Patrick Depailler

Name: Patrick Depailler

Nationality: France

Date of birth: August 9, 1944 - Clermont Ferrand

Date of death: August 1, 1980 - Hockenheim, Germany

This little Frenchman grew up inspired by the example of his compatriot Jean Behra and, like his hero, developed into a racing driver who lived for the moment, a man who believed that everything would work out all right in the end. A typical example of this devil-may-care attitude was seen by Ken Tyrrell in the autumn of 1973. Having offered Patrick a chance of a wheel of his third Formula 1 entry in the end-of-season North American races, the Frenchman broke a leg horsing around on a motorcycle. Fortunately this gaffe did not prevent Patrick from being recruited into Ken's team on a full-time basis the following year, nominally replacing the late Francois Cevert. For the next five years, Depailler was a loyal and audacious member of the Tyrrell lineup, trying hard on every race outing and being rewarded for his efforts with a fine victory in the 1978 Monaco Grand Prix. In 1979 he switched to Ligier, winning the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama before sustaining serious injuries in a hang gliding accident which invalided him out for the rest of the season. He struggled back to fitness for the following year, joining the Alfa Romeo team for whom he was testing in preparation for the German Grand Prix when he was killed in a testing accident at Hockenheim.

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