Luis Pérez-Sala

Luis Pérez-Sala is a Spanish former Formula 1 driver who raced for Minardi in the late 1980s, scoring the first Spanish F1 point in 30 years, before later returning to the paddock as HRT's team principal.

Luis Pérez-Sala made history at the 1989 British Grand Prix by scoring his only Formula 1 championship point — the first point taken by a Spanish driver in 30 years — while also being one half of the first all-Spanish driver pairing in F1, alongside fellow Spaniard Adrián Campos at Minardi in 1988. He moved into single-seaters, contesting Italian Formula 3 before excelling in the European Formula 3000 Championship, winning races at Birmingham and Enna in 1986 and finishing runner-up to Stefano Modena the following year. Pérez-Sala's F3000 form earned him a Formula 1 seat with Minardi for the 1988 season, alongside fellow Spaniard Adrián Campos, marking the first time two Spanish drivers had raced together as teammates in F1. He remained with the team through 1989, partnered by Pierluigi Martini, and delivered his career highlight at the 1989 British Grand Prix, finishing sixth to score his only championship point — the first point scored by a Spanish driver in 30 years, and a result that helped keep Minardi clear of pre-qualifying for the rest of the season. Pérez-Sala left Formula 1 at the end of 1989 having started 26 of 32 Grands Prix entered, and moved into the Spanish and European touring car championships, retiring from active competition in 2008. He returned to the Formula 1 paddock in December 2011 as team principal of the HRT team, owned by his former Minardi teammate Adrián Campos, guiding the cash-strapped outfit through a difficult 2012 season before the team folded at year's end.

Technically sharp, consistent driver who excelled relative to limited team resources

A standard-bearer for Spanish motorsport in the years before Fernando Alonso, later returning to F1 management

• Scored the first Formula 1 point by a Spanish driver in 30 years (1989 British Grand Prix)
• First of two Spanish teammates in F1 history (with Adrián Campos, 1988)
• Runner-up, European Formula 3000 Championship (1987)
• HRT Formula 1 Team Principal (2012)