Riccardo Patrese
 Patrese in 1993 | |
| Born | Riccardo Gabriele Patrese 17 April 1954 Padua,Italy |
|---|---|
| Formula OneWorld Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Italian |
| Active years | 1977–1993 |
| Teams | Shadow,Arrows,Brabham,Alfa Romeo,Williams,Benetton |
| Entries | 257 (256 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 37 |
| Career points | 281 |
| Pole positions | 8 |
| Fastest laps | 13 |
| First entry | 1977 Monaco Grand Prix |
| First win | 1982 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1992 Japanese Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1993 Australian Grand Prix |
Riccardo Gabriele Patrese[1](born 17 April 1954)[2]is an Italian formerracing driver,who raced inFormula Onefrom1977to1993.
He became the first Formula One driver to achieve 200 Grand Prix starts when he appeared at the1990 British Grand Prix,and then became the first to achieve 250 starts at the1993 German Grand Prix.For 19 years, he heldthe record for the most Formula One Grand Prix starts,with 256 races from 257 entries. As of the end of the2023season he is thetenth-most experienced F1 driver in history.At the age of 38 he was runner-up toNigel Mansellin the1992 Formula One World Championship,and third in1989and1991.He won six Formula One races, with a record gap of over six years between two of these – the1983 South African Grand Prixand1990 San Marino Grand Prix.[3]
Patrese also competed at theWorld Sportscar Championshipfor theLanciafactory team, finishing runner-up in1982and collecting eight wins.
Early life and career
[edit]Born inPadua,Veneto,[4]Patrese started driving karts at age 9.[5]Growing up near the Italian Alps, he was also selected for the Italian national ski team as a teenager, and was in addition a competitive swimmer.[6][7]In 1974, he won theKarting World Championshipat theEstoril circuit,finishing ahead of second-placed teammate and fellow future F1 driverEddie Cheever.[5][7]He received an offer to drive in Formula Italia the following year, finishing second in the championship to another future F1 racer,Bruno Giacomelli.[5]In 1976, he moved up to Formula 3, winning both theItalianandEuropean Formula 3championships.[5][7]The following year he moved toFormula 2[5]before making his Formula One debut midway through the year.
Formula One career
[edit]Shadow and Arrows
[edit]
He made his debut at the1977 Monaco Grand Prixwith theShadowracing team sponsored by Italian businessmanFranco Ambrosio,replacingRenzo Zorzi.[7]He took his first point at theJapanese Grand Prixlater that year.[7]Later that year team-leaderJackie Oliverand sponsor Ambrosio left Shadow to form theArrowsteam. Patrese and Shadow teammateAlan Jonesboth received offers from theWilliamsteam for 1978: whilst Jones joined Williams, Patrese linked up with Arrows, alongsideRolf Stommelen.[7]Shadow subsequently took Arrows to court, arguing that Arrows had stolen the design of the Shadow DN9 that Arrows and were essentially running a DN9 under a different name. The court agreed, forcing Arrows to design and construct a totally new car, the Arrows A1, which became the first of the Arrows F1 bloodline.
In1978Patrese very nearly won Arrows' second race, theSouth African Grand Prix,until engine failure forced him to retire 15 laps from the end. He subsequently took second at theSwedish Grand PrixbehindNiki Lauda'sBrabham BT46B"fan car", in its only appearance before being withdrawn.[7]However, his driving style was perceived by some established drivers, such asRonnie PetersonandJames Hunt,as being over-aggressive.[6]Later that year, at the Italian Grand Prix, Patrese's reputation for aggressive driving was blamed for a first lap major incident. In part, one of the causes suggested was a premature start by the Monza race director, leading to cars at the rear of the field catching up to those in the midfield that had been fully stopped when the green signal was given.[8]This being said, Patrese, Peterson, and 8 others were involved in a 10-car pile-up before turn one, causing a stoppage of the race. Peterson, whose injuries from the chain reaction wreck were not in and of themselves life-threatening, died from anembolismthe day after the Grand Prix.
