Formatting code for DavidsonAnthony
======Davidson, Anthony======
>>**Name:** Davidson, Anthony
**Date of birth:** April 18th, 1979
**Place of birth:** Hemel Hempstead, UK
**Minardi link:** Anthony Davidson raced two times for Minardi in 2002 replacing Alex Yoong at Hungary and Belgium.
**Original article:** Simon Vigar
@@{{image url="http://www.forzaminardi.com/images/content/Davidson-Anthony.jpg" title="text" alt="text"}}@@<<
Despite its strong Italian roots Minardi boasts a driver history worthy of the United Nations. Until 2002, though, it had never raced a Briton. Anthony Davidson would have the honour of driving for Minardi as a two-race substitute but it could so easily have been another Brit, [[WilsonJustin Justin Wilson]]. The reigning F3000 champion from Sheffield lost out to Hemel Hempstead's Davidson because at 6'3" he was too tall for the [[PS02]] cockpit. Not for nothing is he nicknamed "The Flying Giraffe". So, Davidson it was who made his Formula One debut with Minardi at the Hungaroring.[[http://www.clothlands.com/ forzaminardi Halloween Costumes]]
After dicing with the likes of Jenson Button in the British karting scene Anthony progressed to Formula Ford in 1999 when he won the 1600cc class at the highly-competitive Ford Festival at Brands Hatch. In 2000, as his old sparring-partner Button debuted with Williams in F1, Ant concentrated on Ford and was runner-up in the British championship after winning five races. For the Festival at Brands he was an impressive overall champion and this led to a prestigious prize in the close season. Ant was voted the ""McLaren""/Autosport/British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) "Young Driver of the Year" following in the footsteps of Jenson Button, Dario Franchitti and David Coulthard. Formula Three was the natural progression and he signed for top team Carlin alongside the latest Japanese hotshot Takuma Sato. The pair battled all season long but despite achieving six pole positions and winning six races Ant was out-pointed by Takuma. The racecraft of the Japanese certainly raised eyebrows but he muscled his way to the title and a 2002 race seat with the Honda-powered Jordan F1 team. Ant consoled himself with European F3 wins at Pau and Spa.
However, Ant already had a taste of F1 power thanks to his test role at British American Racing and that is what he decided to concentrate upon in 2002 with a view to a race seat in '03. Grand Prix racing came rather sooner than he bargained for when his agent started lobbying for the Minardi drive midway through the '02 season. [[YoongAlex Alex Yoong]] had been struggling and following [[http://www.supplementstoweightloss.com/ weight loss pills]] his third failure to qualify at the new Hockenheimring was "rested" by [[StoddartPaul Paul Stoddart]] for two races, Hungary and Belgium.
Many drivers were in the frame, hoping to measure up against Minardi's impressive team leader [[WebberMark Mark Webber]]. Davidson, though, never thought he was one of them claiming his manager told him nothing until the deal was almost finalised. There's little doubt BRDC Chairman Martin Brundle also smoothed the way for Ant to race for Minardi but it was a last-gasp thing: the diminutive Brit even had to borrow a mechanic's overalls. Hungary would be Davidson's baptism of fire. A track he'd never driven. In a car he'd never driven. Quite some "ask".
He immediately broke a record, though, for the fastest fine in Grand Prix history. As he first left the pits he nailed the Minardi before the official end of the pitlane and broke the speed limit. A $1000 fine racked-up in just 13 seconds. Ant put it down to exuberance and laughingly revealed he didn't have the money anyway. His main aim was to qualify for the Grand Prix and this he did, half a second off Mark Webber's time. Ant thought he could have done better but at least he was on the grid. He was impressive in the race although Brundle, in his role as TV pundit, criticised Ant for slowing excessively while being lapped. In fairness this was the first time in his career that Davidson had been a backmarker and he revealed it felt like he was driving a Fiat Panda up the M1 when the Ferraris loomed in his mirrors. Eventually he span off near the end of the GP.
Ant had impressed everyone and even set a faster race lap than [[WebberMark Mark Webber]]. He was similarly impressive at Spa until he pushed too hard through Pouhon and slid off into the gravel. Ant said he'd been trying to match Webber's lap times and when Mark retired then switched to trying to match former team-mate Sato. Unfortunately this slightly blotted his copybook but [[StoddartPaul Paul Stoddart]] led the tributes "I'm sure we'll see a lot more of Anthony Davidson in Formula One in the future - he really does deserve to be here." Meanwhile [[StoddartPaul Stoddart]] kept his word to [[YoongAlex Yoong]] and the Malaysian returned to the [[http://www.shoppharmacycounter.com/t-dietpillsonline.aspx diet pills]] Minardi race seat for Monza.
