Patrick Tambay and Gilles Villeneuve began their Formula 1 careers together at Silverstone in 1977. Five years later, Tambay claimed his first race victory, filling the seat at Ferrari left vacant by Villeneuve after his tragic accident at Zolder.
| Nationality | French |
|---|---|
| Born | Patrick Daniel Tambay 25 June 1949 Paris, France |
| Died | 4 December 2022 (aged 73) Paris, France |
Tambay had initially tried to qualify a Surtees at Dijon but was unsuccessful, subsequently joining Ensign for the remainder of 1977. Teddy Mayer later recruited him to drive for McLaren, where he spent two challenging years in less competitive cars. Following a tough 1981 season with Theodore and Ligier, it seemed Tambay’s time in Formula 1 was nearing an end until Ferrari offered him a spot.
He brought some positivity back to the team by winning at the Hockenheimring following another severe accident involving his teammate Didier Pironi. Despite joining the championship late, Tambay had the potential to be a title contender in the fast Ferrari but had to step back due to a back injury caused by the intense ground effect cars of that era.
In the following season, with ground effects banned, Tambay showed competitive form again. He secured a poignant victory at Imola, the very place that had witnessed the intense feud between Villeneuve and Pironi a year prior.
Despite his successes, Tambay was unexpectedly replaced by Michele Alboreto at the end of the season.
He moved to Renault in 1984, but the team struggled with development and exited the sport in 1985. Tambay then raced for Team Haas before it, too, withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of 1986.
After retiring from full-time racing, Patrick Tambay transitioned to a role as a commentator for French television and served as the deputy mayor of Le Cannet, a suburb of Cannes. He was also the godfather to Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, and played a significant role in guiding Villeneuve’s early racing career, which included victories at the 1995 IndyCar title and Indianapolis 500, and subsequently the F1 World Championship with Williams in 1997.
Tambay was married twice and became a father in 1991 when his son Adrien was born. Following in his father’s footsteps, Adrien became a professional racing driver, competing for Audi in the DTM championship from 2012 to 2016 and later winning the 2021 ETCR Championship.
Patrick Tambay’s family announced his passing on December 4th, 2022, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Patrick Tambay Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 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 |
Sources: Wikipedia.com
