Former French driver Patrick Tambay died on Sunday at the age of 73. The family confirmed the sad news to AFP.
Born June 25, 1949 in Paris, Patrick Tambay ran 114 Formula 1 Grands Prix between 1977 and 1986, winning two victories: one at Hockenheim in 1982, the other at Imola the following year, each time with Ferrari. . He also had five pole positions, two fastest laps and 11 podiums.
In total, the French driver participated in nine seasons of Formula 1, starting in 1977 with Ensign Surtees before joining McLaren for two seasons. After a stint with Theodore Racing and his Ligier in 1981, he joined the Scuderia for the 1982 and 1983 seasons, before spending the next two campaigns with Renault and then ending his career with Lola in 1986.
His victorious time at Ferrari was the result of dramatic life circumstances, since he had been called by the Italian team to take over from his friend Gilles Villeneuve, who died in a fatal accident at Zolder on May 8, 1982.
Patrick Tambay also raced in Endurance, both alongside his rise to Formula 1 and following leaving the premier class. He took part four times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, first with Renault Sport in 1976 and 1977, each time without seeing the finish. He raced a third time in La Sarthe in 1981, with Rondeau, retiring once more, before finishing just off the podium in 1989 with the legendary Silk Cut Jaguar team.
After his racing career, Patrick Tambay became a consultant for French radio in the early 2000s. He had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years. He is the father of Adrien Tambay, now 31 years old and who also had a career in motorsport, notably in the DTM with Audi.
