Clay Regazzoni facts for kids

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Clay Regazzoni

Regazzoni in 1971 at Zandvoort
Born	(1939-09-05)5 September 1939 Mendrisio, Switzerland
Died	15 December 2006(2006-12-15) (aged 67) Fontevivo, Italy
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Swiss
Active years	1970–1980
Teams	Ferrari, BRM, Ensign, Shadow, Williams
Entries	139 (132 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	5
Podiums	28
Career points	209 (212)
Pole positions	5
Fastest laps	15
First entry	1970 Dutch Grand Prix
First win	1970 Italian Grand Prix
Last win	1979 British Grand Prix
Last entry	1980 United States Grand Prix West
24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1970 Teams Scuderia Ferrari Best finish DNF (1970) Class wins 0

Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni (born September 5, 1939 – died December 15, 2006) was a famous Swiss racing driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980. During his career, he won five Grand Prix races.

His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his very first season. He was driving for Ferrari at the time. He stayed with Ferrari until 1972. After one year with BRM, Regazzoni went back to Ferrari for three more years (1974 to 1976).

After leaving Ferrari in 1976, Regazzoni joined the Ensign and Shadow teams. In 1979, he moved to Williams. There, he achieved Williams' first-ever Grand Prix victory at the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

He was replaced by Carlos Reutemann at Williams for 1980. He then returned to Ensign. Sadly, an accident at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West left him unable to move his legs. This ended his Formula One career. However, Clay Regazzoni did not stop racing. He competed in the Paris-Dakar rally and the Sebring 12 hours. He used a special car controlled by hand in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1996, Regazzoni became a TV commentator in Italy.

He was known for being a very determined racer. Fellow driver Jody Scheckter once said that if Regazzoni "had been a cowboy he'd have been the one in the black hat." Clay Regazzoni passed away in a car accident in Italy on December 15, 2006.

About Clay Regazzoni

Gianclaudio Regazzoni was born in Mendrisio, Switzerland. This was on September 5, 1939, just after World War II began. He grew up in Porza, in the Ticino region of Switzerland. This area speaks Italian. He was married to Maria Pia. They had two children, Alessia and Gian Maria.

Clay's Racing Journey

Before Formula One

Starting in Racing

Regazzoni began racing cars in 1963. He was 24, which was a bit late for a racing start. Many of his first races were in Italy. Switzerland had banned motor racing after a terrible accident in 1955. Clay first raced his own Austin-Healey Sprite car. He quickly earned two podium finishes in his first three races. This success made him switch to a Mini Cooper for the 1964 season.

In 1965, Clay Regazzoni drove an open-wheeled car for the first time. He joined the European Formula Three championship with a Brabham car. He had some success that year. In 1966, driving a De Tomaso, he got even better. This caught the eye of the Italian car maker Tecno. Tecno offered Regazzoni a spot in their F3 team for 1967. His fast and reliable driving earned him a spot in Tecno's Formula Two team for the next year.

Formula Two Racing

In Formula Two, Regazzoni and Tecno worked very well together. His aggressive driving style matched Tecno's goals. Regazzoni quickly became known as a tough competitor. He stayed with Tecno for three years in Formula Two. In 1969, he also drove for the Ferrari Formula Two team. In 1970, he and Tecno won the European Formula Two Championship together.

Sports Car Adventures

Regazzoni in a Ferrari 312PB at the 1971 Nürburgring 1000km

Besides single-seater races, Regazzoni also raced sports cars. This included the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He and Arturo Merzario raced a Ferrari 512S. But they had to stop after only 38 laps. This was Regazzoni's only time racing at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For the next two years, Regazzoni was a regular driver for Ferrari's sports car team. He drove the new 312P cars. He often raced at the front of the pack. He often teamed up with Jacky Ickx. They finished second at the BOAC 1000 km race in 1971. They also won the first part of the Imola 500 km race. Regazzoni also won the Kyalami 9 Hours race with Brian Redman.

