| BEFORE FORMULA ONE | ||
|
1981-90
31st overall in Opel Lotus |
Born on 19 November, 1969, Belgian Philippe Adams began racing karts in 1981, and first drove in car races in 1984. In 1988 he drove in the European Opel Lotus championship, coming a glorious 31st overall. The same year, in the British Vauxhall Lotus series he came 8th with 3 third places.
In 1989 he competed in British F3, finishing 6th in the championship with one win and 2 second place finishes. He failed to improve on his overall placing in 1990, only managing two more runner-up finishes. |
|
|
1991-94
No luck (no talent?) in Japan |
Going to Japan in 1991 did little to help his mediocrity. He was only 12th in the local F3 series, and his forays into Japanese touring cars and F3000 were equally unsuccessful. Indeed, his only entry in Japanese F3000 netted him a solid DNQ.
Returning to British F3 in 1992, he took two wins before coming 2nd overall. He was then British F2 champion in 1993, winning five rounds, at Oulton Park, Silverstone, Brands, Donington and Thruxton. Then in 1994, Adams turned his attentions to the Belgian Procar Championship. |
|
| FORMULA ONE | ||
|
|
||
|
1994 Lotus It's a rich man's world |
As Alan Jones cynically but correctly pointed out on Australian TV, despite Adams' 10 years of car-racing experience, it was his big wallet that earned him an F1 drive with Lotus for his home GP at Spa in 1994, in the place of
Alessandro Zanardi.
Of much interest to the paddock was how Adams was paying for his drive. He was doing so through firstly an insurance policy taken out against his Belgian Procar results, and secondly through family support, especially through his father's companies, and other sponsors. But throughout the weekend there were negative rumours regarding the health of his father's businesses, and other companies wanted their sponsorship logos removed. Now, when someone doesn't want exposure via F1 sponsorship, even if the logo requires a magnifying glass to read, you know that that particular driver/team isn't worth it. |
|
|
1994
Blitzes Procars, but back of the grid for F1 |
The Lotus 109 with its Mugen engine was not an easy car to come to terms with at the best of times, but Adams got an even more raw deal when both days of practice at
Spa were marred by rain. Whatever local track knowledge he had was useless. Half an hour into free practice on Friday morning, he smashed the car against the pit wall on the front straight, having suddenly lost grip. This was just one of "umpteen spins" in practice, according to the BBC's Dr. Jonathan Palmer.
Anyway, Adams managed to sneak onto the grid in 26th and last place. Then, in the Procar race on Saturday, in heavy rain, using the 4WD on his Audi 80, he destroyed the field, winning by 27 seconds. At least that insurance policy looked OK, then. |
|
|
1994
Can't even get the start right |
The F1 race in sunny conditions was nothing special, though. Comically, Adams failed to place his car at his proper grid slot after the warm-up lap, instead taking station behind the 25th-placed Simtek of Jean-Marc Gounon. Usually this means an aborted start, but do you think they cared on this occasion? Adams spent his afternoon touring around behind Gounon, and was temporarily held up when the latter spun. Later, when being lapped by Rubens Barrichello's Jordan, he got off-line approaching Pouhon, missed his braking, oversteered and spun out of the race on his 16th lap, right in front of the cameras. |
|
|
1994
Oh no! |
Though Zanardi resumed his seat in Italy, when Portugal came around once again Adams was in Lotus number 11 (the team obviously needed funds again). But after the drama of his F1 debut, anyone expecting more shenanigans were severely disappointed. Qualifying 25th, he trailed the field uneventfully, coming in 16th and last, 4 laps down. For the next race in Jerez, Zanardi took his seat back, and that was it as far as Adams was concerned in F1. |
|
|
|
||
| AFTER FORMULA ONE | ||
|
1995-96
Adams not V good ... |
That Procar victory at Spa was in fact his only win in the series. In 1994 he also competed twice in the German Touring Car Championship without success.
In 1995, he again raced in Belgian Procars in his Audi 80, coming 3rd overall, taking 4 wins in a row during the middle of the championship - including 2 at Zolder.
In 1996, he participated in the BPR Global GT Endurance Championship, driving a V De V Racing Vertigo with a co-driver called Vyver, in keeping with the 'V' flavour of the team. |
|
|
1996-99
Drives BMWs in Group N, Vallelunga |
Also, beginning in 1996 and continuing into 1997 Adams raced in the International Group N Series driving a BMW. This was a European championship featuring mainly gentlemen
drivers.
In November 1999, he drove a BMW M3 touring car in the Vallelunga Silver Cup 6hr race, sharing the car with Harry Handkammer and Thomas Jakobitsch, but he retired at half-distance. This is the last we have heard of Adams. |
|
|
|
||
| back | ||
