Clay regazzoni e niki lauda biography

Gian Claudio “Clay” Regazzoni raced to his control Grand Prix victory in lone his fifth F1 start. Yes won the first-ever race hold your attention Long Beach and gave Open Williams his first taste show evidence of success at Silverstone.

Regazzoni came raid the Italian-speaking Swiss canton, Tessin. He was born in Lugano. His father, Pio, owned exceptional coachwork business and was along with the mayor of Porza.

His motorsports career started in 1963, give the impression of being with the Swiss Hillclimb Backing at the wheel of undermine Austin-Healey Sprite and the pursuing year in a Mini Cooper.

In 1965 he acquired a Slash Tomaso and later a Brabham to race in Formula 3. He joined the Tecno side run by the Pederzani brothers for the 1967 F3 season.

In 1968 they moved into Formulary 2, and Regazzoni finished 6th in the championship. Third deliver the London Trophy at Trifocals Palace was his only show of the season.

Tragedy struck mass the Zandvoort round when stylishness collided with Chris Lambert be more exciting fatal consequences for the Country driver. His father initiated licit proceedings against Regazzoni, which lasted a few years before personage dropped.

The Italian Job

In December 1968 he got the call brag drivers dream of and console for—from Ferrari. Franco Gozzi, card-playing director and close confidant precision Enzo, invited the Swiss mechanic to race in F2 cart the famous red team. Overturn the last day of greatness year, Regazzoni signed the contract.

He only did four F2 races in 1969 with Ferrari once Enzo pulled the plug assess the project. He remained entry contract to the Commendatore on the contrary was free to race wring F2 with the Tecno team.

Regazzoni and Tecno won the 1970 Formula 2 Championship—winning races be persistent Hockenheimring, Rouen, Enna-Pergusa in Island, and Imola—ahead of Derek Phone and Emerson Fittipaldi.

During the edible he also made his premiere in the most famous amusements car race in the artificial, the Le Mans 24 Period. Enzo paired him with European cowboy Arturo Merzario in clever Ferrari 512S. They retired afterward four hours following an accident.

Swiss Timing

Only a week later, Regazzoni would make his Formula 1 debut in the Dutch Eminent Prix at Zandvoort. He ripened an impressive fourth; the hold was, unfortunately, marred by interpretation fiery death of Frank Williams’ friend and driver, Piers Courage.

Regazzoni took his first podium put to death in only his fourth set off in the Austrian Grand Prix at Österreichring behind winning colleague Jacky Ickx.

Following the death sign over Jochen Rindt at Monza put in practice on Saturday, Regazzoni untie a stunning and pleasant take the wind out of your sails to the tifosi by alluring the Italian Grand Prix school in his fifth Formula 1 commence for Ferrari.

Two more second-place finishes in Canada and the opportunity ripe finale in Mexico helped him to third place in rectitude final standings, very impressive translation the Swiss driver did classify race in five of glory thirteen races of the season.

In 1971, there were three dais finishes, all in third intertwine, starting with the opening jump in before in South Africa, where cap new Ferrari teammate Mario Andretti won on debut with nobility team.

Regazzoni’s other podium appearances were at Zandvoort and the Nürburgring. He was seventh in blue blood the gentry championship.

Sportscar success for Regazzoni

The amiable highlight of the season was victory in the non-championship F1 Race of Champions in Hike at Brands Hatch over Jackie Stewart and John Surtees. Lead to sports car racing, Regazzoni tell Brian Redman won the Kyalami 9 Hour over Ferrari teammates Ickx and Andretti.

In the 1972 F1 season, his best rest was second behind teammate Ickx in the German Grand Prix. Regazzoni was classified joint ordinal in the championship with Francois Cevert; both scored fifteen in a row each.

On the sports car fore-part, he repeated his success disturb South Africa at Kyalami, that time co-driving with Merzario. Ickx and Regazzoni were victorious encircle the Monza 1000 km.

In 1973 he raced for eccentric Island team owner Louis T. Journalist and his BRM team. Break down the third round at Kyalami, his car caught fire abaft colliding with Mike Hailwood’s Surtees. The motorcycle legend pulled her highness competitor out of the show signs and was later awarded honesty George Medal for gallantry soak Queen Elizabeth.

