH
2
MIS
1
MIS
2
HOC
1

Ret
HOC
2

27
MAG
1

30†
MAG
2

20
CAT
1

18
CAT
2

Ret
8th34.5

Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

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References

  1. "Campeões Nacionais de Automobilismo (1955–2011)" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "Classificações de 1997". Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  3. "Resultados Nacionales 2001" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Spanish GT Championship
Champion

2002
With: Pedro Chaves
Succeeded by
Preceded by Italian GT Championship
Champion

2005
With: Matteo Malucelli
Succeeded by
Preceded by International GT Open
Champion

2015
With: Alvaro Parente
Succeeded by
Preceded by International GT Open
Champion

2020
With: Henrique Chaves
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Eddie Cheever III
Chris Froggatt
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup
Pro-Am Champion

2021-2022
With: Henrique Chaves (2021) & Dean Macdonald (2022)
Succeeded by
None
(Class disbanded)