Timo Glock is the latest in a long line of German drivers to create waves in the world of Formula1. Another much talked about name from his initial years, Glock has made rapid strides through the junior ranks.
Like most aspiring drivers, Timo started his racing career at kart racing in 1998. At the tender age of 15 years, he began rather lately considering many of his counterparts started when they were about 7-8. He picked up extremely quickly and eventually won several karting championships. In 2000, Glock won the Formula BMW Junior Cup. He went on to win the Formula BMW title in 2001 and followed it up with a third place finish in the prestigious German F3. To put the icing on the cake, he was also named the rookie of the year.
His career took an enormous boost in 2003. Formula3000 came calling for the German and didn’t disappoint at all, clinching three victories and finishing 5th place in the F3 Euro Series. Timo’s astonishing performances swiftly caught the eyes of the Jordan F1 team, who called him to jump into the role of test driver for the 2004 season.
Team owner Eddie Jordan had this to say after signing the promising young talent:”Timo is one of the most promising young driving talents in Germany at the moment and I’m delighted that we’re able to offer him a regular F1 testing role.”
Timo’s F1 race debut came in a dying Jordan outfit, at the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix. He finished 11th but was rewarded with 7th place following the disqualification of Williams and Toyota cars. Thus, Glock joined an elite group of drivers who scored a World Championship point in their first F1 debut. The German finished the season with three more races for the British constructor with a tally of three points.
The young German came out of the season with a smile on his face, and said “I’m very happy and proud that I can be part of Jordan Ford with a place in Formula One for the 2004 season.”
However, he failed to keep his seat in F1 in the following year. So, Timo Glock shifted his racing career to the Champ Car World Series in 2005. He finished 8th in the series and won the honour of ‘Rookie of the Year’. In 2006, Glock moved into the new sensation in motorsport - GP2. He started the series with BCN Competicion team but moved to iSport midway through the season. His switch proved conducive, as Timo produced some impressive results and finished 4th in the standings with couple of victories to his credit. He drove alongside the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jr. during the 2006 GP2 Series, soon to become his adversaries at the highest level. This was an experience that proved fruitful for approaching 2008 season.
In 2007, with stupendous five victories, Timo Glock clinched the GP2 series which brought him in contention for a F1 return. He was immediately signed by the BMW Sauber team as their main test and reserve driver. Despite being involved in a contract with the BMW Sauber team as a test driver, Timo signed with the Toyota team as the full time driver for the 2008 season. After some drama, the Contract Recognition Board ruled that Glock was free to race with Toyota in 2008.
Timo Glock has signed a 3-year contract with the Cologne-based team, and will be returning to F1 after a gap of four years, replacing another German, Ralf Schumacher. He will drive alongside veteran Jarno Trulli for the enhanced German-powered team . With his excellent race craft and fighting spirit, Timo Glock is likely to continue his battle with GP2 adversaries Heikki Kovalainen, Lewis Hamilton, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Nico Rosberg.
