Patrick Tambay | |
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Born | Patrick Daniel Tambay 25 June 1949 Paris, France |
Died | 4 December 2022 Paris, France | (aged 73)
Children | 3, including Adrien |
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | French |
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 |
24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
Years | 1976–1977, 1981, 1989 |
Teams | Renault, Rondeau, Jaguar |
Best finish | 4th (1989) |
Class wins | 0 |
Patrick Daniel Tambay (French pronunciation: [pa.tʁik da.njɛl tɑ̃.bɛ]; 25 June 1949 – 4 December 2022) was a French racing driver, broadcaster and politician, who competed in Formula One from 1977 to 1986. Tambay won two Formula One Grands Prix across nine seasons.
Born and raised in Paris, Tambay gained training as a racing driver at the Winfield Racing School in 1971. Between 1977 and 1981, he raced for an assortment of teams including Surtees, Theodore, Ligier and McLaren with mixed results; he additionally won two Can-Am titles under Carl Haas in 1977 and 1980. Tambay was hired by Ferrari after the death of Gilles Villeneuve in 1982, taking his maiden victory four races later at the German Grand Prix. His second and final victory came the following season in San Marino, finishing the season a career-best fourth in the World Drivers' Championship. In 1984, Tambay moved to Renault, before ending his Formula One career at Haas Lola, having achieved two wins, five pole positions, two fastest laps and 11 podiums.
Tambay competed in various forms of motorsport following his departure from Formula One, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Sportscar Championship, and the Dakar Rally.