Clay Regazzoni

Clay Regazzoni was a Swiss racing driver born close to Lugano. He competed in Formula 1 from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grand Prix, 4 of them for the Scuderia Ferrari.

He was one of the most iconic and popular drivers of the 1970’s, always nice and smiling and very fast too.

The swiss was a Ferrari driver twice, from 1970 to 1972 and from 1974 to 1976.

His first win came at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1970, his debut season in F1, driving a Ferrari 312B to delight of the tifosi.

As well as single seater racing, Regazzoni participated in sports car racing, including one appearance at the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours.

For the following two years Regazzoni was a permanent driver in Ferrari’s sports car racing  program, regularly partnered by Jacky Ickx.

The two drivers won many races including the 1972 Monza 1000 km aboard their Ferrari 312pb.

The Swiss became vice-world champion for the Scuderia in 1974, just beaten to the title by Emerson Fittipaldi.

He also gave Williams it’s first Grand Prix success, when he won the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

His F1 career came to a brutal end in 1980 when his Ensign crashed very heavily in the barriers of Long Beach in California, that left him paralyzed.