By the next race, theUnited States Grand Prix,five top drivers - Hunt, Lauda,Mario Andretti,Emerson FittipaldiandJody Scheckter- declared that unless Patrese was banned from the race that they would withdraw. The race organizers agreed to this: although Patrese later stated that he obtained a ruling from a local judge inWatkins Glenstating that the ban was a violation of hisright to work,Arrows decided to withdraw his entry due to pressure from the organizers and the FIA. He returned to competition at the following race, theCanadian Grand Prix,where he finished fourth.[6][7]
For years after the crash which caused Peterson's death, Hunt (along with other drivers) blamed Patrese for starting the accident, and viewers of Hunt's commentaries of Formula One races from 1980 to 1993 onBBC Televisionwere regularly treated to bitter diatribes against Patrese when the Italian appeared on screen. Hunt believed that it was Patrese's muscling past that caused the McLaren driven by Hunt and the Lotus driven by Peterson to touch, but Patrese argued that he was already well ahead of the pair before the accident took place. Patrese, together with race director Gianni Restilli, stood trial in Italian criminal court on manslaughter charges for Peterson's death. Both were cleared of wrongdoing on 28 October 1981.[8]
Two of Patrese's most notable performances during his Arrows years were at theUnited States Grand Prix WestinLong Beach,where he finished second in1980and took pole position inthe following year:he led the latter race before being forced to retire by a blocked fuel filter.[7]
Brabham
[edit]
In1982Patrese moved toBrabhamand gained his maiden win at that year'sMonaco Grand Prixin rather sensational circumstances. Patrese took the lead whenAlain Prostcrashed out, only to spin in dampening conditions on the next lap. This left him third behindDidier PironiandAndrea de Cesaris,who both stopped on the final lap – Pironi with an electrical fault and de Cesaris out of fuel. Later that season he also led theAustrian Grand Prixbut retired due to an engine failure.[7]Patrese finished the season tenth, just ahead of his teammateNelson Piquet.1983proved to be a more difficult season. Patrese crashed out late in the race while leading at San Marino - to the cheers of thetifosi,as his shunt meant that he handed the race win toFerraridriverPatrick Tambay.[7]He also took pole on home ground at theItalian Grand Prix,before his engine blew up in the early stages of the race: in a 2010 interview he said he suspected that his engine had been left in its qualifying trim, rendering it extremely powerful but fragile, as he had not been offered a new contract for the following year, and had been reluctant to sacrifice his chances of winning his home Grand Prix for teammateNelson Piquet,who was fighting for the World Championship.[7]Despite scoring a second win at theSouth African Grand Prix,Patrese only finished ninth while Piquet claimed his second Drivers' Championship title. It would be seven years before he made another visit to the top step of thepodium.
Alfa Romeo
[edit]
A move toAlfa Romeoin1984delivered two lacklustre seasons resulting in eight world championship points and a single visit to the podium at the1984 Italian Grand Prix.Patrese and teammate, American Eddie Cheever, were hampered by cars with Alfa Romeo 890TV8turbo engines that proved too thirsty for the amount of fuel they were allowed to carry (220 litres). Often both drivers drove good races to be in the points, only to run out of fuel two or three laps from the finish dropping them out of the points. Indeed, Patrese's 3rd place atMonzain 1984 (to date the final podium finish for Alfa Romeo in F1) came at the expense of Cheever who was robbed of a podium finish when his car ran out of fuel 6 laps from the finish.
The pair were also hampered by their cars.1984'sAlfa Romeo 184Tproved fast in qualifying, but fuel restrictions saw them well off the pace in most races. The 1985 car, the185Tproved to be even less competitive to the point that halfway through the season the team replaced it with an updated version of the 184T (dubbed the 184TB). Although the updated car did prove faster, results were not forthcoming. In an interview in 2000, Patrese described the 185T as "the worst car I ever drove".
