Tragically, Gonzalo was killed in one of his first outings in CART, when he crashed heavily in qualifying at the Corkscrew area of the Laguna Seca raceway. The son of an insurance broker, Jorge, who had also raced in touring cars, Gonzalo - often called Gonchi - learnt to drive before he was in double figures age wise! After a long spell in karts, Rodriguez moved up the ranks, living in both Spain and England and before his move to CART was one of the best drivers in Formula 3000, having just won the Monaco round earlier in the year. A bright future - either in America or Europe - was surely around the corner for this personable, upbeat young man.

Biography last updated 27 Jan 2016