47 replies to this topic

[Gabrci]

Very sadly L'Équipe reports the passing of Patrick Tambay. 

[GMiranda]

I knew he was suffering from Parkinson's, but I never thought it was so serious.

[Gary C]

Very, very sad to hear this, when I worked for FOM I would always see him around, a did expert commentary for French TV I think.

[FLB]

I knew he was suffering from Parkinson's, but I never thought it was so serious.

 

Patrick Tambay est décédé - AutoHebdo

 

As a Ferrarista, I've always been taken by the bittersweetness of that moment, considering the death of Villeneuve and Pironi's career ender the day before...

 

[LittleChris]

Very sad news indeed. RIP Patrick

[Richard Jenkins]

Patrick also suffered from diabetes, so I suspect the complications of both didn't help.

 

A truly lovely man, who I was lucky enough to meet and have a little time with - twice - in 2006. Radiated ebullience.

 

One of the most admirable things about him was non-racing realted; how much time and effort he put into his local community on the outskirts of Cannes, determined to improve everyone's lives.

 

A very decent, if somewhat, under-rated driver too. RIP Patrick.

[Collombin]

A very decent, if somewhat, under-rated driver too.

I did a fluff thread in RC about cut and shut world champions - taking the combined points scored from the last half of one season and the first half of the next. The 1982/83 winner was Patrick Tambay.

[Charlieman]

I knew a little about his record in F2 and Can Am Mk2, but his F1 performances in the Theodore Ensign at the end of 1977 impressed me. Teddy Yip always had a good eye for potential. Thanks for the show, Patrick.

[FLB]

This video tells you everything you need to know about the man. This is from Rouen 1977 (F2). He collided with Arnoux at the start. Naturally he was a bit angry. You can see that Arnoux is somewhat tense, as the car is stuck on the track. Tambay runs towards him... but the man from Cannes helped his rival get it off the track ASAP before the other cars came around instead of arguing 

 

[ensign14]

A truly lovely man, who I was lucky enough to meet and have a little time with - twice - in 2006. Radiated ebullience.

Winner of the journalists' Prix Orange for the most co-operative driver in 1983.

[Tim Murray]

He was one of my favourite drivers. I was at the Pau F2 race in 1978 that he so nearly won, and I was so bitterly disappointed when he missed out within a lap of victory having dominated the race. Then to win at Imola in #27 in 1983 after what had happened there the previous year - it did seem that the Gods smiled upon him at that race. RIP Patrick, and thank you.

[WonderWoman61]

Rest in peace Patrick Tambay.

[68targa]

Very sorry to hear this sad news.  

RIP

 

[Henri Greuter]

Nothing but utter respect for the manner he contributed to rescuing what could be solved from the 1982 season.

A bit more reliability in 1983 and who knows what mght have happened.....

 

A ray of hope in one of Ferrari's darkest years.

 

Rest in peace Patrick Tambay, and thanks for the memories.

[AJCee]

Very sad news. If there is consolation it is that he leaves so many happy memories.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[alansart]

Sad news. Patrick seemed to be a very elegant Frenchman and one of those few racing drivers who didn't upset anyone!

I was a marshal at the 77 GP at Silverstone. As my post was at Woodcote I was able to walk around the grid as the cars lined up before the race. Patrick was in Teddy Yip's Ensign and was sitting quietly in the car, hands clasped, looking as though he was praying. Teddy Yip on the other hand was wheeling and dealing with various people behind the car. Quite a contrast but it was good that the team left Patrick alone to gather his thoughts and prepare for the race.

[cpbell]

Such sad news.  He was one of that great generation of French drivers.

[DN5]

RIP Patrick - again one of my favourites

 

I only met him once after the Dutch GP: everyone seemed to leave the track by the one road and it was still possible to have the Renault drivers walking through the crowd and I couldn't resist getting the program autographed.

[Tim Murray]

Something that’s always stuck in my mind about Patrick, which demonstrates what a professional he was. When he drove for Renault in 1984-85 he was always careful to tailor his pronunciation of 'Renault' to suit his audience. When interviewed in France he would (of course) say Ren-O, whereas in the USA he pronounced it Ren-OLT.

[sabrejet]

Met him when he was at Jaguar: he was a charming man and as I recall, a good team mate. 

[john winfield]

Very sad to hear this. RIP Patrick.

[LittleChris]

2 very much missed people

 

Patrick Tambay: 'You could've been world champion' August 2016 - Motor Sport Magazine

[Doug Nye]

One of the most charming of 'recent' Formula 1 drivers - ultimately just so unlucky.  RIP.

