Monteiro earns special recognition

Tiago Monteiro is Autosport's driver of the year
Prize Won For The Second Time

For the second time in his career Tiago Monteiro has received the prize for driver of the year from the Portuguese weekly magazine Autosport. After winning the award in 2002, the driver from Porto once again was elected this year, and picked up the prize last night in Lisbon in the event to commemorate the car of the year and the launch of the new Autosport newspaper, now with a new look.

This prize is awarded by the magazine's readers and by fans of the sport, as it is the public which votes, so this again shows the enormous prestige that Tiago Monteiro enjoys amongst motor racing lovers and the recognition that the public has of his career, which has taken him through such a variety of races such as the Formula 3, Formula 3000, Indy Car, World Series by Nissan, to only mention the most recent.

Behind this victory are the excellent results Tiago Monteiro has achieved in his debut season in the World Series by Nissan, where he managed to win five races besides another four podium appearances, as well as the results of the tests he made with the Minardi F1 Team, where the Portuguese driver's performance were widely praised.

At a stage when he is looking to get the backing which will allow him to enter the Formula 1 through Jordan, this prize may provide an extra boost and help him to achieve his goals to enter the "Great Circus".

"I am very grateful to the people who voted for me, so that I could come here today to receive Autosport magazine's Prize for Driver of the Year for the second time, an award which bears great prestige and which I am very honoured to receive. This is also a recognition of my work in 2004," stated Tiago Monteiro happily.

-dca-