Àlex Soler-Roig Explained

Àlex Soler-Roig
Nationality: Spanish
Birth Name:Àlex Soler-Roig i Janer
Birth Date:29 October 1932
Birth Place:Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Years:19701972
Team(S):Lotus, March, BRM
Races:10 (6 starts)
Championships:0
Wins:0
Podiums:0
Points:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
First Race:1970 Spanish Grand Prix
Last Race:1972 Spanish Grand Prix

Àlex Soler-Roig i Janer (in Catalan; Valencian pronounced as /ˈaləks suˈle ˈrɔtʃ/; born 29 October 1932)[1] is a former racing driver from Barcelona, Spain. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 April 1970, and scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.

Biography

Son of Dr. Soler-Roig, Alex began his career with motorcycles before entering the world car racing, participating in rallies with Fiat and Porsche. His first victories came in 1958 at the Nuvolari trophy in Barcelona and the Rally Catalunya. This allowed him some sponsorship to enter the Monte Carlo Rally. In 1968 raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans with team Porsche driving a 907/6 Langheck and a year later in the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he led his class until his co-driver Rudy Lins had an accident. In the same year he finished 4th in the 12 Hours of Sebring with a Porsche 907. That same year enters the F2 championship driving a Lola, and in 1969 placed seventh in Barcelona Grand Prix in a Lotus F2 from Roy Winckelman Team led by Bernie Ecclestone. Achieved victories in several races with Jochen Rindt on the 6 Hours of Jarama and second in the 1000 km of Buenos Aires.

His first race in Formula 1 was at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix with a Lotus 49. Race organisers limited the race to 16 starters, resulting in Soler-Roig failing to qualify, despite lapping only a tenth of a second slower than Mario Andretti. However, on race morning there was a suggestion that the non-qualifiers might be allowed to start after all, so their cars were placed on the grid, only for the organisers to stick to their original decision, removing Soler-Roig's car from the grid as well as those of Jo Siffert and Andrea de Adamich.[2] He subsequently participated at the Belgian Grand Prix, driving the Lotus 72 that was meant for Jochen Rindt. However, the car was not ready for Friday's practice and he only managed to complete three laps in Saturday's qualifying, and was therefore not allowed to start the race. His final Formula One outing for the season was another non-qualification at the French Grand Prix in a 49. He won the Spanish GT-Sport Championship that same year.

He started the 1971 season driving for the works March team, combining the Formula 1 Championship with the Spanish and German Touring Car Championships with Ford Capri. He won the Spanish Championship and finished fourth in Germany, but failed to finish any races in Formula 1.

Soler-Roig joined the Marlboro BRM F1 team for the 1972 season, but after a few races with problems in the car and the team, decided to spend the rest of the year racing the European Touring Car Championship with Ford, getting great results and victories in the 24 Hours of Spa, the 24 Hours of Paul Ricard, the 4 Hours of Zandvoort, 4 Hours of Jarama and the 3 Hours of Montjuich. His withdrawal from the world of competition occurred at the end of 1972, before his 41st birthday, to pursue his family business.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213WDCPoints
1970Garvey Team LotusLotus 49CCosworth V8RSAESP
NC0
World Wide RacingFRA
GBRGERAUTITACANUSAMEX
Lotus 72CMONBEL
NED
1971STP March Racing TeamMarch 711Cosworth V8RSA
ESP
MON
NED
FRA
GBRGERAUTITACANUSANC0
1972España Marlboro BRMBRM P160BBRM V12ARG
RSAESP
MONBELFRAGBRGERAUTCANUSANC0

Complete Formula One non-Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678
1967Team LotusLotus 48 F2Cosworth L4ROCSPRINTSYROULESP
1971STP March Racing TeamMarch 711Cosworth V8ARGROCQUESPRINTRIN
8
OULVIC
1972España Marlboro BRMBRM P153BRM V12ROCBRA
INTOULREPVIC

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alex Soler-Roig . oldracingcars.com . 13 January 2013.
  2. Book: Lang, Mike . Grand Prix! Vol 2 . Haynes Publishing Group . 1982 . 117 . 0-85429-321-3.