Roberto Guerrero

Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (16 November 1958 - Present): Colombian-American racing driver who competed in 29 Formula One Grands Prix between 1982 and 1983, becoming the first Colombian driver to start a Formula One World Championship race, and later achieving considerable success in American IndyCar racing. Born in Medellín, Colombia, Guerrero progressed through South American and European junior formulae, demonstrating talent that brought him to the attention of Formula One teams seeking well-funded drivers. He made his Formula One debut with Ensign Racing at the 1982 United States Grand Prix West on 23 January 1982, becoming Colombia's F1 pioneer. Driving the Ensign-Cosworth with sponsorship from Café de Colombia, Guerrero competed throughout the 1982 season, achieving his best and only points-scoring finish with eighth place at the German Grand Prix.

For 1983, Ensign merged with Theodore Racing, and Guerrero continued with the renamed team driving the Theodore N183-Cosworth. The 1983 season proved frustrating: the car was uncompetitive, and Guerrero's best finishes were 12th place at both the Dutch and European Grands Prix. He failed to qualify only once, at Monaco, demonstrating consistency if not speed. After 29 race starts without scoring points beyond his single eighth place in 1982, Guerrero left Formula One at the end of 1983, recognizing that without a competitive drive, his F1 career had reached its limit.

He moved to the United States to compete in CART IndyCar racing, where he found far greater success. In 1984, his first full IndyCar season, Guerrero finished an impressive second at the Indianapolis 500, establishing himself as a front-running competitor. He went on to win multiple IndyCar races and became a respected competitor in American open-wheel racing throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Guerrero's IndyCar success demonstrated that he possessed genuine talent that had been masked by uncompetitive Formula One machinery.

His career followed the pattern of several South American drivers who struggled in F1 but flourished in IndyCar's more competitive environment. Guerrero remained a prominent figure in Colombian motorsport, inspiring future generations including Juan Pablo Montoya. Known for: Being the first Colombian driver to start a Formula One World Championship race, competing in 29 F1 Grands Prix between 1982 and 1983, finishing second at the 1984 Indianapolis 500, and achieving significant success in CART IndyCar racing after leaving Formula One.