At the1985 Monaco Grand Prix,Patrese's former teammate Nelson Piquet began his 14th lap and was attempting to lap Patrese as they crossed the start/finish line. The cars made contact, and Patrese went into a spin while Piquet lost his suspension. Patrese then bounced off the wall and back into Piquet, and both drivers were out of the race.[9]
Return to Brabham
[edit]In1986Patrese returned to Brabham alongsidefellow ItalianElio de Angelis,but by now the team was a spent force and would never again take a driver to victory in a grand prix. Two more winless seasons followed despite the team'sBMWengine being considered at the time to be the most powerful on the grid. Despite the trials of uncompetitive machinery, Patrese never publicly criticised the team and earned respect throughout the sport for his professionalism.
Williams
[edit]
Toward the end of the1987 season,Patrese was given the chance to revitalise what seemed to be a declining career when theWilliamsdriverNigel Mansellwas injured whilst qualifying for theJapanese Grand Prix.With the help of Brabham owner and Formula One bossBernie Ecclestone,Patrese tested theWilliams FW11Bat Imola, where he set a time that was half a second quicker thanAyrton Senna's pole atthat year's San Marino Grand Prix,[7]and was drafted in to replace Mansell for the season's finale inAustralia.
Patrese had already been signed by Williams management to beNelson Piquet's replacement for the1988season as the 1987 and triple World Champion was off toLotusto replaceAyrton Sennawho had signed withMcLaren(Honda were staying with Lotus for 1988 but Williams had lost their Honda engines to McLaren). However, 1988 saw Williams struggling with an uncompetitive car powered by non-turbochargedJuddV8 engines. Patrese and Mansell were also hampered in the first half of the season by theWilliams FW12's reactive suspension not working properly. It wasn't until theBritish Grand PrixatSilverstonethat Williams dumped the reactive suspension for a more conventional one and the FW12s became competitive.
At the1988 Spanish Grand Prix,Patrese was finedUS$10,000 for 'brake testing' theTyrrellof F1 rookieJulian Baileyduring qualifying which caused theTyrrell 017to launch its front wheels in the air when Bailey ran into the back of the Williams. One unnamed driver allegedly said of the incident"They should fine him his bloody retainer. There are enough accidental shunts in this business without someone deliberately causing one".[10]
It was not until1989and the arrival of theV10Renaultengines that Patrese and his new teammateThierry Boutsenwere able to challenge for race wins. In his record-breaking 176th Grands Prix, Patrese led the first race of the year inBrazil(the first time he led a Grand Prix since 1983) including setting a new lap record of theAutódromo Internacional Nelson Piquetbefore stopping with an engine failure.[7]In what would prove to be his best season since 1983, he achieved an impressive 3rd place in the Drivers' Championship, taking no wins but securing 6 podium finishes, including 4 second places, as well as claiming pole position inHungary,a race he confidently led under constant pressure from reigning World Champion Ayrton Senna in hisMcLaren-HondaV10 until lap 54 when a holed radiator forced his retirement.
In1990,Patrese finally won his third Grand Prix at the1990 San Marino Grand Prix,though the competitiveness of the Renault poweredFW13Bwith what many felt were two "number two" drivers waned in the second half of the year as McLaren, Ferrari and laterBenettonwith theirFordV8 enginestook the ascendancy and he finished the1990Drivers' Championship in 7th place.
In1991Nigel Mansell returned to Williams after two seasons withFerrariand, together with Patrese, the team became genuine contenders for both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. Two wins inMexicoandPortugalgave Patrese his most competitive F1 season thus far and a respectable third place behind Championship contenders Mansell and Senna. In addition he took four pole positions across the season.[7]Patrese also out qualified Mansell at every race until the halfway point of the season at Silverstone for theBritish Grand Prix,and provided much support for the Englishman's title chase at races such asItalyandPortugal.
