 Marques in 2007, as aStock Car Brasil driver | |
| Born | (1976-01-19)19 January 1976 (age 49) Curitiba, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Active years | 1996–1997,2001 |
| Teams | Minardi |
| Entries | 26 (24 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Careerpoints | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2001 Belgian Grand Prix |
Tarso Anibal Santanna Marques (born 19 January 1976) is a Brazilianracing driver andvehicle customizer. He participated in 24Formula One Grands Prix, all driving for theMinardi team, but scored no championship points in three separate seasons and never completed a full season in the sport.
After five years ofkarting, Marques raced in Formula Chevrolet in his home country aged only 16, and he won the title at his first attempt. In 1993 he moved up toFormula Three Sudamericana and subsequentlyInternational Formula 3000 and became the youngest driver to win races at both levels. In1996, he started racing for Minardi in Formula One, competing with various drivers for the seat over the following two years, includingGiancarlo Fisichella,Jarno Trulli andPedro Lamy. Minardi's financial situation demanded that drivers with strong sponsorship were generally favoured, and there were several driver changes in the team at that time.
In 1999, he moved stateside to drive in the AmericanChamp Car ranks, and caught the eye of legendary team-ownerRoger Penske. When two-timeIndianapolis 500 winnerAl Unser Jr. was injured, Penske asked him to fill in. His best finish was 9th. In2000,2004, and2005, he drove sporadically in that series for perennial minnowsDale Coyne Racing, with a best result of 11th.
Marques returned to Formula One in2001 to race alongside future double World ChampionFernando Alonso in the Minardi team, newly purchased byPaul Stoddart. He finished the season ahead of the Spaniard but it was a difficult season for Marques, with the team's financial difficulties not always allowing equal equipment for both drivers. Marques brought no money to the team and was employed under the provision that another driver with more sponsorship money could replace him at any point in the season,[1] and that prospect was realised towards the end of the year, when Minardi replaced Marques withAlex Yoong with three races remaining. Marques welcomed the driver change as the extra finance would enable the team to progress, adding, "Yoong brought the sponsor for the team already two or three races ago so he should be in the car."[2] His two ninth-place finishes remained Minardi's best results of the season, but he was nearly always outpaced by Alonso. Marques would however remain at Minardi for 2002 as the test and reserve driver.[3] Despite this, he did not replace Yoong later in the season when the Malaysian was dropped, with the seat instead going toAnthony Davidson, andJustin Wilson also being offered the drive ahead of Marques.[4]
Since his last Champ Car outing in 2005, Marques has returned to South America to drive in theTC2000 andStock Car Brasiltouring car championships.
In March 2022, it was announced that Marques would compete in theNASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 79Ford Mustang forTeam Stange Racing on a part-time basis.[5] His Cup Series debut, which was going to be in the race at Road America, had to be delayed as NASCAR would not approve him to make a Cup Series start without any prior experience in a stock car.[6] As a result, TSR announced that they would field an entry for Marques in theNASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Road Course in order for him to be approved to race in the Cup Series, and his first Cup Series start would now be in the race at Watkins Glen.[7] The team and Marques did not show up for the race weekend. Nothing has been heard from the team since then, and they ended up not running at all in 2022.
In 2012, Marques participated in the first edition of the reality show Amazônia, on Rede Record.[8]
In 2013, he became a contributor to the Auto Esporte program on TV Globo, covering topics related to vehicle customization.[9]
In 2015, he debuted on the "Lata Velha" segment of TV Globo's Caldeirão do Huck,[10][11] customizing a low-displacement motorcycle for the first time. The segment became part of the program's schedule, with Tarso Marques responsible for the vehicle transformations. Further he made TMC Custom DesignMotorcycles, at Vila Olympia autoshop, including in 2018 the Dumont, a 300 hp V6 engine mounted on a structure between wheels without center hub.[12]
