Riccardo Patrese’s Youth
Riccardo Patrese, born in Padua, Veneto, began karting at age 9 and quickly showed promise, winning the 1974 Karting World Championship at Estoril. A talented all-around athlete, he was also selected for Italy’s national ski team and was a competitive swimmer. Patrese transitioned to car racing, finishing second in Formula Italia in 1975 before winning both the Italian and European Formula 3 championships in 1976, propelling him into Formula 1.
Early Years in F1
Riccardo Patrese made his Formula 1 debut in 1977 with the Shadow team, replacing Renzo Zorzi at the Monaco Grand Prix. Despite his inexperience, Patrese quickly demonstrated his potential, scoring his first championship point at the Japanese Grand Prix that year. In 1978, Patrese followed Shadow’s team leader Jackie Oliver and sponsor Franco Ambrosio to the newly formed Arrows team.
Patrese came close to winning Arrows’ second race at the South African Grand Prix, only to retire due to engine failure. His aggressive driving style became a talking point, particularly after a controversial crash at the Italian Grand Prix, where he was initially blamed for the incident that led to Ronnie Peterson’s death. Despite the criticism, Patrese’s talent was evident, notably securing a second-place finish at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West and pole position at the same venue in 1981. His tenure with Arrows cemented his reputation as a formidable competitor in F1.
bRABHAM AND 1982 mONACO vICTORY
Riccardo Patrese’s tenure with Brabham from 1982 to 1983 featured both triumphs and frustrations. His maiden Formula 1 victory came in dramatic fashion at the 1982 Monaco Grand Prix, where he capitalized on late-race misfortune for Alain Prost, Didier Pironi, and Andrea de Cesaris. Patrese briefly spun but regained the lead after both rivals faltered on the final lap. Later that season, he led the Austrian Grand Prix before retiring due to engine failure.
In 1983, Riccardo Patrese faced a challenging season, highlighted by a disappointing crash while leading at San Marino, which handed the win to Ferrari’s Patrick Tambay. He also secured pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, only to retire early when his engine failed, likely due to being left in fragile qualifying trim. Despite these setbacks, Patrese managed a victory at the South African Grand Prix, though he ultimately finished ninth in the championship, overshadowed by teammate Nelson Piquet’s title-winning campaign.
Formula 1 Career from 1984-1993
The Alfa Romeo Years
For 1984, Riccardo Patrese signed with Alfa Romeo which proved to be an uncompetitive package, delivering only eight championship points and a single podium finish at the 1984 Italian Grand Prix. Patrese and teammate Eddie Cheever were consistently punished by the Alfa Romeo 890T V8 turbo engines, which consumed too much fuel under strict regulations.
Despite qualifying well, with decent pace on one lap, their cars often ran out of fuel late in races, costing valuable points, or had to do lift and coasting to preserve fuel, causing big time loss to other drivers. The 1985 season saw further struggles with the uncompetitive 185T chassis, which Patrese later described as “the worst car I ever drove.” The team’s struggles culminated in a frustrating collision with Nelson Piquet at Monaco.
Return to Brabham
Back at Brabham in 1986-1987, Patrese continued to struggle with an underperforming car, failing to reach the podium either season. He finished a fortunate third in the 1987 Mexican Grand Prix after the two leading Williams cars collided.
First Podium with Williams
Riccardo Patrese’s tenure at Williams marked a significant resurgence in his Formula 1 career. Initially drafted in to replace the injured Nigel Mansell at the 1987 season finale, Patrese impressed the team and secured a full-time seat for 1988. However, that year proved challenging as Williams struggled with an uncompetitive car powered by Judd V8 engines, exacerbated by the problematic reactive suspension system, which hampered Patrese and Mansell in the first half of the season.
The turning point came in 1989 with the introduction of Renault’s V10 engines, which gave Williams the competitive edge needed to challenge for race wins. Riccardo Patrese finished the season third in the Drivers’ Championship, achieving six podium finishes and setting a pole position in Hungary, where he led the race until mechanical failure forced his retirement.
In 1990, Patrese secured his third Grand Prix victory at San Marino, but the team’s performance waned in the latter half of the season. The following year, with Nigel Mansell back at Williams, Patrese played a crucial role, winning in Mexico and Portugal and finishing third in the Drivers’ Championship.
Williams dominated in 1992, and while Riccardo Patrese played a supportive role to Mansell, he still secured a win at the Japanese Grand Prix and several podium finishes. Despite his strong performances, he moved to Benetton in 1993, maintaining his commitment to his new team even after Williams offered him a chance to stay.
Final Season with Benetton
Patrese moved to Benetton for his 16th and final F1 season in 1993. Riccardo Patrese’s 1993 season with Benetton was a challenging end to his Formula 1 career. Struggling to connect with team manager Flavio Briatore, Patrese felt sidelined in favor of his rising teammate, Michael Schumacher.
He found the Benetton B193, powered by the Ford HBA8 V8, a step down from the sophisticated Williams cars he had driven previously. Despite these difficulties, Riccardo Patrese managed to score 20 points and secure the best finish of second place in Hungary. However, with his relationship with the team strained and no promising offers for 1994, Patrese chose to retire from Formula 1.
Legacy
When Patrese retired, he held the records for most Formula 1 starts (256) and entries (257). He also became the first driver to start over 200 Grands Prix, a record he held from 1990 to 2008 when it was broken by Rubens Barrichello, and currently is held by 9 other drivers. A true sign of the changing times, and the constantly increased limits of the F1 calendar, which started with Riccardo Patrese’s start in the 1993 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
FAQ
When did Riccardo Patrese make his Formula 1 debut?
Patrese made his Formula 1 debut at the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix driving for the Shadow team. He replaced their regular driver Renzo Zorzi.
How many teams did Patrese drive for in F1?
Over his 16 year F1 career, Patrese drove for Shadow, Arrows, Brabham, Alfa Romeo, Williams, and Benetton – six different teams in total.
When did Patrese score his first F1 podium?
Patrese had to wait over two full seasons to score his maiden F1 podium, finishing third at the 1981 Brazilian Grand Prix for Arrows.
How many F1 wins did Patrese record?
Patrese won six races over his F1 career. His first came at Monaco in 1982 driving for Brabham. He had to wait until 1990 and his 180th start to score his second win with Williams.
What was Patrese’s best championship finish?
Patrese’s best final position in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship was second in 1992, finishing behind his Williams teammate Nigel Mansell.
Who was the first driver to start in 200 F1 races?
Riccardo Patrese became the first F1 driver to start in 200 races, and later the first one to break to 250 race starts bareer. He finished his run with 256 race starts. Currently the most race starts in F1 record belongs to Ferando Alonso (392).