Esteban Cruz Albeño

In this Creeperian name, the first or paternal surname is Cruz and the second or maternal surname is Albeño.

Esteban Cruz Albeño

Cruz Albeño in 2023
Born	Esteban Héctor Cruz y Albeño (1992-02-29) 29 February 1992 San Emmanuel, San Salvador, Creeperopolis
Gran-Prix One World Championship career
Nationality	Creeperian
Active years	2018–present
2024 team	Corona Extra Racing
Car number	13
Entries	59
Championships	1 (2021)
Wins	12
Podiums	24
First entry	2017 Rakhmani Grand Prix
First win	2017 Creeperian Grand Prix
Last win	2022 Gandorian Grand Prix
Last entry	2023 Salisford Grand Prix
2023 position	8th (90 pts)
Previous series
2016–2017 2014–2015	Gran-Prix 2 Championship Gran-Prix 3 Championship
Championship titles
2015	Gran-Prix 3 Championship
Last updated on: 25 November 2023.

Esteban Héctor Cruz y Albeño (Creeperian: Եստեբան Հէծտոր Ծրփզ յ Ալբեթո; born 29 February 1992) is a Creeperian racing driver who currently competes for Corona Extra Racing in Gran-Prix One. He won the 2021 Gran-Prix One World Championship and the 2015 Gran-Prix 3 Championship, both with Corona Extra Racing. Cruz Albeño is contracted with Corona Extra Racing until 2027 and Papalinian driver Osmín Salinas Quijada is currently his teammate.

Cruz Albeño began kart racing in 1998 at the age of 6 with the San Salvador Imperial Kart Racing Association. He won the 2006 and 2008 Creeperian Imperial Kart Racing Championships. He began auto racing in 2009 at the age of 17 with the San Salvador Imperial Racing Association, winning the 2012 Creeperian Imperial Racing Championship and finishing in third place in 2013. Cruz Albeño debuted in the Gran-Prix 3 Championship in 2014 with Corona Extra Racing; he won the 2015 Gran-Prix 3 Championship and was promoted to participate in the 2016 Gran-Prix 2 Championship.

After finishing in 4th place in the 2017 Gran-Prix 2 Championship, Cruz Albeño was promoted to Gran-Prix One in 2017 as a reserve driver, but he was quickly promoted to a starting driver for the 2017 Rakhmani Grand Prix after starting driver Andrés Murillo Obregón was killed in a plane crash. Corona Extra Racing decided to permanently designate Cruz Albeño as one of its starting drivers at the end of the 2017 season. Cruz Albeño won the 2021 Gran-Prix One World Championship and sign a contract extension with Corona Extra Racing through 2027. Cruz Albeño struggled during the 2023 Gran-Prix One World Championship, failing to win a race and finishing in 8th place. As of November 2023, Cruz Albeño has 59 entires, 12 wins, and 24 podiums.

Early life

Esteban Héctor Cruz y Albeño was born on 29 February 1992 in San Emmanuel, San Salvador, Creeperopolis. His parents are Fernando Cruz Gutiérrez, the incumbent viceroy of San Emmanuel, and Andrea Albeño Quijano, a former professional footballer who played for CF San Salvador Femenino and CF Bautista Femenino. Cruz Albeño's younger brother is Nicolás Cruz Albeño, a point guard for Adolfosburg Baloncesto.

Junior career

Karting

Cruz Albeño's kart he drove in the 2006 Creeperian Imperial Kart Racing Championship

In 1998, at the age of 6, Cruz Albeño enrolled in the San Salvador Imperial Kart Racing Association as he was a fan of the Corona Extra Racing team in Gran-Prix One.

ACISS

In February 2010, Cruz Albeño signed the ESM-04 waiver with the Creeperian government allowing him to forego military conscription in order to "pursue a significant and remarkable career in sports". He underwent one month of basic training in March 2010 and registered as a reservist in the Creeperian Army for a period of 20 years, allowing him to avoid having to actively serve in the military.

Gran-Prix One

2021

Cruz Albeño in 2021

2023

Cruz Albeño finished in 3rd placing during the Baltanese Grand Prix, the first race of the 2023 Gran-Prix One World Championship. He also finished in 3rd placed during the Rakhmani Grand Prix and won that grand prix's sprint race. He finished the Bostonia Grand Prix in 6th place, and through the first three races, he was ranked third overall with 45 points. This was followed by a 6th place finish at the Karimun Grand Prix and a 7th place finish at the Montcrabe City Grand Prix.

