Charles Pic

Charles Pic (born 15 February 1990) is a French former racing driver and current team owner who competed in Formula One from 2012 to 2013 for Marussia and Caterham. Born in Montelimar, France, Pic progressed through the junior formulae including French Formula Renault, Formula Three, and GP2 Series before securing his Formula One opportunity. He made his Formula One debut at the 2012 Australian Grand Prix with the renamed Marussia F1 Team, partnering experienced German driver Timo Glock. Pic's rookie season with Marussia in 2012 was challenging, as he drove uncompetitive machinery at the back of the grid.

Despite the car's limitations, he generally matched or slightly trailed teammate Glock, though tensions developed between the pair. At the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix, reports emerged of a brewing feud after Pic blocked Glock during qualifying. One dubious statistic from Pic's 2012 season was being overtaken 70 times during the year, which became a Formula One record, reflecting both the car's lack of pace and his rookie status learning racecraft at the highest level. Following his debut season, Pic moved to Caterham for 2013, signing what was reported as a multi-year deal with the team.

The switch proved beneficial as Pic showed improved performance in his second Formula One season. At the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix, he comfortably beat both Marussia cars and even a Sauber, demonstrating his development. After a major upgrade to his Caterham at the Spanish Grand Prix, Pic established himself as the quickest of the backmarker teams' drivers, a position he maintained throughout the European portion of the season, consistently outperforming the Marussias and often challenging the Williamses. Despite his improving performances and multi-year contract, Caterham's Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul confirmed on 21 January 2014 that Pic would not be driving for Caterham in 2014, as the team opted to sign better-funded drivers.

This effectively ended Pic's Formula One career after just two seasons and 33 race starts without scoring a championship point. Following his Formula One departure, Pic signed as the official reserve driver for Lotus F1 Team in 2014, remaining connected to Formula One while exploring other racing opportunities. He subsequently moved to Formula E, the all-electric racing series, where he competed for China Racing and NEXTEV TCR from 2015 to 2017, achieving several points finishes. Pic's post-Formula One career has been most notable for his transition to team ownership.

In 2022, he acquired full ownership of DAMS, a historically successful racing team that has competed in Formula 2, Formula 3, and other junior categories. Under Pic's ownership, DAMS continues to operate in Formula 2, providing him with a significant role in developing the next generation of racing drivers. Pic represents the many talented drivers who competed in Formula One during the 2010s with backmarker teams, demonstrating competence and improvement but never receiving an opportunity with competitive machinery. His transition to team ownership has allowed him to remain influential in motorsport while nurturing young talent through the DAMS organization, contributing to the sport in a different capacity than he had originally envisioned as a driver.