For the History of F1 column, today we talk about the driver from Padua Riccardo Patrese.
Riccardo Patrese's debut in F1
Riccardo Gabriele patrese It was born in Padova the 17 April 1954. He is the son of Elena, a middle school literature teacher, and Mario, a food merchant. After skiing and swimming at a competitive level, Riccardo he becomes passionate about car racing, thus starting the path that will lead him to F1. Following the victory of the Italian karting championship, of that eclecticism – for good twice! – and of that world, Riccardo Patrese arrives in F3 and then into F2.
In the preparatory category for F1, Patrese achieved some results which turn out to be the business card to access the highest category. The pilot from Padua debuts so, in 1977, With the Shadow in the Monaco GP, finishing in ninth place. That year he races in both F2 and F1, but without great results, with alone exception of the GP of the Japan, where it follows the sixth position. This placement earns him the first world championship point.
1978-1983: the difficult years in Arrows and the first time in Brabham
At the end of 1977, part of Shadow breaks away from the team to found the Arrows, with Patrese in tow. It will remain there until the end of 1981, when he moves to Brabham, next four seasons of poor results. Worthy of note are only third place in Interlagos and second in San Marino, on the A3, in 1981. And yet at the end of the seventies Riccardo Patrese is coveted by important F1 teams. Among these: Brabham, Alfa Romeo and – as will be discovered much later – Ferrari.
In 1982, Riccardo Patrese passes to Brabham, difficult year for him and for F1 in general: Villeneuve's death and Pironi's accident are just two examples. The season for Patrese it begins two retreats, but at the GP of Western United States manages to get on the podium, in third position, after starting eighteenth. The first victory arrive at Monaco GP, another disastrous race for F1, marked by too many retirements and accidents.
Patrese also ends up spinning, turning off the machine, ma the stewards put him and him back on the track manages to restart, to carefully cross the finish line. AND he discovers that he has only won the race during the awards ceremony! In 1983, the much hoped for leap in quality does not occur: the Brabham BT52 has major reliability problems, Patrese manages to finish only four competitions, getting a third place in Germany and its second victory in South Africa, in the last race of the year.
Riccardo Patrese's return to Brabham F1
After two more disastrous seasons, 1984 and 1985, with Alfa Romeo sponsored by Benetton, Riccardo Patrese has difficulties to enter in a prestigious team. He succeeds only because intervenes Bernie Ecclestone, who always believed in him: lo reports to Brabham, but paired with Elio De Angelis. The BT55 – or “sole”, because of its low profile – it is an innovative car but it has several reliability issues.
To try to solve them, the team organizes a test in May, summoning Patrese in Le Castellet. De Angelis, however, asks to be able to run in his place... Fatal choice, since at the time, which was also improving in terms of security for pilots, we weren't as careful to this during the tests. Elio, then, muore at Paul Ricard for a failure of the rear wing and for late rescue operations. Patrese is deeply affected, especially thinking that that accident could have happened to him. He then manages to finishing the year with just two world championship points.
1987-1992: From returning to Brabham to joining Williams
Il 1987 it is Brabham's last season under Ecclestone management: results are scarce and Patrese manages to reach an agreement with Williams. With which he ran the final race of that year, replacing an injured Nigel Mansell. And finally, after another year, in 1989 the situation improved: Riccardo Patrese closes that year of F1 al third place in the championship, with six podium finishes. The next victory arrive at 1990 San Marino GP. The 1991 is again a quite a positive year, with similar numbers.
Despite the poor reliability of the FW14, in fact, Patrese wins in Mexico and Portugal and reaches the podium several times. To the dates of the season, it is third in the standings, with 53 points. In 1992, Riccardo Patrese he decides to stay at Williams, despite the interest shown from other teams. His technical contribution is fundamental to develop the FW14B, but Williams is betting everything on Nigel Mansell for the title fight. Title he will get, followed by patrese and he will finish the year with a victory and six podiums.
Withdrawal
In 1993, Williams returns Prost, which definitively bids farewell to Patrese. The only possibility for the Paduan is to go to the Benetton, where, however, he is forced to comparison with a notable rookie: Michael Schumacher, which relegates it to the background. At the end of the season Riccardo Patrese returns to negotiate a return to Williams to continue racing in F1, but he changes his mind following the death of Ayrton Senna.
Back to to turn in single-seater rarely, the last time at the wheel of the Honda RA107 in 2008. Richard Patrese thus leaves F1 after a long career in which he took part in 256 GPs, a record remained undefeated for 15 years. He got it in total 6 victories, 8nd pole position e 37 podium placings.
