Imre Futy

Imre Füty prior to the Monaco Grand Prix in 2007 for Force India.

**Imre Füty** is a Hungarian racing driver, currently racing in IndyCar for Team Penske. Prior to joining IndyCar, he also raced in Formula One for Benetton and Jordan, in 2007 he would return from IndyCar for Force India before rejoining IndyCar.

## Racing Career

### Formula One

#### Benetton (1999-2001)

In September 1999 Imre Füty officially joined Formula one with Benetton as their reserve driver in line to replace Tim O'Pakkinen who had already been confirmed to join McLaren in 2000.

##### 2000

In 2000 with the unexpected departure of Tatsuno Takamori from Benetton, the Italian team would opt for an all rookie lineup with both Füty and Matteo Margheriti. Margheriti is the son of two time Formula One World Driver's Champion Fabiano Margheriti. Füty would end up retiring in his first race with the team, but finishing fourth the next race weekend in Brazil. Following a weekend of severe illness keeping him away and the cancellation of the Monaco Grand Prix Füty would not see the track until the week of the British Grand Prix, at which his engine would not start for the initial parade lap which forced the team to retire the car before starting.

The German Grand Prix would be rough for Füty who would retire after an accident on lap 18. In Austria, Füty would make history for being the youngest driver to ever record a grand slam in Formula One. A grand slam requires a driver to take pole position, lead every lap of the race, win the race, and set the fastest lap of the race. Following that performance Benetton would finish 2nd and 3rd, with Füty in the former position, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Füty would also once again take pole in Belgium. Unexpectedly Füty's 2000 campaign would end in Italy following a recovery drive described on commentary as "sensational", with the Hungarian going from 17th all the way to finishing in 4th place.

##### 2001

The start of 2001 was rocky for Füty, who retired in two of the first three races. However, in Malaysia he would place 2nd with Margheriti alongside him in 3rd. Imre's career would change overnight following back to back tenth place finishes in the United States and Monaco Grand Prix's. With the announcement of Benetton signing Japanese driver Katashi Kimura in place of Füty the following season. The Italian team hoped to keep a line-up of both Kimura and Margheriti heading into 2002. With seat uncertainty looming, Füty stated that he intended to "drive as if my life depends on it... because it does." Despite a retirement at the British Grand Prix flashes of the Hungarian's talent from the previous year began to show, with highly competitive results throughout the latter half of the year including a win at the Japanese Grand Prix. It would be his second and final in Formula One.

#### Jordan (2002-2003)

##### 2002

During the off-season between 2001 and 2002, Imre Füty was officially announced to pair with then 4x World Driver's Champion (currently 6x) Otto Makkinen for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. The Irish outfit headed by Eddie Jordan had come up just 29 points short of a second World Constructors Championship in 2001 and 2000. Jordan had developed a reputation for providing brilliant strategy and fast, if occasionally unstable, race cars that could challenge for championships since the 1993 season when Jordan triumphed over both Williams and McLaren while Zarco captured his first and only World Drivers Championship. The team had seen a renaissance period at the end of 1996 with Tatsuno Takamori capturing victory for the team, and especially in 1997 with the debut of the youngest ever World Drivers Champion Alexander Parker. In 2000 the team signed Makkinen and immediately won the World Drivers Championship but came up second behind Füty and Margheriti's Benetton campaign by 14 points. At the time the move seemed like one that would position Füty as one of the premiere championship contenders in Formula One.

The Jordan team would start well in 2004 with Imre capturing a third place podium on his Jordan debut and his teammate Makkinen in 4th. The expectation going into the 2002 season was that Jordan would be capable of fighting for championships, as it had the previous two seasons. While Otto gave his all ending up in a respectable third place for the season, the frustrations throughout the season would eventually cause him to take a two year sabbatical starting after the 2002 Italian Grand Prix. Füty meanwhile retired in 45.5% of the races he ran that season, with finishes in 6th and 9th becoming a struggle as the weighty Jordan became an issue.

##### 2003

Contracted to another year in Formula One with Jordan, the Hungarian publicly came out at the start of the season and stated his intent to move on from the Jordan team and back into fighting consistently for podiums. The season itself however would be a disaster for Jordan and the beginning of a slow collapse. The EJ13 retired three times throughout the season, all due to mechanical faults. However the car also had the issue of overheating with approximately 1/5th of the race left to go during the entirety of the 2003 campaign. Despite this, and a distasterous 14th place finish in Brazil, Füty pushed Jordan to score finishes in 8th, and 6th. In his final Formula One season Füty, starting from 16th at the Austrian Grand Prix, captured his final ever Fomrula One podium by finishing second place after a rainstorm began to fall on the track. At the finish line Füty was only 1.1 seconds away from race winner Eric Flynn's Ferrari.

Despite his efforts, Füty was unable to secure a contract for 2004 in Formula One, forcing him to leave the series.

#### Return to Formula One with Force India (2007)

Füty would return to Formula One after three successful years in IndyCar with Team Penske, where the Hungarian driver had something of a career revival. Jordan Grand Prix became Force India after the Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya bought out the time in December 2006. Mallya looked for an experienced driver to race alongside Lakshman Gupta and offered Füty a contract. Upon hearing the news, Imre Füty offered to take a year off of his IndyCar campaign, having been at the end of his IndyCar contract. Force India made the deal official just a month before the Australian Grand Prix.

## Personal Life

Füty is known for his highly aggressive racing style that either results in retirement or an unexpectedly high finishing position. He has stated that he was inspired by the fearless driving in the early to mid 1980's in Formula One, and that he has no personal fears for his safety when in the car.