Ricardo Rosset

Ricardo Rosset is a Brazilian businessman and former racing driver who recorded 33 entries (26 starts) in the Formula One World Championship between 1996 and 1998, driving for Footwork Arrows and Tyrrell. Before making a debut in Formula 1, he was a vice-champion in the 1995 International Formula 3000 Championship.

In the post-F1 career, he raced with Porsche GT cars until 2016, winning three championship titles in the Brazilian Porsche GT3 Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

Ricardo Rosset

Early years in Formula Opel and Formula 3

Born in July 1968, Ricardo Rosset started his racing career in 1992, entering the Formula Opel Euroseries. Scoring no wins or podiums in his first season, he finished 17th in the points.

Next year, he raced in the British Formula 3 Championship for Alan Docking Racing. After scoring three podiums, he was sixth in the points. He stayed in the British F3 in 1994, joining Team AJS and scoring his maiden F3 victory at Snetterton. He finished fifth in the final standings.

Ricardo Rosset in a Formula 3 car

Formula 3000 vice-champion in 1995

The next step in a career was the International Formula 3000 Championship in 1995 with Super Nova Racing team in 1995. He was driving the #7 Reynard 95D-Cosworth alongside Vincenzo Sospiri as his teammate in the #8 car.

Sospiri won the drivers' championship while Ricardo finished second in the points after winning two races, at Silverstone and Pergusa.

Ricardo Rosset (right) and Jos Verstappen were teammates in 1996 in Footwork team

Formula One debut in 1996 with Footwork

The F3000 vice-champion was ready for an F1 debut in 1996, joining Footwork Arrows Hart. He was driving the #16 Footwork FA17-Hart. His teammate was Jos Verstappen, who managed to score one championship point during the season while Rosset scored no points.

In sixteen races,  his best result was the eighth place in the Hungarian Grand Prix. He recorded seven more finishes and eight DNFs.

Rosset's stint with Mastercard Lola lasted for just one race

One unsuccessful attempt with Lola F1 team in 1997

For the 1997 Formula 1 season, Rosset joined Mastercard Lola F1 Team, together with his former F3000 teammate Vincenzo Sospiri. The season lasted for just one race. Both drivers failed to qualify their uncompetitive Lola-Ford cars in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, being more than ten seconds slower than pole-sitter Jacques Villeneuve at Melbourne GP Circuit.

After that event, Mastercard pulled out its sponsorship and the team folded its operations. Both Rosset and Sospiri stayed out of competition for the rest of the season. Rosset's only race later in the season was a guest appearance in the Porsche Supercup race.

Ricardo Rosset as Tyrrell driver in 1998

Formula One season with Tyrrell

Rosset returned to Formula 1 in 1998 with Tyrrell, being chosen by team's new owners, not by Ken Tyrrell. The second driver was Japanese Toranosuke Takagi. Rosset has been chosen due to rich sponsorship backing but his results were disappointing.

He failed to qualify for five Grand Prix races. In other races, he reached the finish line just four times, finishing best in the 8th place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. The end of the season marked the end of his F1 career but also the end of the first part of his entire career.

Ricardo Rosset was a Brazilian GT3 vice-champion in a Ford GT

Returning to racing in 2008

In 1999, Rosset quit racing to concentrate on his business in Brazil, promoting a sports and leisurewear brand Track & Field, which he developed during his racing career. After making Track & Field into one of South America’s leading sportswear brands, Rosset returned to racing in 2008.

He was pretty successful in his return, winning four races in the Brazilian GT3 Championship in the #12 Ford GT GT3 and finishing second in the points. His co-driver was Walter Salles Jr. Next year, he raced part of the season in a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup and then switched to Porsche GT3 Cup Brazil in 2010.

Ricardo Rosset in the #1 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Three-time champion of the Porsche GT3 Cup Brazil

In his first season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Brazil, Rosset immediately took a dominance, won six races and captured the championship title. He raced occasionally in the Porsche GT3 Cup next year, then returned to the full-time schedule in 2013 and won his second championship title, again with six wins. The third title followed in 2015 when he won three races.

In the meantime, he recorded a couple of appearance in the Stock Car Brazil series. He raced with Vogel Motorsport in the season-opening rounds both in 2014 and 2015 but without any success. In 2016, he appeared in selected GT races, retiring from racing for the second time.

Ricardo Rosset is a three-time champion of Porsche GT3 Cup Brazil

Photos: deviantart.com, motorsport.com, Carsten Horst,