 

DCN

[Stephen W]

Devastating news; motor sport's Prince Charming was a brilliant driver on his day but did suffer from more than his fair share of bad luck.

[2F-001]

How terribly sad - a cruel ending for such a polished, well-liked, if rather underrated, driver; and - by all accounts - a thoughtful and compassionate man.

 

A Grand Prix winner and twice CanAm champion.

[B Squared]

Sad to see Patrick Tambay has passed. Saw him win in Can Am (II) at Mid-Ohio and race in Formula 1 and always admired his fine demeanor. Condolences to friends and family.

[Steve99]

2 very much missed people

 

Patrick Tambay: 'You could've been world champion' August 2016 - Motor Sport Magazine

 

Thank you for this. 

[PlatenGlass]

Sad news.

 

By the way, I never think just a name is a good title for a thread. When you click on the thread you always feel like you're entering some sort of lottery. RIP Patrick Tambay or Patrick Tambay 1949-2022 are better titles.

[absinthedude]

Very sad to hear this news. It came through to me as I was about to sit down to a five and a half hour jazz concert, which I realise is some people's idea of hell. 

 

I've often been drawn to drivers who aren't from the very top drawer because when someone like Tambay (or Depailler, or Perez to choose someone current) wins it's a genuine thrill and often said driver has put in the drive of his life to win. Even from the comfort of my TV I shall not forget Imola 1983. 

 

Sadly missed. I'd heard he wasn't well with Parkinsons but still, 73 is no age these days. 

[D-Type]

Sad news.

 

By the way, I never think just a name is a good title for a thread. When you click on the thread you always feel like you're entering some sort of lottery. RIP Patrick Tambay or Patrick Tambay 1949-2022 are better titles.

I totally agree with the sentiment.

Some may consider RIP Patrick Tambay or Patrick Tambay RIP to be a bit "In your face"  so perhaps Patrick Tambay 1849-2022 may be preferable.  It will certainly look better if someone chooses to add something in future years

[2F-001]

That's a good thought, Duncan. (Although 1949 might be a bit more believable!)

[Paul Hurdsfield]

He always seemed like a nice guy, here he is signing a program for my son at the 1986 British Grand Prix. RIP Patrick.

 

[B Squared]

A shot I took of Patrick at Mid-Ohio in August, 1980 - I believe he won that day.

[Pascal]

I was genuinely sad to hear about Patrick Tambay's passing.

 

Back in 1984, I was running with a few classmates a small independent newspaper in high school. Most of our content was pretty light, like music, movies and restaurant reviews. But I was always looking for new topics. And being based in Monaco, I had a pretty juicy one with the Grand Prix. So I decided to try interviewing some drivers in the paddock on Wednesday, since access was not restricted in those days. I bumped into a few, but none of them seemed ready to give a few minutes of their time to a 15 year old kid with a tape recorder.

 

As I was beginning to think that I wouldn't achieve anything, I met two gentlemen would accepted to answer a few of my dumb questions: the first one was Andrea de Cesaris, and the second one was, you guessed it, Patrick Tambay. The de Cesaris interview was very brief, and I got distracted by the amount of body tics the Italian driver was displaying. I later learned that it was a known thing, but unwarned as I was it was a bit unsettling. The Tambay bit was much richer, with him taking the time to sit down a few minutes with me. He made me feel like I was Jabby Crombac, and he gave detailed and reasoned replies to questions that didn't really deserve them. A truly great guy!

[ellrosso]

RIP Patrick Tambay. He really lifted the Ferrari team after Gilles was killed. A decent man by all accounts. 

[chr1s]

Very sad news, I saw him race a couple of times when he was with Ferrari but my best memory of him was at Goodwood in 1999. Returning to the paddock after a  run up the hill in his 83' Ferrari, he was pushing and steering the car when he spotted a young Ferrari fan in the crowd, without hesitation he picked him up and plonked him in the cockpit, then carried on pushing the car, whilst shouting "left a bit, right a bit"to the lad in perfect english! . I'd always suspected that he was a genuinely nice person and that episode confirmed it. 

 

RIP. 

[Sterzo]

There's a decent obituary in The Times today, here for those who have a subscription:

 

https://www.thetimes...tuary-m7qr25b5t

 

Amongst other things, they say: "Tambay was let go by Ferrari after the 1983 season — his decision to skip a post-race briefing to watch the French Open tennis final did not impress his bosses..." I hope that's true, given he was perhaps motivated more by the pleasure of driving than an obsessive need to beat people.