Marques was arrested in São Paulo in the early hours of August 31, 2025, for alleged illegal possession of aLamborghini Gallardo without license plates. After being stopped by police, Marques tried to attach the plates and said it was a demonstrator show car. He was nevertheless arrested along with two women who were with him. Charges included the alleged handling of a vehicle connected to judicial restrictions, which had overdue licensing since 2013 and carried R$ 1.3 million in IPVA debts. The vehicle belonged to a company which had been convicted of apyramid scheme. Marques was released onbail after the R$ 22,700 bail bond was paid.[13][14][15]
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Vortex Motorsport | SIL 13 | PAU Ret | CAT DNS | PER 12 | HOC 10 | SPA 8 | EST 12 | MAG 4 | 12th | 3 |
| 1995 | DAMS | SIL 12 | CAT 3 | PAU Ret | PER Ret | HOC Ret | SPA 5 | EST 1 | MAG Ret | 5th | 15 |
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Minardi Team | MinardiM195B | FordV8 | AUS | BRA Ret | ARG Ret | EUR | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | NC | 0 | |
| 1997 | Minardi Team | MinardiM197 | HartV8 | AUS | BRA | ARG | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA Ret | GBR 10 | GER Ret | HUN 12 | BEL Ret | ITA 14 | AUT EX | LUX Ret | JPN Ret | EUR 15 | 25th | 0 |
| 2001 | European Minardi F1 | MinardiPS01 | EuropeanV10 | AUS Ret | MAL 14 | BRA 9 | SMR Ret | ESP 16 | AUT Ret | MON Ret | CAN 9 | EUR Ret | FRA 15 | GBR DNQ | GER Ret | 22nd | 0 | |||||
| MinardiPS01B | HUN Ret | BEL 13 | ITA | USA | JPN | |||||||||||||||||
(key)
| Year | Team | No. | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Team Penske | 2 | PenskePC-27 | Mercedes-Benz IC108EV8t | MIA | MOT 14 | LBH 25 | NAZ | 27th | 4 | [19] | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | RIO 9 | GAT 26 | MIL | POR 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lola B99/00 | CLE 24 | ROA | TOR | MIC | DET | MDO | CHI | VAN | LAG | HOU | SRF | FON | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Dale Coyne Racing | 34 | Swift 011.c | FordXFV8t | MIA | LBH | RIO | MOT 17 | NAZ 12 | MIL 20 | DET 10 | POR 15 | CLE 24 | TOR 21 | MIC 12 | CHI 18 | MDO 18 | ROA 23 | VAN 22 | LS 18 | GAT 15 | HOU 17 | SRF 13 | FON 7 | 25th | 11 | [20] |
| 2004 | Dale Coyne Racing | 19 | Lola B02/00 | Ford XFEV8t | LBH 18 | MTY 18 | MIL | POR | CLE | TOR | VAN | ROA | DEN | MTL | LS | LVS | SRF | MXC 18 | 22nd | 9^ | [21] | ||||||
| 2005 | Dale Coyne Racing | 19 | Lola B02/00 | Ford XFEV8t | LBH | MTY | MIL | POR | CLE 11 | TOR | EDM | SJO | DEN | MTL | LVS | SRF | MXC | 24th | 10 | [22] | |||||||
^New points system implemented in2004.
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Terra Avallone | Mitsubishi Lancer | INT Ret | CUR | MOU | INT | LON | CUR Ret | SCZ DNS | BRA Ret | TAR Ret | ARG 11 | RIO 1 | INT Ret | 21st | 30 | |||||||||
| 2007 | Terra Avallone | Mitsubishi Lancer | INT Ret | CUR Ret | MOU 1 | INT Ret | LON Ret | SCZ Ret | CUR DNQ | BRA 21 | ARG 26 | TAR 19 | RIO 13 | INT 21 | 24th | 28 | |||||||||
| 2008 | Sky Action Power | Peugeot 307 | INT Ret | BRA Ret | CUR Ret | SCZ 10 | MOU Ret | INT 29 | RIO 24 | LON Ret | CUR 11 | BRA Ret | TAR 23 | INT 7 | 27th | 20 | |||||||||
| 2009 | Action Power | Chevrolet Vectra | INT | CUR | BRA Ret | SCZ 18 | INT | SAL | RIO | MOU | CUR 18 | BRA Ret | TAR DSQ | INT Ret | 31st | 0 | |||||||||
| 2010 | Gramacho Competições | Chevrolet Vectra | INT | CUR Ret | VEL Ret | RIO 17 | RBP 24 | SAL | INT | MOU | LON | SCZ | BRA | CUR | 36th | 0 | |||||||||
| 2011 | Amir Nasr Racing | Peugeot 408 | CUR | INT | RBP | VEL | MOU | RIO | INT Ret | SAL | SCZ | LON | BRA | VEL | NC† | 0† | |||||||||
| 2016 | Mico's Racing | Peugeot 408 | CUR 1 19 | VEL 1 | VEL 2 | GOI 1 | GOI 2 | SCZ 1 | SCZ 2 | TAR 1 | TAR 2 | CAS 1 | CAS 2 | INT 1 | LON 1 | LON 2 | CUR 1 | CUR 2 | GOI 1 | GOI 2 | CRI 1 | CRI 2 | INT 1 | NC† | 0† |
| 2018 | Mico's Racing | Chevrolet Cruze | INT 1 22 | CUR 1 | CUR 2 | VEL 1 | VEL 2 | LON 1 | LON 2 | SCZ 1 | SCZ 2 | GOI 1 | MOU 1 | MOU 2 | CAS 1 | CAS 2 | VCA 1 | VCA 2 | TAR 1 | TAR 2 | GOI 1 | GOI 2 | INT 1 | NC | 0 |
† As Marques was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