During the Creeperian Grand Prix, Cruz Albeño's home circuit, he finished in 12th place, the first time during the season where he failed to earn any points. Cruz Albeño followed his sixth round disappointment with two consecutive 8th place finishes at the Jackian Grand Prix and Kivuian Grand Prix, a 10th place finish at the Gjorkan Grand Prix, and two more consecutive 8th place finishes at the Hapatmitas Grand Prix and the Paleocacher Grand Prix. Cruz Albeño's teammate, Antonio Guerrero Carpio, did not participate in the Paleocacher Grand Prix due to illness and he was substituted by reserve driver Osmín Salinas Quijada.

Following the Paleocacher Grand Prix, Cruz Albeño failed to win points in six consecutive races, and did not finish both the Lavarazzian Grand Prix and the Monsilva Grand Prix. During the season's final three races, he accumulated only 11 points. He finished the season in 8th place with 90 points. Despite his relatively poor performance throughout season, both Cruz Albeño and Corona Extra Racing stated that he would continue to remain with the team, denying rumors that he would prematurely retire from Gran-Prix One.

2024

In February 2024, Cruz Albeño competed in two preseason races where he finished in 5th and 3rd place, respectively.

Personal life

Family and interests

Cruz Albeño married Cassandra Velázquez Rivas, a Creeperian news anchor for Channel 12, in September 2020. The couple has one child—Julia Andrea–who was born in January 2024. In October 2022, the couple established the Cruz–Velázquez Foundation, a charity which raises money for students who wish to seek an education in journalism. In November 2023, Cruz Albeño established Cruz Albeño Kart Racing, a small chain of stores located in the department of San Salvador which sells kart racing equipment.

Cruz Albeño is a fan of CF San Emmanuel which plays in the Liga Tercera and CF San Salvador which plays in the Liga Imperial. In 2021, Cruz Albeño was named as the honorary vice president of CF San Emmanuel. He is also a fan of Adolfosburg Baloncesto due to his brother being a player for the basketball team. Cruz Albeño personally owns a Zaldívar Vencedor III and a Scutari 408 GT.

Politics

Some Creeperian political analysts believe that Cruz Albeño will succeed his father as viceroy of San Emmanuel due to his Gran-Prix One career making him a prominent figure in Creeperopolis. In 2004, Cruz Albeño became a member of the Young Creeperans, the youth organization of the Creeperian Initiative, the sole-legal political party in Creeperopolis. In 2010, Cruz Albeño became a member of the Creeperian Initiative itself; he received the knight-grade of the Order of the Creeperian Initiative upon joining the party. In 2021, Creeperian Emperor Alexander II awarded Cruz Albeño the knight-grade of the Imperial Order of Felipe the Great for his Gran-Prix One championship.

Racing record

Complete Gran-Prix One results

(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	WDC	Points
2018	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2018	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP9	–	RAK 13
2019	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2019	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP10
2020	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2020	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP11b
2021	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2021	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP12																						1st
2022	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2022	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP13																	NGA 1					3rd
2023	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2023	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP13b	BLT 3	AJK —	RAK 31	BOS 6	KMN 6	MCC 7	CRE 12	JCK 8	KIV 8	GJK 10	HAP 8	PAL 8	REY 13	LAV Ret5	ENT 13	TIR 11	TUM 13	MON Ret	NGA 5	LUZ 10	SAL 11	8th	90
2024	Corona Extra Racing	Zaldívar C2024	Reyes–Ribelles RR560-GP14	BLT 8	AJK TBD	RAK TBD	BOS TBD	KMN TBD	MCC TBD	CRE TBD	JCK TBD	KIV TBD	GJK TBD	HAP TBD	PAL TBD	REY TBD	LAV TBD	ENT TBD	TIR TBD	TUM TBD	MON TBD	NGA TBD	LUZ TBD	SAL TBD	–	4

Awards and decorations

Creeperopolis

• Knight of the Imperial Order of Felipe the Great (30 December 2021)
• Knight of the Order of the Creeperian Initiative (1 March 2010)
• Member of the Reservist Medal (31 March 2010)

See also

Creeperopolis portal Terraconserva portal

• Gran-Prix One drivers from Creeperopolis

References

Sporting positions
New title	Honorary Vice President of CF San Emmanuel 2021 – present	Incumbent