Gustavo Sondermann (February 17, 1982 – April 3, 2011) was a Brazilian

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

Career

Sondermann began racing karts at the age of sixteen and soon moved up to the

Brazilian Formula Renault Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil was a Formula Renault 2.0 racing series based in Brazil. It ran from 2002 to 2006, and was operated by former Formula One driver Pedro Diniz. Several drivers who have raced in Formula One also previously raced in this ...

championship for 2002, in which he competed for two years with mixed results. In 2004 he moved to Europe to compete in the equivalent British series, and also made a guest appearance in the

Formula Renault Eurocup Formula Renault Eurocup was a Formula Renault motor racing championship. Eurocup raced only on European circuits. It served as a support series to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as part of the World Series by Renault from 2005 to 2015. Renault Sp ...

the following year, but subsequently returned to Brazil in 2006 to compete in the national stock car championship. He competed in the second tier of the series, known variously as ''Stock Car Light'', ''Stock Car Copa Vicar'' and latterly as the ''Copa Chevrolet Montana'' from 2006 until 2011, winning four races in total and with a best finish of third place in the championship in 2007, a year soured by the death of his team-mate,

Rafael Sperafico Rafael Sperafico (22 April 1981 – 9 December 2007) was a Brazilian racing driver. He was the cousin of fellow racing drivers Ricardo and Rodrigo, and also related to Alexandre. He was born in Toledo, Paraná. Career Barber Dodge Sperafico ...

, in the season finale. In

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, he competed in seven races of the premier Stock Car Brasil division, scoring six points and finishing in 31st place in the championship. He also competed in the third-tier Mini Challenge series, the GT4 Brasil Championship and the Pick Up Racing Brasil series, winning the last of these in 2008.

Death

During the first race of the 2011 Copa Chevrolet Montana season, held in heavy rain at the

Autódromo José Carlos Pace The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, is a motorsport circuit located in the city of São Paulo, in the neighborhood of Interlagos. It was inaugurated on 12 May 1940, by the federal intervener Adhemar de Barros. The t ...

, Sondermann was hit by several cars and ultimately by Pedro Boesel at the fast ''Curva do Café'' before the start-finish straight. He was extricated from his car and transferred to hospital in a coma after having had cardiac arrest, where he later was diagnosed brain-dead. His organs were donated.

References

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External links

Sondermann's Twitter page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sondermann, Gustavo 1982 births 2011 deaths Brazilian people of German descent Brazilian racing drivers Brazilian Formula Renault 2.0 drivers British Formula Renault 2.0 drivers Formula Renault Eurocup drivers Stock Car Brasil drivers Racing drivers who died while racing Sport deaths in Brazil Filmed deaths in motorsport Comtec Racing drivers