Patrick The Patrick Depailler Tribute
Patrick André Eugčne Joseph Depailler (born in Clermont-Ferrand, 9 August 1944 - died 1 August 1980) was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on July 2, 1972. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.
As a child, he was inspired by Jean Behra. Talented and charismatic, Depailler never quite drove the kind of machinery his talent deserved, joining a Tyrrell team that was beginning a long, slow decline, eventually moving to the erratic Ligier team before finally ending up with the revived Alfa Romeo squad in 1980. It was for this final team, which Depailler was helping to advance up the grid, for which he was driving at a private test session at Hockenheim on August 1st, 1980, when a suspension failure pitched his car into the armco at the high-speed Ostkurve, inflicting fatal head injuries when the vehicle overturned and vaulted the barrier. The Alfa Romeo skidded along the top of the guard rail for several hundred feet prior to flipping onto its top.
Depailler had worked his way back from a hang-gliding accident the previous year. He had equipped his car with special brakes designed to toughen his leg muscles. He was driving in pain while practicing for the 1980 German Grand Prix on August 10.[2]
Author: RWRMotorsports
Keywords: Depailler.Born in 1944 died 1980.RIP Patrick...F1 Patrick Depailler Ligier Tyrell P34 Monaco 1980
Added: January 10, 2008
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