More success came in 1972. He finished second at the 1000 km Buenos Aires (with Redman) and the Spa 1000 km race. The best part of the season was winning the Monza 1000 km race with Ickx. When he left Ferrari in 1973, his sports car wins stopped. His Alfa Romeo 33 TT car was not as good as the Ferrari and Matra cars. Ferrari stopped sports car racing in 1973. Regazzoni's return to the Ferrari Formula One team in 1974 ended his sports car career. He could not race for other car makers then.

Formula One Career

1970–72: Driving for Ferrari

In the early races of the 1970 Formula One season, Ferrari only had one car. It was for Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. But at the fourth race in Belgium, Ferrari decided to add a second car. They wanted to try out younger drivers. Italian Ignazio Giunti drove in Belgium and finished fourth. Regazzoni took his place at the next race in the Netherlands, also finishing fourth. Giunti raced again in France but finished 14th.

Regazzoni was back in the Ferrari for the British Grand Prix. He finished fourth again and kept the racing spot. He got four podium finishes in the last six races of 1970. This included a win at Monza, Ferrari's home race. However, the race was sad because the Championship leader, Jochen Rindt, died during qualifying. Regazzoni got his first pole position at the last race in Mexico. It was a very successful first season for him. He finished third in the Drivers' Championship with 33 points.

After Giunti's death in a sports car event in 1971, Ferrari chose Ickx and Regazzoni for the 1971 Formula One season. Before the main Formula One season in Europe began, Regazzoni won the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch. He beat Jackie Stewart. Despite this good start, the Ferrari 312B and B2 cars were not as good as Stewart's Tyrrell 003. Regazzoni only got three podium finishes that season. He also had a pole position at the British Grand Prix. He finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

More disappointment came for Regazzoni in 1972. He only had one podium finish, in Germany. He still finished seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

1973: A Year with BRM

Regazzoni decided to leave Ferrari in 1973. He joined the Marlboro-sponsored BRM team. He was paid a lot of money for this move. There, he met young driver Niki Lauda, and they became good friends. After a big crash at the South African Grand Prix, Mike Hailwood bravely pulled him from the burning car. Hailwood later received an award for saving Regazzoni's life. It was not a good year for Regazzoni, even with a pole position at the first race in Argentina. He felt unhappy with the "uncompetitive machinery." He only scored two points all season, his lowest ever. He finished 17th in the championship.

1974–76: Back to Ferrari

Regazzoni at the 1974 Race of Champions

Ferrari made big changes at the start of 1974. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was hired to lead the team. Both Regazzoni and Lauda (whom Regazzoni recommended) were brought to Ferrari. Regazzoni was soon back on the podium. He had seven podium finishes, including a win in Germany. This was his first win since his debut season at Monza four years earlier. He also got a pole position at Nivelles. Regazzoni scored more points than the rising star Lauda.

Going into the last race of the season in the USA, Regazzoni was close to winning the championship. He just needed to finish ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi. But Regazzoni had problems with his car's handling. He finished 11th after two pit stops. He ended up second in the Drivers' Championship, his best result ever. He was only three points behind Fittipaldi.

Ferrari kept Lauda and Regazzoni for 1975. The pair won six races together. Lauda won five, and Regazzoni won one at the 1975 Italian Grand Prix. Regazzoni also won his home race, the non-championship Swiss Grand Prix. He is the only Swiss driver to have done so. Ferrari won the Constructors' Championship. Lauda won his first of three World titles. Regazzoni finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship with 39.5 points.

Regazzoni driving the Ferrari 312T at the Nürburgring in 1976

The year 1976 was the start of Regazzoni's decline in Formula One. He won from pole position at Long Beach. He also had three more podium finishes. But Ferrari replaced him with Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann. Reutemann did not get along with Lauda as well as Regazzoni did. When he left Ferrari, Regazzoni had been with the team longer than any other driver.

