Patrick Tambay


Patrick Daniel Tambay is a French former racing driver. He competed in 123 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, winning twice, securing five pole positions and scoring a total of 103 Championship points. In 2006, he raced in the inaugural season of the Grand Prix Masters formula for retired Formula One drivers, and continued in the series in 2007.

Career

Early in his career, Tambay was a part of Formula 5000 with the team run by Carl Haas.
In 1977, winning the Can Am championship with Haas, Tambay debuted in Formula One on a one-off basis with Surtees, driving in only one session at the 1977 French Grand Prix before spending the rest of the season with Theodore. The team, in collaboration with Ensign, was running their N177 chassis.
The showings proved fruitful as he moved to McLaren to race Formula One full-time for the 1978 and 1979 seasons.
In 1980, he returned to Can Am with the Lola team run by Carl Haas, immediately winning early in the season and then winning his second Can-Am championship.
In 1981 he returned to F1, first driving for the Theodore team then finishing the season with Ligier. In 1982, he was offered a place with the Scuderia Ferrari after the death of his close friend Gilles Villeneuve. He won his first Grand Prix at the German Grand Prix that year after Didier Pironi was injured in practice. The German GP was just his fourth race for the Maranello based team. He took his second and last Grand Prix win in 1983 at Imola, in a very emotional victory in front of the Italian faithful when he drove the #27 Ferrari to the win after Riccardo Patrese crashed out of the lead with only 6 laps to go. He was dropped by the team in 1984 in favor of Italian Michele Alboreto. Tambay moved to Renault, and then spent a year reunited with his old boss Carl Haas racing in the Haas Lola F1 team.
In 1987, Tambay formed his own sports promotion company in Switzerland, but gave this up in 1989 to return to racing. In 1989, he drove a Jaguar in the World Sportscar Championship and went on to finish fourth in the Le Mans 24 Hours. He then took up desert raid racing, finishing twice in the top three on the Paris-Dakar. Additionally, he has been noted as involved in ice races and the Tour de Corse jet ski race.
Tambay was briefly involved actively with the Larrousse team, beginning in 1994 as a partnership with friend and business associate Michael Golay. At the end of the 1994 season, however, the Fast Group SA company owned by Tambay and Golay ended its involvement with the team.
Since retiring from full-time racing, Tambay has worked as a commentator for French television. He also serves as the deputy mayor of Le Cannet, a suburb of Cannes.
He is godfather to 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. His son Adrien raced in the DTM championship between 2012 and 2016.

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314Pts
Ecurie ElfAlpine A367BMWBAR
10		HOC
5		PAU
Ret		SAL
4		HOC
Ret		MUG
NC		KAR
Ret		PER
Ret		HOC
4		VAL
4		7th11
March EngineeringMarch 752BMWEST
Ret		THR
2		HOC
Ret		NÜR
2		PAU
Ret		HOC
Ret		SAL
15		ROU
2		MUG
Ret		PER
Ret		SIL
4		ZOL
2		NOG
1		VAL
Ret		2nd36
Automobiles MartiniMartini Mk 19RenaultHOC
THR
3		VAL
2		SAL
3		PAU
Ret		HOC
ROU
Ret		MUG
3		PER
Ret		EST
16		NOG
1		HOC
DSQ		3rd39
Ardmore RacingChevron B40HartSILTHRHOCNÜRVALPAU
Ret		MUGROU
Ret		NOGPERMISESTDONNC0
Chevron CarsChevron B42HartTHRHOCNÜRPAU
6		MUGVALROUDONNOGPERMISHOCNC0

Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617Pts
1977Team SurteesSurtees TS19Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAUSWESPMONBELSWEFRA
DNQ		18th5
1977Theodore Racing Hong KongEnsign N177Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8GBR
Ret		GER
6		AUT
Ret		NED
5		ITA
Ret		USA
DNQ		CAN
5		JPN
Ret		18th5
1978Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M26Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
6		BRA
Ret		RSA
Ret		USW
12		MON
7		BELESP
Ret		SWE
4		FRA
9		GBR
6		GER
Ret		AUT
Ret		NED
9		ITA
5		USA
6		CAN
8		14th8
1979Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M28Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
Ret		RSA
10		USW
Ret		ESP
13		NC0
1979Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M26Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8BRA
Ret		BEL
DNQ		NC0
1979Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M28BFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8MON
DNQ		NC0
1979Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M28CFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8FRA
10		GBR
7		NC0
1979Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M29Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8GER
Ret		AUT
10		NED
Ret		ITA
Ret		CAN
Ret		USA
Ret		NC0
1981Theodore Racing TeamTheodore TY01Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8USW
6		BRA
10		ARG
Ret		SMR
11		BEL
DNQ		MON
7		ESP
13		19th1
1981Equipe Talbot GitanesLigier JS17Matra MS81 3.0 V12FRA
Ret		GBR
Ret		GER
Ret		AUT
Ret		NED
Ret		ITA
Ret		CAN
Ret		CPL
Ret		19th1
1982Scuderia FerrariFerrari 126C2Ferrari 021 1.5 V6tRSABRAUSWSMRBELMONDETCANNED
8		GBR
3		FRA
4		GER
1		AUT
4		SUI
DNS		ITA
2		CPL
DNS		7th25
1983Scuderia FerrariFerrari 126C2/BFerrari 021 1.5 V6tBRA
5		USW
Ret		FRA
4		SMR
1		MON
4		BEL
2		DET
Ret		CAN
3		4th40
1983Scuderia FerrariFerrari 126C3Ferrari 021 1.5 V6tGBR
3		GER
Ret		AUT
Ret		NED
2		ITA
4		EUR
Ret		RSA
Ret		4th40
1984Equipe Renault ElfRenault RE50Renault EF4 1.5 V6tBRA
5		RSA
Ret		BEL
7		SMR
Ret		FRA
2		MON
Ret		CAN
WD		DET
Ret		DAL
Ret		GBR
8		GER
5		AUT
Ret		NED
6		ITA
Ret		EUR
Ret		POR
7		11th11
1985Equipe Renault ElfRenault RE60Renault EF4B 1.5 V6tBRA
5		POR
3		SMR
3		MON
Ret		CAN
7		DET
Ret		12th11
1985Equipe Renault ElfRenault RE60BRenault EF15 1.5 V6tFRA
6		GBR
Ret		GER
Ret		AUT
10		NED
Ret		ITA
7		BEL
Ret		EUR
12		RSAAUS
Ret		12th11
1986Team Haas Ltd.Lola THL1Hart 415T 1.5 L4tBRA
Ret		ESP
8		SMR
Ret		15th2
1986Team Haas Ltd.Lola THL2Ford Cosworth GBA 1.5 V6tMON
Ret		BEL
Ret		CAN
DNS		DETFRA
Ret		GBR
Ret		GER
8		HUN
7		AUT
5		ITA
Ret		POR
NC		MEX
Ret		AUS
NC		15th2

24 Hours of Le Mans results