Williams dominated F1 in1992and Patrese continued to deliver in his role of second driver to Nigel Mansell, moving out of the way for Mansell while leading comfortably at that year'sFrench Grand Prix.Again Patrese handled the delicate situation about team orders diplomatically, repeatedly offering a "No comment" to questions about the team orders that had been imposed on him at the red flag period of the French race. Patrese took a single win at theJapanese Grand Prixand had eight other podium finishes, including six second-place results. After his retirement Patrese stated that Mansell had the edge over him that season because of Mansell's greater upper body strength, as the car's steering was heavy due to the amount of downforce it generated combined with the absence ofpower steering,whilst Patrese's skill in low speed corners was negated by the car'straction control system.[7]
WithAlain Prost,Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell all desperately trying to sign for Williams, Patrese's position looked to be under threat and he signed for the Benetton team before the end of the year. His teammate for1993would be young German driverMichael Schumacher.Ironically, only Prost was able to agree terms with Williams for 1993 (Mansell went on to race in the American-basedChamp Carseries while Prost had a clause in his contract, signed in early 1992, that prevented Senna from being his teammate). This would have left a seat free for Patrese had he remained with the team. Although Williams offered Patrese the opportunity to stay with the team after Mansell announced his retirement from F1 at theItalian Grand Prix,he felt he could not go back on his word to Benetton.[7]The number two seat at Williams went to the team's test driverDamon Hill,the son of the1962and1968World ChampionGraham Hill.
Benetton
[edit]
While Williams continued to dominate F1 in1993,Patrese found it difficult to get along with team managerFlavio Briatore,sensing that the team's concentration was on his new teammateMichael Schumacher.Patrese would also describe theBenetton B193with its Ford HBA8 V8 as a step down in quality compared to the much more sophisticated Williams cars he had been driving for the previous five years. After scoring 56 points and finishing 2nd in the World Championship in 1992, Patrese scored 20 points to finish 5th in 1993 with a best finish of 2nd inHungaryin what was to prove to be his final season in Formula One. Before the end of the season Briatore informed Patrese that he was "free to seek an alternate drive".Ligiermade Patrese an offer for 1994 but seeing it as a further step down in his career, he decided against it.
Retirement
[edit]As most top teams already had drivers signed for1994,Patrese opted for retirement and brought what was then the longest F1 career in history to a conclusion. Patrese was invited to rejoin Williams in 1994 to fill the seat of Ayrton Senna after his fatal accident at Imola, but ultimately decided against returning to Formula One. ADTMtest withMercedes-Benzin July 1994 did not come to fruition either.[11]In the second half of 1996, as thanks for his years of service to Williams, the team invited Patrese to test their latest car, theFW18,at Silverstone, with the Italian reportedly setting a time that would have placed him on the second row of the grid for that year's British Grand Prix.
After this, Patrese competed in the24 Hours of Le Mansin 1997. He drove aNissan R390 GT1for the Nissan factory team; the car was third fastest in qualifying but was forced to retire with gearbox problems. After retiring from racing, he took upshow jumping,following in the footsteps of his daughters who have competed in the sport internationally.[7]He won an Italian national amateur title before retiring from equestrianism in 2014.[12]Outside of competition, he is a keen collector ofmodel railways,in particular those manufactured byMärklin.[6]
In 2005 he returned to racing in the inaugural season of theGrand Prix Mastersformula for retired F1 drivers. He finished third behind his former teammate Nigel Mansell andEmerson Fittipaldiin the sole 2005 race atKyalami,South Africa. His 2006 season was less successful with a 10th-place finish atLosailinQatarand a 6th atSilverstone.
