Augusto Farfus inspired by Senna, lead by Massa

WECLMGT3Drivers

May 14

Part 2/4 of Augusto Farfus interview remembering his debut in go-karting, first travel to Europe to become professional driver, the rapid transition to formula races, the move to touring racing and the contract with BMW.

Inspired by Ayrton Senna

CRR: We would like to know how it all started. You started with go-karting. How did you come to that?

📷 © Luc Warnotte at 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2019.

Augusto Farfus: “I am from the generation of those who followed Ayrton Senna when I was a child in Rio, my dad is a big fan of racing, like most of the Brazilian of that generation. I got as Christmas present, at the age of 6, a minibike that I used to drive in the courtyard. I found out that there was a local championship for those minibikes. So, I went racing and I won the championship with my first try. OK, it was a local championship, and it was very low level, but my mom was never supporting it, she thought it was too dangerous and she did not want me to continue that sport.

Eventually through that season, we met a guy who was doing go-karts and he invited me to try his go-kart. I went and it was like a first love. I found a kart and my mom decided to support. She felt better with 4 wheels than 2 wheels. Then, I did the local championship the following year which I won.

I then went to São Paulo, which was the biggest championship in Latin America back then. I don’t come from a wealthy family, so during the first steps it was extremely difficult to pay the bills.

In 1998, I got an offer from CRG to test in Europe. I did come to Europe to do the test and they invited me to become a factory driver and do the full racing season in Europe. For me, that was an enormous achievement, as I was 14, and I could drive for free. I was a professional driver, and this, for me, was very important. I moved to Italy, traveled around the world as I did the full year of international go-kart racing: I was second at the world championship, I won the winter European cup and was second in the North American championship.”

In Formula racing with Felipe Massa

CRR: I understand that the move to formula racing happened very quick.

AUGUSTO: “Yes, I did a year of karting, I had a very strong year, and then, Felipe Massa, who was on his third year in Brazil with formula asked to come to Europe. He was much older than me and he had a lot more experience. Through my sponsor and his sponsor, we went to Formula Renault. I was just not ready, it was too early for me, but I had to jump, I did not have another choice. It was difficult as there were about 4 test days before the first race. Today, the kids coming from karting do hundred days of testing, they do simulator.

Felipe (Massa) helped me, but we were both fighting for the same and would be racing for the same series. He was so much ahead of me, in terms of age, he was a lot more mature, and he had a lot more experience. We lived a whole year together. He had the car, so, I had always to follow him because he was, let’s say, the driver and I was just following his footsteps. He won the championship the first year and I won the following year with Kubica as teammate.

📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Team WRT at Imola 2024.

My Brazilian sponsor, which supported me during my whole career, made it possible to start in formula 3000 (which now is, let’s say formula 2). I won the championship the second year, but I had no contact and no money to pursue my dream to get to Formula 1. I had been European Formula Renault champion, European Formula 3000 champion and nowhere to go!

Alfa Romeo was doing a shootout with young drivers in Valencia and I got a drive. I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to do that, because I was 19 and wanted to do Formula 1. I didn't want to drive a touring car driven by old men. But I didn’t have an alternative: it was either drive that or stop racing. My dad told me that in life one must become a man, which means you must make choices and not every choice is a choice you like. Either you race because you like racing or you go back to Brazil. So, I did 3 years with Alfa. Then BMW knocked on the door, I met Mario Theissen and the history with BMW started at the end of 2006.

So, everything in my life, somehow, happened boum boum,… like out of nothing. It was great. It made me adapt; it made me push much further. It was a challenging experience.”

CRR: Yes, life brings you opportunities, but you still must be able to make them true.

AUGUSTO: “Yes indeed. I think I can be very proud”.

A self-made man

CRR: So it’s purely talent, you did not have the money flowing in to get where you are.

AUGUSTO: “No, and this is what makes me extremely proud because I made my way with my own hands. I was very young when I started into touring cars. A lot of people were telling me I was crazy because, back then, it was not normal to achieve all these steps to migrate to touring cars. Today, it is normal to see kids going from Formula 2 to GT racing.

When I was called by BMW to meet Dr. Theissen. Mario (Theissen) was an important man involved in Formula 1, I used to see him on TV. I asked a friend who was a banker, who had absolutely no clue of racing, to come with me so that it looked as if I’m not alone and would be better prepared. We went to Munich, where I met Dr. Theissen and negotiated my contract. It’s almost 18 years with BMW thanks to my hard work. There is no better reward than that.”

A teenager moving from Brazil to Italy

CRR: This teenager moving from Brazil to Italy, how was that? That must have been difficult!

📷 © Courtesy of BMW M Team WRT at Spa-Francorchamps 2024.

AUGUSTO: “Very difficult, because it was different back then. Now, to travel around the world, you have phones, you have Wi-Fi, you have WhatsApp, Facetime, Google. When I came to Europe, I didn’t speak Italian, my English was very basic. I lived in the CRG factory with Ryan Briscoe (Australian Indy Car driver, Toyota F1 test driver formula 1,…).

The day before moving to Europe, (January 1st, 1999), I celebrated New Year’s Eve with my family and in the morning, they dropped me at the airport. My dad said: “you’re going to land in Malpensa where someone with a CRG jacket will welcome you”. I was excited of course, but as soon as I went through security check, I went to the toilet and cried for probably 15 minutes, because I was so scared. I was 14 with no way to communicate with my family like today except using public phones.

I am very grateful to my dad for letting me the opportunity. I don’t know, if I would be brave enough to say “Go, Discover the world and don’t stop!” to my daughter or my son! It made me strong and I’m proud of what I achieved.”