 Feature: Boys from Brazil Spell Double Trouble Wednesday May 22nd, 2002 By Alan Baldwin
The 22-year-old identical twins, both race winners in the international Formula 3000 Championship, aim to emulate Germany's Schumacher brothers by graduating sooner or later to Grand Prix racing. The odds are against them, but they are doing what they can to get noticed. "It's hard to imagine us both in Formula One but we are pushing hard," said Durango driver Rodrigo, who with his brother will be tackling Monaco's twisty street circuit in the fifth round of the series on Saturday. "We'll make an offer, two for the price of one. They can take both of us," he joked in an interview at the last round in Austria. "Imagine having two Schumachers in Formula One and twins as well." Both are talented; Rodrigo winning the opening round of the F3000 season on home territory at Interlagos in March while Ricardo was triumphant in Belgium last year with his Brazilian-backed Petrobras Junior team. "Maybe one of us can get in one year and the other a year later," said Ricardo. "I hope we can both be there in two or three years. To beat both Schumachers." The extended Sperafico family is heavily into motor racing, with older cousin Alex also driving in Formula 3000 for Minardi's junior team and completing the trio in Monaco. There may also be more in the pipeline. Rodrigo brandished a photograph showing nine men, of various ages, all wearing fireproof overalls, clutching helmets and standing behind a car and above the caption "first world gathering of the Sperafico family drivers". Duoble Trouble While Michael and Ralf Schumacher have always had to share their podium celebrations with a non-family member, to the relief of their rivals, the Speraficos could pull off a one-two-three sweep. It has not happened, nor is it particularly likely to but there is plenty of scope for dreaming - and for confusion. When Ricardo, who now partners Williams Formula One test driver Antonio Pizzonia, won the Italian Formula 3000 title in 2000 he was thankful that he had a double in Rodrigo. He had already returned to Parana in Brazil when his employers decided they needed their star driver to meet some important sponsors in Italy. Enter Rodrigo instead. "We did a big confusion, we leave people crazy," he grinned cheerfully. "I did autographs, kisses for the sponsors' children, we took some pictures. It was hard for me, two days of it. On the second day, I said 'Today I am Rodrigo'. But when I arrived with the team boss they all thought I was Ricardo. So off we went again." Some fellow drivers have also been confused, although in overalls the brothers are easy enough to tell apart, and Rodrigo preferred to draw a discreet veil over the delicate subject of girlfriends. "After qualifying in one 3000 race I did pole and Rodrigo was sixth. We went to the briefing and some people congratulated Rodrigo on pole," said Ricardo. "We don't want to say you've got the wrong guy so sometimes we just keep going." High Profile Ricardo beat the highly-rated Pizzonia last season, finishing fifth overall, and had a higher profile than his brother at the start of the season. But Rodrigo has fared better this year, currently lying third overall in a championship that does at least rub shoulders with Formula One even if it lacks the glamour and media attention. The twins claim to be the only pair at such a level and remain very close. "We always exchange information," said Ricardo. "We live together, stay in the same room and it doesn't matter if one has done bad in a race. "We have some different ways but most of the things we do are almost the same. Even the way we drive is similar, almost the same set-up. We have the same friends, we did everything together before we started racing and when we started go-karts we did it together. "Sometimes we talk in a way that only I and Rodrigo know what we are saying. You make a sign and he understands. We have some different words and signs to other people."
Published at 06:16:55 GMT
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Formula One fans will be seeing double if Brazilians Ricardo and Rodrigo Sperafico have their way.
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