Patrese'srecordof 257 Grand Prix entries, set in a period when a typical F1 season was limited to 16 races, stood for 15 years, surviving the Schumacher era when Michael Schumacher retired on 250 race entries.Rubens Barrichellofinally surpassed Patrese's total, recording his 258th Grand Prix entry at the2008 Turkish Grand Prix.[13]As part of the "handover", Patrese tested aHondaRA107atJerezon 9 September (Barrichello was driving for Honda at the time).[14][15]Schumacher subsequently came out of retirement and became the second driver to surpass Patrese's former record.
In July 2018 it was announced that Patrese would come out of retirement to compete at theSpa 24 Hoursthat month, competing in the pro-am category in aJAS Motorsport-runHonda NSX GT3with Loïc Depailler (the son of former F1 driverPatrick Depailler),Bertrand BaguetteandEsteban Guerrieri.[16][12]
Riccardo's sonLorenzo Patresealso became a racing driver alongside being ahorse rider.He started single-seater racing in the2020 Italian F4 Championship.[17]
Racing record
[edit]Career summary
[edit] |
- ^Between Patrese andAlessandro Nannini,race organisers did not publish which driver set fastest lap.
Complete European Formula 3 results
[edit](key) (Races inboldindicate pole position) (Races initalicsindicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Trivellato Racing Team | Toyota | NÜR 3 |
ZAN 1 |
MAN 2 |
AVU 20 |
PER 1 |
MNZ 1 |
CET 3 |
KAS 1 |
KNU DNQ |
VAL 2 |
1st | 52 |
Complete European Formula Two Championship results
[edit](key) (Races inboldindicate pole position; races initalicsindicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Trivellato Racing Team | Chevron B35 | BMW | SIL 6 |
THR 5 |
HOC 3 |
NÜR Ret |
4th | 32 | |||||||||
| Chevron B40 | VAL 8 |
PAU 3 |
MUG 2 |
ROU 2 |
NOG 2 |
PER Ret |
MIS Ret |
EST 6 |
||||||||||
| Chevron B42 | DON Ret | |||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Chevron Cars | Chevron B42 | Hart | THR | HOC | NÜR Ret |
PAU | MUG | VAL | ROU | DON | NOG | PER | MIS | HOC | NC | 0 | |
Source:[18]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Complete Formula One World Championship results
[edit](key) (Races inboldindicate pole position / Races initalicsindicate fastest lap)
†Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
[edit]| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Martini Racing
|
Piercarlo Ghinzani Hans Heyer
|
Lancia Beta Monte Carlo | Gr.5 | 186 | DNF | DNF |
| 1982 | Martini Racing
|
Piercarlo GhinzaniHans Heyer
|
Lancia LC1 | Gr.6 | 152 | DNF | DNF |
| 1997 |  Nissan Motorsport TWR
|
 Eric van de PoeleAguri Suzuki
|
Nissan R390 GT1 | GT1 | 121 | DNF | DNF |
Complete Super Tourenwagen Cup results
[edit](key) (Races inboldindicate pole position) (Races initalicsindicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Ford Mondeo Team Schübel | Ford Mondeo 4x4 | ZOL 1 18 |
ZOL 2 Ret |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
ÖST 1 Ret |
ÖST 2 DNS |
HOC 1 Ret |
HOC 2 DNS |
NÜR 1 21 |
NÜR 2 Ret |
SAL 1 24 |
SAL 2 Ret |
AVU 1 Ret |
AVU 2 DNS |
NÜR 1 19 |
NÜR 2 Ret |
35th | 5 |
Source:[20]
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Complete Grand Prix Masters results
[edit](key) Races inboldindicate pole position, races initalicsindicate fastest lap.
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Team Goldpfeil | Delta MotorsportGPM | Nicholson McLaren 3.5V8 | RSA 3 |
||||
| 2006 | Team INA | Delta MotorsportGPM | Nicholson McLaren 3.5V8 | QAT 10 |
ITA C |
GBR 6 |
MAL C |
RSA C |
Source:[19]
| ||||||||
References
[edit]- ^FIA Year Book of Automobile Sport 1979.Patrick Stephens Ltd. white p. 39.ISBN0-85059-320-4.
