Success doesn't happen to us overnight. To achieve success, one should be focused, dedicated, and passionate about their dreams and aspirations. Likewise, today's article revolves around the life story of a hardworking and successful sports car racer, Tom Romeo Coronel.
Also known as Tom Coronel, he is a Dutch professional racing driver who has won several races, such as the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 race in 1997, the 2006 and 2009 World Touring Car Championship Independents' Trophy, and the Formula Nippon championship in 1999. He has driven over 1,000 races as of September 2016 and is an inspiration to some and a role model to many.
With so much success under his belt, several fans are interested to know what goes behind his day-to-day life. Hence, let's discover more about Tom's personal and professional life without further ado.
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His Family Members Are Also Involved In Racing
The prolific driver was welcomed into this world by his father, Tom Coronel Sr., and mother, Rita van Hamersveld on 5 April 1972 in Naarden, Netherlands. Well, Tom's dad is also involved in racing. But, sadly, his mom passed away in November 1993.
Furthermore, the driver grew up in a family that loved racing. His older brother Raymond Coronel is a famous racing figure, and his twin sibling, Tim Coronel, is also widely recognized in Japan as a race car driver. His twin even won the Dutch Citroen AX Cup in 1994 as a 22-year-old.
Besides, ever since Tom was a kid, he worked hard to turn his passion into a career, and his hard work finally paid off growing up. Similarly, talking about his educational background, the racer hasn't been upfront regarding which school or university he attended.
Early Racing Days
Tom started his racing career in 1990 by competing in the Dutch Citroen AX Cup after being named the most promising driver in the local racing school. Furthermore, he had a year of schooling before starting to succeed in 1991. Later, in Barcelona, Tom won an international Citroen AX race.
Similarly, in 1992, the driver advanced to compete in the Dutch Touring Car Championship in a BMW 320i. He defeated his older brother and teammate Raymond to win the title the same year. Moreover, in 1993, he won three races and won the Dutch Formula Ford championship. He also came second in the Benelux championship and finished ninth in that year's Formula Ford Festival.
In addition, Coronel secured a double podium finish in the TCR Europe series at Monza in 2021.
Even at the starting phase of his career, Tom made a strong impact and gained fame in the international arena. Now, let's talk about his career in the European formula and so on.
Tom Coronel Net Worth And Career
Coronel made a debut in the Euroseries Formula Opel Lotus in 1994, and he won the nations cup for the Netherlands together with Donny Crevels and was selected Dutch Driver of the year. Afterward, he signed up to compete in the Japanese Formula 3 championship in 1996 with team TOM'S. In 1997, Tom won the titles of Formula 3 Japan and Masters of Formula 3.
Similarly, in 1998, the Naarden native took the second position at the All-Japan GT Championship - Class GT500. Tom also bagged the title of Formula Nippon Championship and Nicos Cup GT All-Star Race GT500 in 1999.
Moreover, in 2009, the driver won the FIA World Touring Car Championship - Independent's Trophy. He then finished second in the 24 hours of Barcelona - Class SP2 in 2011 and secured the first position in the 2019 TCR Spa 500. Now, let's take a look at some of Tom's racing stats which sum up his career from recent years.
| Year | Races | Wins | Podium |
| 2022 | 22 | 2 | 5 |
| 2021 | 34 | 4 | 8 |
| 2020 | 28 | 3 | 8 |
| 2019 | 44 | 1 | 4 |
Table Source: Driverdb
Besides his racing career, Coronel's family owns two indoor go-karting tracks in Enschede and Huizen. He is also an F1 analyst and pit reporter at Via Playsport. In addition, Tom co-hosted an automotive program with his twin brother Tim and was a frequent guest on the Dutch Formula One broadcast before RTL discontinued the studio shows in favor of more 'on track' time during the broadcast.
In the 2013 season, the racer won two races in the World Touring Car Championship. As a reward for his efforts, he received $29,578.95 (€30K) in prize money. Additionally, according to ZipRecruiter, professional race car drivers in the US can make up to $41,148 per year. Aside from that, Coronel has several sponsors, such as Oracle Red Bull Racing, TCR Europe, DHL Motorsports, and Tricorp Workwear, to name a few.
Therefore, Tom Coronel's net worth must be adequate, combining his earnings from races, sponsors, and more. You might also be interested to read about Mehdi Bennani, whose racing career is equally inspiring.
Is Happy In His Love Life
One should be grateful to be in love with someone who can overlook their shortcomings and support them in all aspects of life. Tom has a history of success in racing and is undoubtedly familiar with the taste of success. But has the accomplished driver also succeeded in his personal life? Does he share children with anyone, and is he in love? His followers have asked all these things several times. So let's learn more about the racer's romantic history.
Well, the driver shares a happy marital life with his wife, Paulien Zwart. The duo has been together for over two decades, and their love is growing and glowing every single day. Furthermore, the pair share similar passions, and in the 2004 European Touring Car Championship season, they were teammates at Carly Motors.
Tom Coronel is happily residing with his partner, Paulien Zwart. Image Source: Paulien Zwart Instagram.
In addition, Tom Coronel's partner is also actively involved in the racing field, and she is the daughter of Ascari Cars owner Klaas Zwart, who also raced in 2004 for Carly. The duo often shares pictures with each other on social media handles, and the love and respect they have for one another are clearly reflected. Overall, the Coronel-Zwart couple seems to have an enduring relationship, and we hope their love will stand the test of time.
Is A Loving Father Of Two
Tom makes no compromises when it comes to his kids, you may call it being possessive or being concerned, but that is just what a father's love is. It is selfless, kind, giving, and it overlooks their own needs. Likewise, Coronel is a devoted father of a daughter and a son who has raised them with the right parenting.
Alongside his partner, Paulien, Tom welcomed their daughter, Carmen Angel Coronel, in July 2006. Carmel is a young and beautiful girl who is also involved in horse riding, just like her mother. Later, the Coronel duo's youngest child, Rocco Coronel, was born in October 2010.
Although Tom Coronel's son, Rocco, is very young, his dreams and aspirations are very big. Following in his dad's footsteps, he has been actively involved in karting from a young age. Rocco became the vice-champion in the IAME Series Netherlands and won the GK4 Kart Series championship in 2021.
Overall, the Coronel family seems to be living happily together, and we hope Tom's children will achieve abundant success growing up. Nevertheless, we send our best wishes and good luck to Tom and his entire family. Let's hope he keeps excelling and succeeds in his life's journey.
Trivia And Facts
- Tom has around 317K followers on his Instagram account.
- He also has a YouTube channel with around 42.2K subscribers.
- Coronel crashed into a firetruck at the WTCC Race of Portugal in 2017.
