APRIL 9, 2002

Rodrigues bringing on a new generation of Brazilians

WITH Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Enrique Bernoldi in Formula 1 and most of the top names in CART and IRL, plus a whole new crop of drivers in Formula 3000, including Antonio Pizzonia, Ricardo Mauricio, Mario Haberfeld and the three Speraficos (Ricardo, Rodrigo and Alex), one would have thought that the Brazilian motor racing market would be saturated, but it seems that this is not the case at all.

The generation inspired by the exploits of Ayrton Senna is now growing up and Barrichello's former manager Geraldo Rodrigues has signed up a total of 12 youngsters who he believes will be successful on the international scene. The most promising of these appears to be Christiano "Tuca" Rocha.

Whatever the case, the flow of Brazilians which began 35 years ago with Emerson Fittipaldi is not slowing down. If anything it is increasing.