The first to reach 200 starts

Riccardo Patrese raced in Formula 1 for 17 seasons, won six Grands Prix and was runner up with Williams in 1992.

Riccardo Patrese was born in Padua, Italy, on April 17, 1954. He began karting at nine and won the Karting World Championship in 1974. In 1976 he took both the Italian and European Formula 3 titles, and in 1977 he won the Italian Formula 2 championship before Shadow gave him his Formula 1 debut at the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix.

He joined the new Arrows team for 1978 and spent several seasons there, finishing second at Long Beach in 1980 and taking pole position at the same race a year later. A move to Brabham for 1982 brought his first win, at the 1982 Monaco Grand Prix, in a race whose leaders kept dropping out in the closing laps. He won again at the 1983 South African Grand Prix, then drove for Alfa Romeo before a second spell at Brabham.

Williams signed him for 1988, and the partnership produced the best years of his career. He won the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix, more than six years after his previous victory, a record gap. He won in Mexico and Portugal in 1991 and finished third, and in 1992 he won the Japanese Grand Prix and was runner up to his teammate Nigel Mansell. He finished his career with Benetton, making his final start at the 1993 Australian Grand Prix.

Patrese was the first driver to reach 200 Grand Prix starts, at the 1990 British Grand Prix, and later the first to reach 250. Our record shows 256 starts, a total that stood as the record for many years, along with 6 wins, 8 pole positions, 13 fastest laps and 37 podiums. He also raced sports cars for Lancia and finished second in the 1982 World Sportscar Championship.

0 world titles, 6 wins, 8 pole positions, 256 starts.

Teams

• Alfa Romeo Racing

Victories

• Japanese Grand Prix 1992
• Portuguese Grand Prix 1991
• Mexican Grand Prix 1991
• San Marino Grand Prix 1990
• South African Grand Prix 1983
• Monaco Grand Prix 1982