Patrick Tambay 2019 Beyond the Grid interview
He raced for some of Formula One’s top teams, including McLaren and Renault, but Patrick Tambay is probably best remembered as a Ferrari driver. Having arrived in F1 via the..
Name | Patrick Tambay |
Country | France |
Height | 1.85 meter / 6 feet 1 inch |
Place of Birth | Paris |
Date of Birth | Jun 25th 1949 |
Date of Death | Dec 4th 2022 - 73 years old |
Season Entries | 9 |
Car Number | 16 |
First Race | 1977 British F1 GP |
Last Race | 1986 Australian F1 GP |
First Pole | 1983 USA West F1 GP |
Last Pole | 1984 French F1 GP |
First Win | 1982 German F1 GP |
Last Win | 1983 San Marino F1 GP |
Patrick Tambay F1 Stats | |
Grand Prix Entries | 122 |
Grand Prix Starts | 116 |
Total Points | 103.00 |
Avg. Points per GP | 0.84 |
Grand Prix Wins | 2 (1,6%) |
Pole Positions | 5 (4,1%) |
Front Row Starts | 9 (7,4%) |
Avg. GP Grid | 10.5 |
GP Podiums | 11 (9,0%) |
GP Fastest Laps | 2 (1,6%) |
GP Points Finish | 32 (26,2%) |
Avg. GP Position | 6.2 |
GP Retirements | 72 (59,0%) |
GP DNF's | 57 (46,7%) |
Total GP Laps | 4.980 |
Patrick Tambay was born in Paris, France, on June 25, 1949. As a child, he was fascinated by cars, and he spent much of his time tinkering with engines and dreaming of becoming a racing driver.
Tambay's career began in earnest in the early 1970s when he competed in a series of local races. He quickly proved to be a talented driver and was soon signed to drive for the Formula Two team of Jean-Pierre Beltoise.
In 1977, Tambay made his debut in Formula One driving for the Ensign team. Although he struggled initially, his skills soon caught the attention of the McLaren team, who signed him up for the 1978 season.
Tambay's time with McLaren was a mixed bag, and he struggled to make an impact. However, he continued to work hard, and in 1981, he signed with the Scuderia Ferrari team.
It was with Ferrari that Tambay truly shone. He won his first race for the team in 1982 at the German Grand Prix, and he went on to win the following year at the San Marino Grand Prix. He was a consistent performer for Ferrari, and he helped the team win the Constructors' Championship in 1983.
Tambay's career continued to thrive, and he went on to drive for a number of other teams, including Renault and Haas Lola. However, his time at Ferrari remains the high point of his career.
One anecdote that captures Tambay's tenacity and spirit occurred during the 1983 season. Tambay had been battling with his teammate Rene Arnoux, and tensions were running high. In the lead-up to the Monaco Grand Prix, Tambay was determined to outperform Arnoux, and he spent hours practicing his starts.
On race day, Tambay's hard work paid off, and he got a perfect start, launching himself into the lead. He went on to win the race, beating Arnoux and securing his place as Ferrari's top driver.
Patrick Tambay's career was marked by his passion, determination, and skill. He remains a beloved figure in the world of Formula One, and his legacy lives on as an inspiration to aspiring racers around the world.
1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18th | 14th | 27th | 21st | 8th | 4th | 11th | 12th | 15th |
Year | Team | Engine | GP | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Pod | Pole | Laps | FL | Avg Pts | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 |
Lola Lola |
Ford Hart | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 587 | 0 | 0.13 | 2 |
1985 | Renault | Renault | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 574 | 0 | 0.73 | 11 |
1984 | Renault | Renault | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 714 | 1 | 0.73 | 11 |
1983 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 15 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 743 | 1 | 2.67 | 40 |
1982 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 350 | 0 | 3.57 | 25 |
1981 |
Ligier Theodore |
Matra Ford | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 513 | 0 | 0.07 | 1 |
1979 | McLaren | Ford | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 429 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
1978 | McLaren | Ford | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 803 | 0 | 0.53 | 8 |
1977 | Ensign | Ford | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 267 | 0 | 0.71 | 5 |
1st | 2 Times |
2nd | 4 Times |
3rd | 5 Times |
4th | 6 Times |
5th | 8 Times |
6th | 7 Times |
7th | 8 Times |
8th | 5 Times |
9th | 2 Times |
10th | 5 Times |
11th | 1 Time |
12th | 2 Times |
13th | 2 Times |
DNF | 57 Times |
NC | 2 Times |
DNQ | 5 Times |
DNS | 1 Time |
Year | Race | No | Team | Engine | Grid | Pos | Retired | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 1983 | 1983 San Marino F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
1 | 1982 | 1982 German F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 5 | 1 | 9 |
Year | Race | No | Team | Engine | Grid | Pos | Retired | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | 1985 | 1985 San Marino F1 GP | 15 | Renault | Renault | 11 | 3 | 4 | |
10 | 1985 | 1985 Portuguese F1 GP | 15 | Renault | Renault | 12 | 3 | 4 | |
9 | 1984 | 1984 French F1 GP | 15 | Renault | Renault | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
8 | 1983 | 1983 Dutch F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
7 | 1983 | 1983 British F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
6 | 1983 | 1983 Canadian F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
5 | 1983 | 1983 Belgian F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
4 | 1983 | 1983 San Marino F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
3 | 1982 | 1982 Italian F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
2 | 1982 | 1982 German F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 5 | 1 | 9 | |
1 | 1982 | 1982 British F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 13 | 3 | 4 |
Year | Race | No | Team | Engine | Grid | Pos | Retired | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 1984 | 1984 French F1 GP | 15 | Renault | Renault | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
4 | 1983 | 1983 South African F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1 | DNF | Turbo | 0 |
3 | 1983 | 1983 Austrian F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1 | DNF | Ignition | 0 |
2 | 1983 | 1983 German F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1 | DNF | Engine | 0 |
1 | 1983 | 1983 USA West F1 GP | 27 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 1 | DNF | Collision | 0 |
Year | Team | Team Mate | Best Pos | Points | Wins | Poles | Pos | Quali | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Ensign | Clay Regazzoni | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Surtees | Larry Perkins | 29 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Vittorio Brambilla | 29 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
1978 | McLaren | Brett Lunger | 4 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
Bruno Giacomelli | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
Emilio de Villota | 24 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
James Hunt | 4 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 14 | ||
Nelson Piquet | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Tony Trimmer | 6 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1979 | McLaren | John Watson | 7 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 13 |
1981 | Ligier | Jacques Laffite | 13 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
1982 | Ferrari | Didier Pironi | 1 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
Mario Andretti | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
1983 | Ferrari | René Arnoux | 1 | 1 | 40 | 49 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
1984 | Renault | Derek Warwick | 2 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 |
Philippe Streiff | 7 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1985 | Renault | Derek Warwick | 3 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
François Hesnault | 20 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1986 | Lola | Alan Jones | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
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