1977: With Ensign

After leaving Ferrari, Regazzoni joined the Ensign team. Some people were surprised he went to such a small team. But Regazzoni chose Ensign because he preferred "to race with nice people." He had been offered a drive for Brabham by Bernie Ecclestone. His season with Ensign was not very successful. He did score points in his first race in Argentina. But he only scored points two more times. He finished the season with five points. In May, Regazzoni also raced in the Indianapolis 500. He drove a McLaren for Theodore Racing. He crashed badly in practice but still qualified. He finished 30th after a fuel problem during a pit stop.

1978: Driving for Shadow

Regazzoni moved to Shadow in 1978. He replaced Alan Jones, who had gone to Williams. Regazzoni only finished in the points twice. He ended the season 16th in the Drivers' Championship.

1979: Williams' First Win

Regazzoni's Williams FW07 from 1979

Frank Williams gave Regazzoni his last chance in a competitive car. He raced alongside Alan Jones. The Williams FW07 car was very good, especially at the end of the season. Williams cars won all but two of the last seven races in 1979. The very first win for the Williams Grand Prix team was by Regazzoni. It happened at Silverstone. He celebrated on the podium with a drink called Lilt, to honor the team's Saudi sponsors.

Despite this big achievement, he was again replaced by Carlos Reutemann at the end of the season. At the Italian Grand Prix, a journalist asked Regazzoni why he kept driving at 40 years old. He had no chance of a top seat. Regazzoni replied, "I love [Formula One], and most of all I love to drive racing cars. So why should I stop when I feel this way?". At the end of the year, he was invited to race in the 1980 International Race of Champions. He was the last active Formula One driver to do so, along with Mario Andretti.

1980: Back with Ensign and Final Accident

Regazzoni was driving the Ensign N180 chassis when he crashed at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West.

Regazzoni did not get an offer for a competitive car in 1980. So, he rejoined Ensign. His season ended suddenly after only four races. He crashed during the 1980 United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach. The brake pedal of his Ensign car failed at the end of a long, fast straight. He was going about 280 km/h. Ricardo Zunino's broken-down Brabham car was parked in the escape road. Regazzoni later said, "I hit Zunino's car, then bounced into the barrier. For about 10 minutes I lost consciousness. Then I remember terrible pain in my hips...". The crash left Regazzoni unable to move his legs. This ended his career in top-level racing.

Life After Formula One

After his accident, Regazzoni became known for helping disabled people. He worked to ensure they had equal chances in life and society. Even with his injuries, Regazzoni was determined to live a full life.

Regazzoni got his racing license back. He became one of the first disabled drivers to race in high-level motor sports. He could not return to Formula One. But Regazzoni raced successfully in rally raids, like the Dakar Rally. He also raced sports cars, like the 12 Hours of Sebring. These achievements helped more people accept disabled individuals in driving and racing. Regazzoni's last competitive race was in 1990. He sometimes tested racing cars in the 1990s. In 1994, he returned to the Long Beach Grand Prix to race in a special Pro/Celebrity Race.

Regazzoni after his accident.

He wrote a book about his life called È questione di cuore ("It's a Matter of Heart"). It was published in the mid-1980s. After Formula One, he sometimes worked as a commentator for Swiss and Italian TV.

He once told his teammate Niki Lauda, who was ten years younger: "if you block cars and drive like a woman, you will never become great."

His Passing

On December 15, 2006, Regazzoni died in a car accident. The car he was driving hit the back of a truck. This happened on the Italian A1 motorway, near Parma. Investigators believe he was going about 100 km/h. An autopsy showed that a heart attack did not cause him to lose control. His funeral was held on December 23 in Lugano. Many famous people from Formula One attended, including Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Niki Lauda.

In Movies

In the 2013 movie Rush, Ron Howard directed the film. It shows the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 1976 Formula One season. In the movie, Pierfrancesco Favino plays Clay Regazzoni.

Racing Highlights

Career Summary

^‡ Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

See also

In Spanish: Clay Regazzoni para niños