During his long and successful career in karting, Roberto Merhi coveted a desire to be in Formula 1. When he made his open-wheel debut, Formula Renault 2.0 was the logical route to take.

”My father really loved motorsports. When he got enough money to race, he did. Then he bought me a go-kart and I really liked it!” remembers the Spanish driver. “Starting in Formula Renault was the right choice. In karting, you don’t always have good equipment and it became hard to win, while the championships organized by Renault forms you to become a fine driver. And you have a lot of races for learning.”

Right away, the Spaniard showed to be one of the fastest drivers in the Italian and European championships, despite only being 16-years old.

”In Italy, I was in contention for the title. Unfortunately, another driver crashed into me in the last race. In the Eurocup, I wasn’t as successful at the start: I was fast on Friday, but not the rest of the weekend! I think I didn’t know how to handle the pressure because I was really young! At the end of the year, everything went better and I continued in the Eurocup as well as the West European Cup.”

With three wins and 13 podium results in 15 races, Roberto Merhi barely lost out in his battle for the WEC title against Daniel Ricciardo. In the Eurocup, he averaged a top three out of two, but he was beaten for the crown by Valtteri Bottas, who today races in F1.

”Here again, it all came down to the final meeting. We lost both championships, but it was important to be able to fight just until the final weekend of the season. I battled with Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas for the title, both of whom are among the best drivers in F1 today! Valtteri was already very impressive, his natural talent is huge.”

Fast in his first tests in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series before even turning 18, Roberto Merhi’s career took an unexpected turn. The young man put in a strong run in his first Macao Grand Prix, which led to Mercedes taking him under their wing.

”I raced in the Macau Grand Prix just after my season in Formula Renault 2.0. I qualified sixth. While the race turned out to be more difficult, it showed just how formative the category is! My performance led to Mercedes contacting me. They wanted to support me and that is why I wound up going to F3. When a constructor calls you and you are 17-years old, you can’t say no.”

Racing for three years in F3, the Spaniard developed his talent. On the podium in the first year, he joined the winner’s circle in 2010 before winning the title in 2011. At the same time, he picked up three podium finishes during his time in the GP3 Series. These results are what opened the doors to the DTM.

”In F3, just like in Formula Renault 2.0, the skill level of the drivers is extremely high. This is seen in the number of F1 drivers that raced in one or the other category, if not both! Then, my time in the DTM was really tough. We didn’t have the equipment to race for wins and several people quit the team. I didn’t really enjoy it as I was at the back, with the exception of the final race in 2013 when I started 21st and finished on the podium!”

During the winter, Roberto Merhi made his return to single-seaters. Contacted by the new owners of Zeta Corse, he put in his first tests in the latest generation Formula Renault 3.5, before being confirmed for the season. Taking a podium result in his return to open-wheel racing at Monza, he then went on to take the maiden win for his team at their home event at the Moscow Raceway, before heading to the summer break in second place in the championship!

”Zeta Corse wanted me to test, but it wasn’t very successful. Physically, I wasn’t fit as you need to be for a single-seater: too much downforce, too much grip. I was really surprised just how fast you can go in this car, but I was able to adapt. And the team was really interested in having me with them. They want to become a front-runner team. They don’t leave you alone, they push you to do your best, they work hard and get the best out of everyone. It is a relatively new team, but we have had a fine season. It is a little unexpected, but all the better because F1 is still my objective.”

Roberto Merhi
Born: 22 March, 1991 at Castellon de la Plana (Spain)
1997-2007: Karting
2006: Formula Renault 2.0 Italy Winter Series (3rd)
2007: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (18th), Formula Renault 2.0 Italy (4th)
2008: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (4th), Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2nd)
2009: F3 Euro Series (7th)
2010: F3 Euro Series (5th), GP3 Series (6th)
2011: F3 Euro Series (Champion)
2012: DTM (21st)
2013: DTM (15th)
2014: Formula Renault 3.5 Series