- ^"Birthday's today".The Telegraph.17 April 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 17 April 2012.Retrieved14 April2014.
Mr Riccardo Patrese, former racing driver, 58
- ^"Riccardo Patrese: F1 Legend Despite an Unfulfilled Career".20 April 2020.
- ^"Drivers: Riccardo Patrese".grandprix.com.Retrieved28 October2014.
- ^abcde"Biography".rpatrese.net. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2014.Retrieved28 October2014.
- ^abcdWiddows, Rob (November 2007)."Patrese: more sinned against than sinning?".Motor Sport.pp. 98–101.Retrieved29 July2018.
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrTaylor, Simon(May 2010)."Lunch with... Riccardo Patrese".Motor Sport.pp. 84–90.Retrieved29 July2018.
- ^ab"Monza Defendants Cleared in Fatal Crash".The Tampa Tribune.29 October 1981. p. 74.Retrieved30 May2019– via Newspapers.com.
- ^"Throwback: Piquet and Patrese's dramatic exit from the 1985 Monaco GP".Fox Sports.Retrieved16 October2019.
- ^Patrese Bailey Spain 1988 qualification
- ^"Patrese's DTM Test (from Autosport)".riccardopatrese.com.7 July 1994.Retrieved18 November2022.
- ^abWatkins, Gary (27 July 2018)."Ex-F1 racer Riccardo Patrese explains Spa 24 Hours comeback".autosport.com.Retrieved29 July2018.
- ^Baker, Andrew (12 May 2008)."Rubens Barrichello breaks 257th race record".The Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2013.Retrieved27 September2013.
- ^"Patrese to test for Honda F1".grandprix.com. 8 September 2008.Retrieved9 September2008.
- ^"Patrese's F1 dream comes true".autosport.com. 10 September 2008.Retrieved10 September2008.
- ^Watkins, Gary (17 July 2018)."Ex-F1 driver Riccardo Patrese to make racing return in Spa 24 Hours".autosport.com.Retrieved29 July2018.
- ^Wood, Ida (30 September 2020)."Patrese Jr and Rosberg protege Barnard to debut in cars in Italian F4".Formula Scout.Retrieved11 November2023.
- ^abcd"Riccardo Patrese Results".Motorsport Stats.Retrieved31 August2023.
- ^ab"Riccardo Patrese".Motor Sport.Retrieved31 August2023.
- ^ab"Riccardo Patrese race results".TouringCars.net.Retrieved31 August2023.
- ^Small, Steve (2000). "Riccardo Patrese".Grand Prix Who's Who(Third ed.). Reading, Berkshire: Travel Publishing. pp. 425–429.ISBN978-1-902007-46-5.Retrieved31 August2023– via Internet Archive.
- ^"Ricardo Patrese".Automobile Club de l'Ouest.Retrieved31 August2023.
External links
[edit]
| Founders |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Team Principal | ||
| Current personnel |
| |
| Former personnel |
| |
| Race drivers | ||
| Driver academy | ||
| World Champions | ||
| Former drivers | ||
| Drivers' titles | ||
| Constructors' titles | ||
| Race winners | ||
| Formula Onecars | ||
| Formula Twocars | ||
| Le Mans prototypes | ||
| Rally cars | ||
| Touring cars | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1954 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Padua
- Italian racing drivers
- Italian Formula One drivers
- Alfa Romeo Formula One drivers
- Arrows Formula One drivers
- Benetton Formula One drivers
- Brabham Formula One drivers
- Shadow Formula One drivers
- Williams Formula One drivers
- Formula One race winners
- European Formula Two Championship drivers
- FIA European Formula 3 Championship drivers
- Grand Prix Masters drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- Karting World Championship drivers
- World Sportscar Championship drivers
- Nismo drivers
- BMW M drivers
- 24 Hours of Spa drivers