[FLB]

There's a decent obituary in The Times today, here for those who have a subscription:

 

https://www.thetimes...tuary-m7qr25b5t

 

Amongst other things, they say: "Tambay was let go by Ferrari after the 1983 season — his decision to skip a post-race briefing to watch the French Open tennis final did not impress his bosses..." I hope that's true, given he was perhaps motivated more by the pleasure of driving than an obsessive need to beat people.

Well, Yannick Noah is still to this day the only Frenchman to win Roland-Garros. The final was on the weekend of Detroit (5 June 1983).

 

The other thing is that Tambay and Forghieri's relationship had deteriorated at Monaco. Tambay, who knew the local weather patterns well (Cannes) wanted to start on slicks like Rosberg. Forghieri was opposed... and in the French-version of Autocourse 83-84, Tambay was apparently very cross with Forghieri after the race.

 

So I can well imagine a scenario with Tambay going back to his hotel room to watch his countryman, all while telling Forghieri 'Why would I attend that briefing instead of watching Roland-Garros if you don't care what I have to say?' 

 

Especially as his race that weekend was... Oh... 15cm long (the car stalled on the grid).  

Edited by FLB, 09 December 2022 - 13:08.

[john winfield]

Patrick's obituary in Autosport, by Adam Cooper:

 

 https://www.autospor...ge-73/10408068/

 

 

and in Motor Sport, by Andy Marriott:

 

https://www.motorspo...s-ups-and-downs

[10kDA]

RIP Patrick Tambay. Made it look effortless in the Haas-Hall Lola T333.

 

With Bobby Rahal - photo by Richard Kelley.

 

[LittleChris]

This video tells you everything you need to know about the man. This is from Rouen 1977 (F2). He collided with Arnoux at the start. Naturally he was a bit angry. You can see that Arnoux is somewhat tense, as the car is stuck on the track. Tambay runs towards him... but the man from Cannes helped his rival get it off the track ASAP before the other cars came around instead of arguing 

 

 

I think that's Ingo Hoffman to the right of the picture coming off the grass. Anyone know where he qualified because he's definitely involved in pushing Patrick into Rene

[GazChed]

According to autosportworld.info Patrick Tambay qualified second, Rene Arnoux fourth and Ingo Hoffman sixth, so all in close proximity at the start.

[GazChed]

It looks like a typical frantic Formula Two start of the period (I can remember at least two Thruxton Formula Two races starting with a first corner shunt which the marshals cleared before the cars came round to complete their first lap and the races carried on without being stopped...). I would say it was a racing incident, with Patrick having slightly missed the start and dropped back from his starting position allowing Arnoux and Hoffman to get alongside him. Incidents like this are why we have ended up with spaced-out 1-1-1 grids these days instead of the two by two or even 3-2-3 grids back then.

[Roger Clark]

In March 1984, DSJ wrote: "Even before the first corner Tambay had passed de Cesaris, Senna, Cheever and Watson and he was now slicing his way through the field in a smooth and determined fashion that reminded some of the older people present of Jimmy Clark."  It didn't happen; it was one of his imagined race reports but it shows how he rated Patrick Tambay.

[Michael Clark]

Roger was that the 'imagined report' where DSJ referred to Renault as something like 'Team Nice-Guy' in reference to Tambay and Warwick.

 

Some on this forum may recall that before he was 'MT the F3 entrant', he was 'MT the F2 correspondent for Motoring News'. MT called when he'd heard of Patrick's passing and said that when he'd had his near life-ending road accident as a passenger in a rental car near Richard, it was Patrick, in a following car, who "got me out of the car"

[Roger Clark]

Roger was that the 'imagined report' where DSJ referred to Renault as something like 'Team Nice-Guy' in reference to Tambay and Warwick.

 

 

That's the one. The article was signed HJ so Alan Henry should get some of the credit, or blame.

[john winfield]

I think that's Ingo Hoffman to the right of the picture coming off the grass. Anyone know where he qualified because he's definitely involved in pushing Patrick into Rene

 

As Gazched says, a typically frantic F2 start robbing us of some leading runners. At least this time it was just two, although Hoffman picked up a puncture, either as he clipped Patrick, or as he dropped a wheel on to the dirt. He crawled round for the first lap, then fought back to fifth, the fastest man on the track.  The qualifying times look a bit odd because half the field ran in the wet, half in the dry, so they took alternate places on the grid. Patrick fluffed his start, or at least took it carefully, Cheever and Pironi were away briskly, while Patrese (on the inside, our left) and Hoffman saw the chance to make up places before the first corner. And four abreast into the first sweeper was never going to work!

Patrick's ICI Newsweek Chevron was a great looking car, as was Patrese's Trivellato version