He was a handsome, dashing, and urbane figure known as a "gentleman driver" who also competed in the Le Mans 24-hour race several times, finishing fourth in 1989 in a Jaguar.
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Patrick Tambay, a French ex-F1 driver who won two Grand Prix for Ferrari in the 1980s, died on Sunday at the age of 73 after a long illness, his family announced. Tambay had stints with the Theodore, McLaren, and Renault teams while suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. His two career victories, however, came during his time with Ferrari. The first came in 1982 at Hockenheim, and the second came the following season at Imola, on the iconic Italian constructor’s home turf.
He took over for Gilles Villeneuve after his friend died in the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, which was followed by a career-ending accident for Ferrari’s other driver a few weeks later. Didier Pironi, the championship leader, was in practise for the German Grand Prix at the time. Tambay dedicated his Hockenheim victory, which came at a perfect time for the team’s fans, to Villeneuve, Pironi, and Enzo Ferrari, the latter for believing in him.
Tambay, who was born in Paris, made his Formula One debut for the Theodore team in the 1977 British Grand Prix at the age of 28. After two unsuccessful seasons with McLaren, he took a break before returning to the circuit in 1981, first with Theodore and then with Ligier. After Ferrari, he went to Renault, where he only managed three podiums in 1984-85 and two points with Lola-Haas in his final season in 1986. He raced in 123 races and retired with five pole positions and a best world championship finish of fourth in 1983.
He finished third in the Dakar Rally in 1988 and 1989 after shifting his focus from F1 to endurance motorsport. He was a handsome, dashing, and urbane figure known as a “gentleman driver” who also competed in the Le Mans 24-hour race several times, finishing fourth in 1989 in a Jaguar.
Tambay found success in the now-defunct American Can-Am sports car series, winning a dozen races and the championship in 1977-1978. He kept in touch with F1 after retiring as a television commentator and went into local politics for the conservative Republicans.
