Patrick Tambay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Tambay
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Tambay in 1983
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| Born |
Patrick Daniel Tambay
25 June 1949 Paris, France
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| Died | 4 December 2022 (aged 73) Paris, France
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| 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 |
Patrick Daniel Tambay (born June 25, 1949 – died December 4, 2022) was a French racing driver. He also worked as a TV commentator and was involved in politics. Patrick Tambay raced in 123 Formula One (F1) races from 1977 to 1986. He won two races and started from the very front (called pole position) five times.
Patrick learned to race at the Winfield Racing School in France in 1971. From 1977 to 1981, he drove for several teams. These included Surtees, Theodore, Ligier, and McLaren. He had mixed results during these years. He also won two Can Am championships in 1977 and 1980 with Carl Haas.
Scuderia Ferrari hired Tambay after his good friend Gilles Villeneuve passed away. This happened during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Patrick won his first race just four races later in Germany. His second and last win came the next year at Imola. This win was very emotional for him. In 1984, Tambay moved to Renault. He finished his F1 career with the Haas Lola team.
After leaving Formula One, Tambay raced in other types of motorsport. These included the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. He also competed in the World Sportscar Championship and the tough Dakar Rally.
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Patrick's Early Racing Career
Patrick Tambay started his career in Formula 5000. He raced with a team run by Carl Haas. In 1977, he won the Can Am championship with Haas. That same year, he made his first appearance in Formula One. He drove for Surtees in one session at the 1977 French Grand Prix. Then, he spent the rest of the season with Theodore.
This partnership was successful. Tambay then moved to McLaren to race in Formula One full-time. He raced for McLaren during the 1978 and 1979 seasons. In 1980, he went back to Can Am. He joined the Lola team, also run by Carl Haas. He won races early in the season. He then won his second Can-Am championship.
In 1981, Patrick returned to F1. He first drove for the Theodore team. He finished that season with Ligier.
Joining Ferrari and Grand Prix Wins
In 1982, Patrick was offered a spot with Arrows. This was to replace Marc Surer, who was injured. But when he arrived, there was a lot of trouble. Drivers were thinking about going on strike. So, Patrick left and did not race.
Later in 1982, he got a big chance. He was offered a place with Scuderia Ferrari. This happened after his close friend Gilles Villeneuve passed away. Patrick won his first Grand Prix at the German Grand Prix that year. This was only his fourth race for Ferrari. He won after Didier Pironi was injured during qualifying.
His second and last Grand Prix win came in 1983 at Imola. He was driving with Villeneuve's car number, 27. He won after Riccardo Patrese crashed near the end of the race. In 1984, Ferrari replaced him with Italian driver Michele Alboreto. Tambay then moved to Renault. He spent his final year in F1 racing for the Haas Lola team. This reunited him with his old boss, Carl Haas.
Life After Formula One
After his Formula One career, Patrick Tambay continued to race. In 1987, he started his own sports company in Switzerland. But he stopped this in 1989 to race again. In 1989, he drove a Jaguar in the World Sportscar Championship. He finished fourth in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race.
He then started competing in desert rally raiding. This is a type of off-road racing. He finished in the top three twice in the tough Paris-Dakar rally. He also took part in ice races. And he even competed in the Tour de Corse jet ski race.
Later Life and Passing
After he stopped racing full-time, Patrick Tambay became a commentator. He worked for French television, sharing his racing knowledge. He also served as a deputy mayor in Le Cannet. This is a town near Cannes in France.
Patrick was the godfather to Jacques Villeneuve, who became a World Champion in 1997. His son, Adrien, also became a racing driver. Adrien raced in the DTM championship from 2012 to 2016.
Patrick Tambay had Parkinson's disease for several years. He passed away on December 4, 2022, at the age of 73. His son Adrien announced his passing.
Images for kids
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Tambay at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix where, like many others, he retired after hitting a wall.
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Tambay during practice for the 1985 European Grand Prix
