Patrick Tambay Obituary

Patrick Daniel Tambay was a French racing driver, politician, and commentator. Tambay, who was born in 1949, made his F1 debut in 1977 with Team Surtees and Theodore Racing before joining McLaren the following year.

He raced in 123 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, winning twice, claiming five pole positions, and accruing 103 Championship points.

Tambay also raced four times in the Le Mans 24 Hours, and he was back in a car for the Grand Prix Masters series as recently as 2006.

Tambay founded his own sports promotion company in Switzerland in 1987, but he sold it in 1989 to return to racing. He raced a Jaguar in the World Sportscar Championship in 1989 and finished fourth in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Tambay was active with the Larrousse team for a short time, beginning in 1994 as a partnership with friend and business associate Michael Golay.

Tambay worked as a commentator for French television after retiring from full-time racing. He was also the deputy mayor of Le Cannet, a Cannes suburb.

Patrick Tambay died on 4 December 2022 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years.