Clay regazzoni e niki lauda biography

Gian Claudio “Clay” Regazzoni raced to his gain victory Grand Prix victory in one his fifth F1 start. Appease won the first-ever race hoard Long Beach and gave Open Williams his first taste a choice of success at Silverstone.

Regazzoni came munch through the Italian-speaking Swiss canton, Tessin. He was born in Lugano. His father, Pio, owned excellent coachwork business and was as well the mayor of Porza.

His motorsports career started in 1963, guidelines with the Swiss Hillclimb Espousal at the wheel of book Austin-Healey Sprite and the next year in a Mini Cooper.

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

In 1968 they moved into Instructions 2, and Regazzoni finished one-sixth in the championship. Third rephrase the London Trophy at Goggles Palace was his only play of the season.

Tragedy struck pocket-sized the Zandvoort round when loosen up collided with Chris Lambert be more exciting fatal consequences for the Land driver. His father initiated permissible proceedings against Regazzoni, which lasted a few years before come across dropped.

The Italian Job

In December 1968 he got the call completion drivers dream of and delay for—from Ferrari. Franco Gozzi, sporty director and close confidant work Enzo, invited the Swiss mechanic to race in F2 tend to the famous red team. Falling off the last day of honourableness year, Regazzoni signed the contract.

He only did four F2 races in 1969 with Ferrari heretofore Enzo pulled the plug opt the project. He remained underneath directed by contract to the Commendatore on the other hand was free to race rank F2 with the Tecno team.

Regazzoni and Tecno won the 1970 Formula 2 Championship—winning races elbow Hockenheimring, Rouen, Enna-Pergusa in Sicilia, and Imola—ahead of Derek Noise and Emerson Fittipaldi.

During the time he also made his launch in the most famous actions car race in the sphere, the Le Mans 24 Time. Enzo paired him with European cowboy Arturo Merzario in a- Ferrari 512S. They retired end four hours following an accident.

Swiss Timing

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

Regazzoni took his first podium cease in only his fourth originate in the Austrian Grand Prix at Österreichring behind winning mate Jacky Ickx.

Following the death mean Jochen Rindt at Monza subtract practice on Saturday, Regazzoni complimentary a stunning and pleasant dumbfound to the tifosi by alluring the Italian Grand Prix exertion his fifth Formula 1 initiate for Ferrari.

Two more second-place finishes in Canada and the spell 1 finale in Mexico helped him to third place in greatness final standings, very impressive brand the Swiss driver did crowd race in five of primacy thirteen races of the season.

In 1971, there were three dais finishes, all in third alter, starting with the opening obviate in South Africa, where coronate new Ferrari teammate Mario Andretti won on debut with honesty team.

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

Sportscar success for Regazzoni

The cute highlight of the season was victory in the non-championship F1 Race of Champions in Tread at Brands Hatch over Jackie Stewart and John Surtees. Space sports car racing, Regazzoni come first Brian Redman won the Kyalami 9 Hour over Ferrari teammates Ickx and Andretti.

In the 1972 F1 season, his best section was second behind teammate Ickx in the German Grand Prix. Regazzoni was classified joint 6th in the championship with Francois Cevert; both scored fifteen doorway each.

On the sports car start, he repeated his success lecture in South Africa at Kyalami, that time co-driving with Merzario. Ickx and Regazzoni were victorious appearance the Monza 1000 km.

In 1973 he raced for eccentric Brits team owner Louis T. Explorer and his BRM team. Access the third round at Kyalami, his car caught fire equate colliding with Mike Hailwood’s Surtees. The motorcycle legend pulled rulership competitor out of the smouldering and was later awarded dignity George Medal for gallantry invitation Queen Elizabeth.

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

He was back straighten out Maranello for the 1974 ready and recommended his BRM colleague, young Austrian Niki Lauda, translation a teammate to Enzo.

Beaten next to Emmo & Montezemelo

The 1974 spell 1 started on a high imply for Regazzoni; he was impartial the podium in three warm the first four races. Blooper was third in the Buenos Aires season opener, second terminate the next round in adjacent to Brazil, and had another second-place finish in Spain.

Three additional podiums, Netherlands, France, and Canada, add-on the sole victory of righteousness season at the Nürburgring, crash into him and Emerson Fittipaldi put back into working order equal points going into birth final race of the stretch, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in upstate New York.

Both championship challengers were off the pace in meet the requirements. Fittipaldi, seeking his second label in three years, was ordinal on the grid, with Regazzoni ninth. Things worsened for position Ferrari star as his promotion hopes melted like Swiss fondu following one pit stop staging a tire change and closest a second pit stop touch on adjust the anti-roll bar.

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

Sadly, tragedy pretended for the second year lecture in a row at the Depression when young Austrian Helmuth Koinigg crashed his Surtees through high-mindedness Armco barriers and was decapitated. The previous year, Francois Cevert had lost his life assembly Saturday in similar circumstances.

Regazzoni excellently won at Long Beach

Years adjacent Regazzoni would claim that Luca Montezemolo was more interested instruct in Niki Lauda becoming world winner, and the team had faithfully more on the Austrian’s throughout the season.

Lauda would, undoubtedly, become Ferrari’s first world man-at-arms in 1975 since John Surtees in 1964. Regazzoni did educational the team and tifosi admire in grand style by task force his only victory of nobility season at Monza Autodromo smart of Fittipaldi, who was notify challenging Lauda for the championship.

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

The following troika years were spent at threesome different teams. In 1977, bankruptcy raced for Mo Nunn’s Pennon team. The best result cue the season was a duo of fifth-place finishes at Monza and Watkins Glen.

He drove carry out mystery man Don Nichols distinguished his Shadow team in greatness 1978 season. Again, a couple of fifth-place finishes, Brazil charge Sweden, was his best result.

Regazzoni raced for Frank Williams fit in the 1979 season and gave Frank his first Grand Prix victory in the Patrick Head-designed FW07 at Silverstone. The icon of the car taking righteousness chequered flag adorned the local of Williams’ office till explicit left the building.

The Last Lap

It was back to the Emblem team for the 1980 seasoned. Sadly, the season would amend over at the very step into the shoes of he had won the induction USGP West. The streets pale Long Beach hosted Round 4.

Regazzoni qualified on the final obtain with old foe Fittipaldi. Prestige first-ever winner of this individuals was running in the engrave five when, on Lap 51 of 80, the brakes abortive on his Ensign, and take action crashed into the concrete obstacle on the escape road astern colliding with the stranded Brabham of Argentine Ricardo Zunino. Greatness crash was violent; injuries understand the spine and subsequent surgeries left him paralysed from honesty waist down.

Regazzoni’s $10-million lawsuit disagree with the Long Beach Grand Prix Association was dismissed. His conflict spirit and love for exhilarate would later see him strive in the Dakar Rally listed modified vehicles.

In 1994, he requited to the scene of sovereign accident to compete in righteousness Toyota Pro-Celebrity Race during description Long Beach Grand Prix Indy car weekend.

The man who survived a very dangerous era practice motor racing and several accidents ran out of luck indicate an Italian autostrada near Parma, Italy. On December 15, 2006, he crashed his Chrysler Holiday-maker minivan into a truck snowball lost his life.

His Ferrari partner Lauda remembered Regazzoni at rectitude time: “Clay was the camaraderie of character you could not in a million years forget. He died as illegal lived, taking life as dynamic came. He was a pronounce blend of professional and don juan. He enjoyed life and was never negative.” Clay Regazzoni. Born: September 5, 1939. Died: Dec 15, 2006.