Clay Regazzoni

Swiss racecar driver

Ferrari runner up, Williams pioneer

Clay Regazzoni won at Monza in his first season, came within reach of the 1974 title, and gave Williams its first Grand Prix victory.

Clay Regazzoni was born in Lugano, Switzerland, on September 5, 1939. He reached Formula 1 with Ferrari in 1970, starting at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix, and before that first season was over he had won the 1970 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He stayed with Ferrari through 1972 and spent 1973 with BRM.

Ferrari brought him back for 1974, and it became his strongest year. He won the German Grand Prix and finished as runner up to Emerson Fittipaldi in the championship. He won the Italian Grand Prix again in 1975 and took the 1976 United States Grand Prix West at Long Beach before leaving the team at the end of that season.

After spells with Ensign and Shadow, Regazzoni joined Williams for 1979. At the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone he won the race, the first Grand Prix victory in the history of the Williams team. Carlos Reutemann replaced him for 1980 and he returned to Ensign.

At the 1980 United States Grand Prix West he crashed heavily and was left paralyzed from the waist down, which ended his Formula 1 career. Our record shows 131 starts, 5 wins, 5 pole positions, 15 fastest laps and 28 podiums across 11 seasons, with Ferrari, BRM, Ensign, Shadow and Williams. He kept competing in hand controlled cars, including the Paris Dakar rally and the 12 Hours of Sebring, and became a television commentator in Italy in 1996. Regazzoni died in a road accident in 2006.

0 world titles, 5 wins, 5 pole positions, 131 starts.

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