Dear Adrian...

CEO BRUNO MICHEL ON THE PASSING OF CAMPOS RACING FOUNDER AND OWNER

Today, we have lost a dear friend. Formula 2 and Formula 3 without Adrian Campos will never be the same.

Just a few days ago, we were talking on the phone, discussing the season ahead… I am devastated by his sudden passing.

I first met Adrian when we worked together on Fernando Alonso’s management. We became fast friends. He was present from the very beginning of the GP2 Series, eager to be one of the top teams, if not the best team on the grid. He even tested the car along with Damon Hill and Jacques Lafitte for a PR day, and he was the happiest man that day. You could tell he enjoyed every second of it.

I am certain that everyone will rightly talk about his fighting spirit, his passion for racing, for drivers, and for everything that makes motorsport. That’s what he brought to our paddock and to our grids. He was easy to talk to, always happy to start up a conversation to share his views and opinions.

People would go to him to discuss and ask about his thoughts. He would come to my office to let me know about the latest, most often starting with “in my humble opinion…” He was always trying to make our championships better, stronger, and I was always happy to listen to his suggestions.

Adrian was very loyal to us, to his friends and to his team members. He was running a family business, putting stress on the word “family.” Three years into GP2, Campos Racing rose to 3rd in the Standings before clinching the title in 2008.

An impressive number of drivers can thank Adrian for helping them in their career, and he guided many of them all the way to Formula 1. Motorsport has lost a key member and one of its most dedicated supporters. The outpouring of sympathy since the news of his passing is proof of how greatly he was well-regarded.

We will dearly miss seeing him sitting on the pitwall, feverishly watching the screens. We will miss his boyish smile and his sense of humour. It truly feels like we have lost a member of our family today.

Our deepest condolences go to his family, his friends, and his team. I know the latter will have at heart to make Adrian proud and keep his tremendous legacy alive.

Bruno Michel