//This page belongs to the [[CategoryDrivers drivers]] category.//
>>**Name:** Davidson, Anthony
**Date of birth:** April 18th, 1979
**Place of birth:** Hemel Hempstead, UK
**Minardi link:** Anthony Davidson raced two times for Minardi in 2002 replacing Alex Yoong at Hungary and Belgium.
**Original article:** Simon Vigar
@@{{image url="http://www.forzaminardi.com/images/content/Davidson-Anthony.jpg" title="text" alt="text"}}@@<<
Despite its strong Italian roots Minardi boasts a driver history worthy of the United Nations. Until 2002, though, it had never raced a Briton. Anthony Davidson would have the honour of driving for Minardi as a two-race substitute but it could so easily have been another Brit, [[WilsonJustin Justin Wilson]]. The reigning F3000 champion from Sheffield lost out to Hemel Hempstead's Davidson because at 6'3" he was too tall for the [[PS02]] cockpit. Not for nothing is he nicknamed "The Flying Giraffe". So, Davidson it was who made his Formula One debut with Minardi at the Hungaroring.[[http://www.clothlands.com/ forzaminardi Halloween Costumes]]
After dicing with the likes of Jenson Button in the British karting scene Anthony progressed to Formula Ford in 1999 when he won the 1600cc class at the highly-competitive Ford Festival at Brands Hatch. In 2000, as his old sparring-partner Button debuted with Williams in F1, Ant concentrated on Ford and was runner-up in the British championship after winning five races. For the Festival at Brands he was an impressive overall champion and this led to a prestigious prize in the close season. Ant was voted the ""McLaren""/Autosport/British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) "Young Driver of the Year" following in the footsteps of Jenson Button, Dario Franchitti and David Coulthard. Formula Three was the natural progression and he signed for top team Carlin alongside the latest Japanese hotshot Takuma Sato. The pair battled all season long but despite achieving six pole positions and winning six races Ant was out-pointed by Takuma. The racecraft of the Japanese certainly raised eyebrows but he muscled his way to the title and a 2002 race seat with the Honda-powered Jordan F1 team. Ant consoled himself with European F3 wins at Pau and Spa.
However, Ant already had a taste of F1 power thanks to his test role at British American Racing and that is what he decided to concentrate upon in 2002 with a view to a race seat in '03. Grand Prix racing came rather sooner than he bargained for when his agent started lobbying for the Minardi drive midway through the '02 season. [[YoongAlex Alex Yoong]] had been struggling and following [[http://www.supplementstoweightloss.com/ weight loss pills]] his third failure to qualify at the new Hockenheimring was "rested" by [[StoddartPaul Paul Stoddart]] for two races, Hungary and Belgium.
Many drivers were in the frame, hoping to measure up against Minardi's impressive team leader [[WebberMark Mark Webber]]. Davidson, though, never thought he was one of them claiming his manager told him nothing until the deal was almost finalised. There's little doubt BRDC Chairman Martin Brundle also smoothed the way for Ant to race for Minardi but it was a last-gasp thing: the diminutive Brit even had to borrow a mechanic's overalls. Hungary would be Davidson's baptism of fire. A track he'd never driven. In a car he'd never driven. Quite some "ask".
He immediately broke a record, though, for the fastest fine in Grand Prix history. As he first left the pits he nailed the Minardi before the official end of the pitlane and broke the speed limit. A $1000 fine racked-up in just 13 seconds. Ant put it down to exuberance and laughingly revealed he didn't have the money anyway. His main aim was to qualify for the Grand Prix and this he did, half a second off Mark Webber's time. Ant thought he could have done better but at least he was on the grid. He was impressive in the race although Brundle, in his role as TV pundit, criticised Ant for slowing excessively while being lapped. In fairness this was the first time in his career that Davidson had been a backmarker and he revealed it felt like he was driving a Fiat Panda up the M1 when the Ferraris loomed in his mirrors. Eventually he span off near the end of the GP.
Ant had impressed everyone and even set a faster race lap than [[WebberMark Mark Webber]]. He was similarly impressive at Spa until he pushed too hard through Pouhon and slid off into the gravel. Ant said he'd been trying to match Webber's lap times and when Mark retired then switched to trying to match former team-mate Sato. Unfortunately this slightly blotted his copybook but [[StoddartPaul Paul Stoddart]] led the tributes "I'm sure we'll see a lot more of Anthony Davidson in Formula One in the future - he really does deserve to be here." Meanwhile [[StoddartPaul Stoddart]] kept his word to [[YoongAlex Yoong]] and the Malaysian returned to the [[http://www.shoppharmacycounter.com/t-dietpillsonline.aspx diet pills]] Minardi race seat for Monza.
//This page belongs to the [[CategoryDrivers drivers]] category.//
