Patience rewarded at Monaco

Patrick Depailler collected podium after podium for Tyrrell before winning at Monaco in 1978, then added a second victory with Ligier.

Patrick Depailler was born in Clermont Ferrand, France, on August 9, 1944. He made his name in Formula Two and sports cars in the early 1970s, and Tyrrell gave him two outings in 1972, starting with his debut at the 1972 French Grand Prix and then the United States race at Watkins Glen.

For 1974 Tyrrell chose him and Jody Scheckter to replace the retired Jackie Stewart and the late François Cevert. In only his ninth Grand Prix he took pole position in Sweden and finished second behind his teammate. Over the following seasons he drove Tyrrell's unusual six wheeled car and was a frequent visitor to the podium, with second places in 1976 in Sweden, France and Japan among them.

Victory took time. He stood on the podium 15 times before finally winning, at the 1978 Monaco Grand Prix, which still shares the record for the most podiums before a first win. He joined Ligier for 1979 and won the Spanish Grand Prix that season, his second and last victory.

Depailler moved to the revived Alfa Romeo team for 1980. His last race was the 1980 British Grand Prix, and in August 1980 he was killed during a private test session at Hockenheim. Our record lists 95 starts, 2 wins, 1 pole position, 4 fastest laps and 19 podiums across eight seasons, with Tyrrell, Ligier and Alfa Romeo.

0 world titles, 2 wins, 1 pole positions, 95 starts.

Teams

• Alfa Romeo Racing

Victories

• Spanish Grand Prix 1979
• Monaco Grand Prix 1978