Patrick Tambay
French racing driver (1949–2022) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Patrick Daniel Tambay (French pronunciation: [pa.tʁik da.njɛl tɑ̃.bɛ]; 25 June 1949 – 4 December 2022) was a French racing driver, commentator, and politician, who competed in 123 Formula One races between 1977 and 1986, securing five pole positions and winning twice.[1]
Patrick Tambay | |
---|---|
Born | Patrick Daniel Tambay (1949-06-25)25 June 1949 Paris, France |
Died | 4 December 2022(2022-12-04) (aged 73) Paris, France |
Nationality | French |
Relatives | Adrien Tambay (son) |
Formula One World Championship career | |
Active years | 1977–1979, 1981–1986 |
Teams | Surtees, Theodore, McLaren, Ligier, Ferrari, Renault, Haas Lola |
Entries | 123 (114 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 2 |
Podiums | 11 |
Career points | 103 |
Pole positions | 5 |
Fastest laps | 2 |
First entry | 1977 French Grand Prix |
First win | 1982 German Grand Prix |
Last win | 1983 San Marino Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1986 Australian Grand Prix |
He gained training as a racing driver at Winfield Racing School in France in 1971. Between 1977 and 1981, he raced for an assortment of teams including Surtees, Theodore, Ligier, and McLaren with mixed results; he additionally won two Can Am championships under Carl Haas in 1977 and 1980. Tambay was hired by Scuderia Ferrari after his close friend Gilles Villeneuve died during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix; he took his maiden victory four races later in Germany. His second and final victory came the following year in emotional circumstances at Imola. In 1984, Tambay moved to Renault and ended his F1 career at Haas Lola.
Tambay competed in various forms of motorsport following his departure from Formula One, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Sportscar Championship, and the Dakar Rally.