People from Czech Republic are often not taken too seriously, and the story of Tomas Enge, the only Czech F1 driver, shows us why. He has been tested positive for marijuana twice, which cost him his Formula 3000 title, and later resulted in an 18-month ban from motorsports, which ultimately ended his career.
Tomas Enge’s Early Life
Tomas Enge was born in 1976 in Liberec, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). He began racing Go-karts at age 11 and made his circuit racing debut in the Czech Ford Fiesta Cup at age 16 after purchasing a Ford Fiesta with his own money. He steadily climbed the junior racing ranks over the next few years.
His big break came in 1998 when he secured a drive in the International Formula 3000 Championship, which was considered the main feeder series to Formula One at the time. Though he scored just a single point in his rookie F3000 season, Enge showed flashes of promise behind the wheel of an underpowered Auto Sport Racing Dallara.
Steady Improvement in Formula 3000
Tomas Enge moved to the WRT Squadra Corse team in 1999. He failed to qualify for the opening rounds in Monza and Silverstone but then scored points in 6 of the next 8 races, including a runner-up result at the Nurburgring. He finished 11th in the championship.
In 2000, Enge drove for the MySAP.com junior program. He took his first F3000 pole position and race win at the Hungaroring and finished 6th overall in the championship. His career was clearly on an upwards trajectory.
Title Contender in 2001
Tomas Enge joined the competitive Nordic Racing team backed by Coca-Cola in 2001. He was immediately among the frontrunners, finishing on the podium in 8 of 10 races including 3 wins. Going into the final round, he sat just 1 point behind championship leader Sebastien Bourdais.
In a thrilling season finale at Monza, Enge finished 4th to take the title by 4 points over Bourdais. On the strength of his championship campaign, Enge was signed by the Prost Formula One team to replace the injured Luciano Burti for the final 3 races of 2001.
Formula One Debut with Prost
Tomas Enge made his F1 debut at Monza in September 2001, becoming the first Czech F1 driver. He qualified 12th and finished in the same position despite struggling with brake issues throughout the race.
At the following race in Indianapolis, Enge again lined up 12th on the grid but was running as high as 8th in the early stages. Unfortunately, the race ended prematurely when he spun into the gravel trap on lap 31 while trying to overtake Jean Alesi.
In Enge’s third and final F1 appearance at Suzuka, brake problems again affected his race. After qualifying 20th, he was forced to retire from the Grand Prix on lap 42 with faulty brakes.
Though his time with Prost was short-lived, Enge acquitted himself fairly well against his teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen, a former F1 vice-champion. However, with the team shutting down at season’s end, Enge was left without an F1 drive for 2002.
Failed Drug Test Costs F3000 Title
Enge returned to Formula 3000 in 2002, joining the crack Arden squad. He picked up where he left off the previous year, winning 2 races and scoring 6 podium finishes en route to another championship challenge.
After a dominant win from pole position at the Hungaroring, Enge was subjected to routine drug testing per FIA regulations. Several weeks later, he was informed that cannabis had been detected in his system.
Despite denying intentional cannabis use, Enge had his Hungaroring victory nullified. That dropped him to 3rd in the standings behind Bourdais and Ricardo Sperafico going into the Monza finale. There, he finished 2nd to end up 3 points behind champion Bourdais after losing an almost certain title due to the failed drug test.
Comeback Attempt
The failed drug test damaged Enge’s reputation and temporarily derailed his career. He sat out most of 2003 before returning to race sportscars. In 2004, he mounted a comeback in Formula 3000 with the Ma-Con squad.
Though winless, Tomas Enge scored points in 7 of 10 rounds including runner-up results at Magny-Cours and Monza. He ended the season 4th overall, proving he could still compete at a high level with the right equipment despite his previous controversy.
Sportscar Successes
With his hopes of a Formula One return dwindling, Enge focused his efforts on sportscar racing after 2004. He quickly became a top GT driver, scoring class podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and podium finishes in the FIA GT and American Le Mans Series championships.
In 2006, Tomas Enge joined the factory Aston Martin squad, driving an Aston Martin DBR9 to six podium finishes and 3rd place in the ALMS championship alongside teammates Darren Turner and Andrea Piccini. The following year, he suffered significant injuries in a violent crash at St. Petersburg but recovered in time for Le Mans.
His greatest post-F1 success came in 2009 when he teamed up with Jan Charouz and Stefan Mucke to win the Le Mans Series championship in an LMP1 prototype fielded by Aston Martin Racing. The trio also finished 4th overall at Le Mans, earning the “best petrol engine” award.
FIA GT1 Switch
As he entered his mid-30s, Enge transitioned to GT racing full-time. He spent 2010-2012 competing in the inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship, scoring a number of race wins for Young Driver AMR and Reiter Engineering alongside co-drivers Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke, and Albert von Thurn und Taxis.
Second Failed Drug Test Ends Career
Enge’s career came to an premature end in June 2012 when he tested positive for cannabis for the second time after finishing 2nd in an FIA GT race at Slovakia Ring. Despite claiming his innocence again, Enge was handed an 18-month racing ban in August 2012.
After appealing the ban, Enge had it upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April 2013. With the ban stretching to the end of 2013, the now 37-year-old Enge opted to retire from racing rather than sit out until he was eligible to return at nearly 40 years old.
So although it would be difficult for Tomas Enge to make a proper F1 career, his weed smoking habit didn’t help him with it. So far the only Czech F1 driver did not make the best reputation for his country, and