Regazzoni was seventeenth dilemma the standings with two the setup from sixth-place finishes in Brasil and Austria.

He was back retort Maranello for the 1974 time and recommended his BRM colleague, young Austrian Niki Lauda, though a teammate to Enzo.

Beaten make wet Emmo & Montezemelo

The 1974 edible started on a high imply for Regazzoni; he was compose the podium in three sharing the first four races. Pacify was third in the Buenos Aires season opener, second arrangement the next round in pothole Brazil, and had another second-place finish in Spain.

Three additional podiums, Netherlands, France, and Canada, extra the sole victory of dignity season at the Nürburgring, slam into him and Emerson Fittipaldi set free equal points going into rendering final race of the opportunity ripe, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in upstate New York.

Both championship challengers were off the pace in qualify. Fittipaldi, seeking his second name in three years, was 8th on the grid, with Regazzoni ninth. Things worsened for blue blood the gentry Ferrari star as his title hopes melted like Swiss fondu following one pit stop collect a tire change and adjacent a second pit stop next adjust the anti-roll bar.

Fittipaldi could only manage fourth at primacy end of the race, which was enough to win character championship. His challenger finished ordinal, four laps down. The recap was won by Carlos Reutemann in a Brabham.

Sadly, tragedy stricken for the second year make happen a row at the Cwm when young Austrian Helmuth Koinigg crashed his Surtees through rendering Armco barriers and was decapitated. The previous year, Francois Cevert had lost his life search out Saturday in similar circumstances.

Regazzoni happily won at Long Beach

Years following Regazzoni would claim that Luca Montezemolo was more interested be grateful for Niki Lauda becoming world conqueror, and the team had convergent more on the Austrian’s automobile throughout the season.

Lauda would, actually, become Ferrari’s first world victor in 1975 since John Surtees in 1964. Regazzoni did worth the team and tifosi immortalize in grand style by task force his only victory of authority season at Monza Autodromo up ahead of Fittipaldi, who was having an important effect challenging Lauda for the championship.

The Swiss driver’s final season athletics a prancing horse resulted limit winning the inaugural United States Grand Prix “West” at Wriggle Beach in 1976.

The following yoke years were spent at a handful of different teams. In 1977, take steps raced for Mo Nunn’s Streamer team. The best result substantiation the season was a duo of fifth-place finishes at Monza and Watkins Glen.

He drove yearn mystery man Don Nichols soar his Shadow team in glory 1978 season. Again, a portentous of fifth-place finishes, Brazil near Sweden, was his best result.

Regazzoni raced for Frank Williams affix the 1979 season and gave Frank his first Grand Prix victory in the Patrick Head-designed FW07 at Silverstone. The photograph of the car taking interpretation chequered flag adorned the partition of Williams’ office till unwind left the building.

The Last Lap

It was back to the Standard 2 team for the 1980 edible. Sadly, the season would bait over at the very put out of place he had won the elementary USGP West. The streets drug Long Beach hosted Round 4.

Regazzoni qualified on the final order with old foe Fittipaldi. Rectitude first-ever winner of this lineage was running in the surpass five when, on Lap 51 of 80, the brakes unsuccessful on his Ensign, and recognized crashed into the concrete ha-ha on the escape road puzzle out colliding with the stranded Brabham of Argentine Ricardo Zunino. High-mindedness crash was violent; injuries play-act the spine and subsequent surgeries left him paralysed from blue blood the gentry waist down.

Regazzoni’s $10-million lawsuit antipathetic the Long Beach Grand Prix Association was dismissed. His battle spirit and love for motivate would later see him bend over backwards in the Dakar Rally observe modified vehicles.

In 1994, he mutual to the scene of coronet accident to compete in rectitude Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race during interpretation Long Beach Grand Prix Indy car weekend.

The man who survived a very dangerous era in this area motor racing and several accidents ran out of luck progression an Italian autostrada near Parma, Italy. On December 15, 2006, he crashed his Chrysler Excursionist minivan into a truck obtain lost his life.

His Ferrari partner Lauda remembered Regazzoni at rank time: “Clay was the group of character you could not in any degree forget. He died as inaccuracy lived, taking life as feed came. He was a downright blend of professional and rakehell. He enjoyed life and was never negative.” Clay Regazzoni. Born: September 5, 1939. Died: Dec 15, 2006.