Passionate about cars and competition, technology and car culture. That's Bernardo Gonzalez, the journalist and car driver who had the support of Sparkes & Sparkes at GTI Racing.

It was in 1996 that he began his career as a car journalist, working for various publications such as AutoHoje, SuperMotores, AutoDiesel, QuattroRuote, Autosport, Volante, Carros & Motores, and Motor24. He is currently the editorial director of Altagama magazine. But his passion for automobiles goes far beyond journalism in the area. In 1993, aged just 20, he made his debut as a driver in the National Formula Ford Championship, participating in various competitions over the following years. 

Get to know a little more about this great pilot. 

S: Tell us a little about yourself and your trajectory as a pilot until today.

B: In fact, automobiles have been my obsession for as long as I can remember. As a child, my routine was to “drive” around the house with a pot lid between my hands, making my mother's head miserable. Later, the fascination for cars and racing grew, and I just wanted to become a racing driver. Since I had no family support to pursue this dream, it was only at the age of 19 that I started playing karts with friends at Kartódromo de Évora. But it was in 1993, at the age of 20, that my career began in the Formula Ford National Championship.

As sponsorships were few, and despite some promising results, the dream ended in the middle of that debut season. I wanted a career linked to cars and driving, and becoming a specialist journalist seemed like a logical step. In college, I didn't have much motivation for the Marketing course I was taking and, therefore, the day I was accepted at AutoHoje magazine, I never left this profession again, it's been more than 25 years...

As I never gave up the dream of competition, I always took advantage of all the opportunities that arose to compete, even if they were karting events. Because the important thing in racing is what we call “run-in”, or track time. That's the only way we learn and evolve, and unfortunately I spent many weekends at home or watching others run while biting my nails.

As a guest journalist I did a lot of car tests, but for me it wasn't enough. I wanted to go back to “full time”, with a project for a full season. And the difficulty for pilots is always to gather support, or commonly known as “sponsors”, that allow us to take a project forward. I only achieved this more recently, participating in the Portuguese and then European editions of the Trofeo Abarth 500, before moving to the Super Seven by KIA in 2016.

S: What does GTI Racing represent to you and what motivated you to participate in the 2022 edition?

B: GTi Racing is a feature created within our GTI television program - broadcast on TVI and CNN Portugal channels - to give visibility and television exposure to our partners. That's the only way things make sense today: integrated partnerships that guarantee return to those who are with us, also using social networks as a way of passing the message. For us, GTi Racing is an important component, as it reinforces the emotional and sporting side of our programme.

After a few years in which we were unable to put together a project for a complete season, for 2022 everything came together and we managed to establish several partnerships that allow us to compete for the entire calendar. As the team member most involved in this project, and because it is what I most enjoy doing, naturally my motivation is total. I love taking care of every detail, inside and outside the car. It is demanding in terms of time, but who runs for pleasure …

S: On the 9th of April, the first race of the Gti Racing 2022 took place, what were your expectations regarding the race?

B: I knew I was starting at a disadvantage compared to my rivals in the 320R class - Caterham models with a 1.6 engine, 135 hp, and a 5-speed manual gearbox. This is because everything was ready at the last minute and there was no time for private training. But I was confident that with my experience I could make up for that handicap a bit.

S: And your feedback?

B: In fact, I missed the time on the track, the “run-in” that allows us to smooth out rough spots, both in terms of driving and in the tuning of the car. Each day is made up of three races, so you have to know how to manage effort and risk throughout the weekend, so as not to compromise the result of the next race.

In Race 1, despite having clocked fourth on the grid, I had to start from the pitlane as we were late exiting our pit, which was frustrating. What's more, the race took place a long time behind the safety car, due to accidents on the track, and that didn't allow me to recover places as I had hoped. Still, I finished sixth.

In race 2, things went more smoothly. There were several "wet" in the first laps, and I ended up losing positions to preserve the "well-being" of the car, as some of my opponents were a little aggressive in their attacks. Then I started to recover places, finishing fifth, after a loyal, clean and very fun fight with my teammate, Miguel Couceiro.

For race 3, I decided to attack hard in the early stages, to try to get to the top places, which worked out well, as by the approach to Turn 1 I was already in the lead of the class. But still on the first lap, an accident involving five competitors in the 420R class - faster than the 320R - spoiled my plans. I managed to avoid the crashed cars, but I got hit from behind, which threw me off the track. At the restart of the race I was in the last places, and I managed to gain positions until I fought with third place. But he was faster than me, and I gradually lost ground. Then I felt the so-called “lack of running”, which made me lose between half and a second per lap. Even so, I finished fourth, which makes me, if not happy, at least satisfied, because I'm going to the next round, in Jarama (Madrid), third in the championship.

S: Why have Sparkes & Sparkes as a sponsor? How does our company align with your values and goals as a pilot?

B: Our relationship with Sparkes & Sparkes was immediately facilitated by the fact that it is a company with which you can “communicate”. When we seek partnerships of this nature, having an interlocutor who listens to our ideas is fundamental. It is a rare case on the national scene, as Marketing decision makers and administrators are not always open to exploring new ways of communicating their brands, their products, their message.

On the other hand, Sparkes & Sparkes made perfect sense in this partnership, as we race manual gearbox cars. At a time when cars are increasingly electronic and digital, even in competition, Caterhams are still conventional transmission cars, and therefore being associated with your company fits perfectly.

But there is yet another no less important factor. Those who follow us on television and social networks know that at GTi we favor contact with people and a good mood, and this translates into stronger and “uncomplicated” relationships. And that's what we found at Sparkes & Sparkes: people who, in addition to sharing a passion for cars and competition, enjoy direct and open interaction.

S: What do you project for the next races?

B: I hope to improve my pace every time I get in the car, so I can keep up with the fastest and fight for the podium places. And avoiding errors that are paid for in time or workshop costs is already halfway to better classifications. I always believed that regularity is the key to “build” a good final championship result. After Jarama we take stock! 

None of the photographs belong to Sparkes.pt