Carried in part by the wave of support for German drivers created by the success of the Schumacher brothers, Timo Glock enjoyed a rapid rise through the junior ranks.
Like any aspiring grand prix driver, Glock began his racing career in karts, although he didn't start until the age of 15, some seven or eight years after many of his counterparts. However, he proved capable enough, without actually winning anything major, to consider a move into cars after only two seasons.
With a pretty defined motorsport ladder in his homeland, Glock took his first steps in the Formula BMW Junior Cup, winning the 2000 title and setting himself up for the 'senior' championship the following year. With a season of experience - and confidence - under his belt, the German duly clinched the ADAC title for Team Mamerow at the first time of asking, leaving himself with the option of Formula Renault or Formula Three for 2002.
Opting for the latter, he joined Opel Team KMS to contest the German championship, and again adapted well, finishing third overall as best-placed rookie driver. That introduction to F3 led to an invitation to contest the inaugural Euroseries in 2003, again with KMS. Up against a strong international field, including eventual winner Ryan Briscoe and runner-up Christian Klien, Glock finally broke through as an F3 driver, winning three races and finishing fifth overall.
While that performance in itself didn't cause a rush of interest from Formula One teams, access to German sponsorship was attractive and, with the support of Deutsche Post's Speed Academy, he signed up as official test and reserve driver for the Jordan team in 2004.
While his deal restricted other racing activities, Glock didn't have to wait long to get back into the action, swapping his Friday practice role for the second race seat alongside Nick Heidfeld when sponsorship difficulties kept Giorgio Pantano out of the Canadian Grand Prix. Against the odds, and to Pantano's undoubted frustration, Glock managed to bring the otherwise poor EJ14 home in seventh place to earn a couple of points on his debut.
The German returned to testing duties from the next race, as Pantano ironed out his money problems, but was called back into the fray when the lacklustre Italian was finally dropped ahead of the final three races of the year – in China, Japan and Brazil. No further points were forthcoming, however, leaving Glock 19th in the championship with just the precious two he had scored in Montreal.
Naturally, he hoped that his 2004 performances would stand him in good stead for the 2005 season but, despite some interest from Jordan, Glock missed out when the team was taken over by Russian investors.
Thwarted, he turned his attentions to the US-based Champ Car series where, after a series of promising tests, he ousted Alex Tagliani from what had appeared a safe seat at Rocketsports Racing.
The German certainly made his mark in his debut season during which he experienced something of a wild ride in the Rocketsports machine. His commitment was total, and on occasion led to on-track indiscretions that needed to be eliminated from his driving, but his feisty performances won him the 'Rookie of The Year' title and although a victory just eluded him, Glock finished a creditable eighth in the final points standings.
However having built a strong reputation in the Champ Car Series, Timo decided against a sophomore year and with F1 still firmly in his mind he returned to Europe to contest the GP2 Series.
Although the year was largely dominated by the performances of Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Angelo Piquet, Glock did a great job in re-establishing his credentials. A splendid racer's win in at Hockenheim was his only victory though and a wrist injury hampered his chances of finishing higher than fourth in the final standings.
2007 however was very much his year and Timo did enough to take the GP2 title, notching up five race wins in total with iSport and eventually finishing the season with 88 points - 11 more than Lucas di Grassi, who ended the season as his closest challenger.
Furthermore having gained another foot-hold in Formula 1 by joining the BMW Sauber F1 team to share testing duties with Sebastian Vettel for '07, Timo was able to build on his F1 knowledge base and while the Swiss-based outfit was keen to keep him for '08, a race deal with Toyota came up and he duly signed on the dotted line.
Timo will link up with Jarno Trulli in 2008 replacing fellow countryman, Ralf Schumacher. He joins the Cologne-based squad on an undisclosed 'multi-year contract' and now gets a second chance at F1.
