Patrick Tambay

Patrick Tambay
Tambay in 1983
Born	Patrick Daniel Tambay (1949-06-25)25 June 1949 Paris, France
Died	4 December 2022(2022-12-04) (aged 73) Paris, France
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 (French pronunciation: [pa.tʁik da.njɛl tɑ̃.bɛ]; 25 June 1949 – 4 December 2022) was a French racing driver, commentator, and politician, who competed in 123 Formula One races between 1977 and 1986, securing five pole positions and winning twice.^[1]

He gained training as a racing driver at Winfield Racing School in France 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 championships under Carl Haas in 1977 and 1980. Tambay was hired by Scuderia Ferrari after his close friend Gilles Villeneuve died during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix; he took his maiden victory four races later in Germany. His second and final victory came the following year in emotional circumstances at Imola. In 1984, Tambay moved to Renault and ended his F1 career at Haas Lola.

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.