Paulina Vega: story of Juan Pablo, the pilot brother of Miss Universe – Motorsports – Sports

Juan Pablo Vega Dieppa he is aware of the weight of his surnames. Since January 25, 2015, when her sister Paulina won Miss Universe, the exhibition has become one more inhabitant of the family home. Whoever gets to know him first identifies him as ‘the queen’s little brother’ rather than as ‘Juanpa’. But he, reluctant to live on the recognition of others, works day by day to confirm that the only impact that the ‘boom’ of his sister left him was a handful of followers on Instagram. And the best ally he has found to do it is his passion for motorsports.

At 24 years old, Juan Pablo is still a pilot in training. Unlike most runners, his process began late, when he was of legal age. And although this condition could be seen as a disadvantage for his projects, in reality it is the best reflection of his nature, because if he is now on the slopes it is by his own true decision.

After starting out in go-karts, last year he began his journey in local car competitions. He finished fourth in class A of the TC 2000 championship in Bogotá. Now, his objective is to continue advancing to run in the main series in the world.

Its cornerstone in that endeavor will be the first version of Formula Inter—a development category with Formula 4 cars—in the United States, which begins this weekend.

A few hours after his debut in an international championship, Vega speaks with EL TIEMPO. In the talk, a feeling: He wants to build his own story.

(Be sure to read: Juan Pablo Montoya and his first victory in F-1: “It was more of a relief than happiness”).

‘I also have my name’

How did your history in motorsport begin?

I really started playing tennis, then I switched to soccer and then I spent some time in golf. At around nine he started riding horses and I lasted until I was 18 years old, more or less. Then, there came a time when I lost the emotion of horse riding because in a certain way I already felt that I had done everything I had to do and, well, the truth is, I had always liked cars, motorcycles… one day I told him to my mom: ‘I’m going to stop riding horses, I want to race cars’.

And mom said yes…

Yes, a friend who raced karts first took a course that was being given at the kart track, said Juan Pablo Montoya, and after that I told my mom: ‘I want to dedicate myself to this.’ Then we bought my own kart, and with it I raced for about a year and a half. After two years of training here, I went to compete in a couple of races in North America and there, the truth is, I crashed into the world…

Because?

Well, here I felt very good, but there one faces the reality of the competition. It was very difficult because there was a lot of level. I even cracked a rib once, since the kart is so rigid, each impact is felt, so much friction affects, and I had to run the last race with the rib like that. The truth is, I learned a lot in that international experience because with each race I began to improve, and in the last one I did much better.

When do you make the jump from karts to cars?

Until that time, early 2021, I was driving direct drive karts, but when I came back from abroad I ran a couple of races and started driving gear karts. With them I lasted almost a year and after understanding the mechanics he decided to go to the next level. At the racetrack they did a kind of course to drive touring cars, and I spent a long time in an academy cart going around. There, a person from logistics invited me to run the TC 2000 championship and I ended up contacting the person who rented me the car to start last year.

And in his debut in the TC class A category, he finished fourth at the end of the championship…

Yes, the truth could have been second, but in the last race a puddle of oil from another car ended up taking us out. Still, it was a great experience and next year I’m going to be in the next category, TC Junior.

But this weekend he will start his journey in a new project, Formula Inter, in the United States.

Yes, it’s an initiation championship that was originally born in Brazil, but now it’s going to start in the US. Let’s see how it goes.

Why did he go there?

The truth is that the idea caught me off base because I finished the TC 2000 and an Argentine appeared to me who put the idea on the table. Since then, well, he has been advising me and convinced me to run Formula Inter.

And how did you arrive for that first international championship?

For now I have no support because this is not so easy. We are knocking on as many doors as possible, but for now the support is one hundred percent from my parents. As it is an initiation championship, we all have the same car and each one has her equipment.

The car is a Formula 4… do you know it?

The truth is that I have never driven a Formula 4, I am going to do a couple of hours in the simulator and get into practice. I’ve talked to acquaintances who have ridden one of those, but until you do, you don’t feel it. It’s my turn to take the quick shot (laughs).

It has a matter of hours…

Yes, on Friday I have administrative issues, such as getting to know the car, walking the track, meeting the team and also the subject of the simulator. On Saturday there are two practices of twenty minutes each, and on Sunday there are already qualifying and two races of half an hour each.

What expectations do you have?

Obviously win. Even if I have never ridden in an F-4, you never know, suddenly I may have the talent to drive that type of car and I still don’t know it, we have to wait and see if it happens.

How far do you want to go with the cars?

I hope I can dedicate myself to living this. After this season in Formula Inter, I hope to get into Formula 3 and continue in the same line of cars or move to other categories, such as Nascar, IndyCar or IMSA, which are also very cool.

You are also studying for a university degree, right?

Yes, I am in the 7th semester of Business Administration and the idea is to finish the degree and have a university degree because that is never superfluous.

But the passion is the cars…

Yes Yes Yes. My interest is to graduate and never have to use that diploma again.

Do you have a reference in motorsport?

Lewis Hamilton is a role model for many reasons. He is a good driver, from what one sees he is a good person, he does many interesting things off the track, he is a very complete man who inspires a lot…

Are you aiming for that?

Yes, exactly. I don’t just want to be fast in a car, I want to be inspired by being a good person, by everything I am…

How is it that right now you are known mainly for the triumph of your sister Paulina in Miss Universe?

When my sister won, the only thing that changed in me was the followers on Instagram (laughs). As I have always been doing my things, well I have been busy with mine.

Does the last name weigh in on you?

Obviously one knows that they recognize him more for being a family member than for what one is… there comes a point where they say ‘oh, you’re Paulina Vega’s brother’ and I tell them ‘Yes, I’m Juan Pablo Vega’ I also have my name. It’s cool to do things for him to be recognized.

And he’s doing them…

Yes, the last name is a weight that one may not realize it is there, but the truth for me is an impulse to take my name from a different branch, to build my own path. That is what I want.

ANDRES FELIPE BALAGUERA SARMIENTO
SPORTS JOURNALIST EL TIEMPO

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