Riccardo Patrese: From bogeyman to master / Formula 1

Buon compleanno, Riccardo Patrese: The Italian from Padua turned seventy on April 17, 2024. Rarely has a Grand Prix ace undergone such a transformation throughout his career as Riccardo Gabriele Patrese, the man who holds the record for most appearances of the World Championship for 19 years (256 Grands Prix, who is still in the top ten of F1 today – permanent. favorite).

At the age of 38, he finished second in the World Championship behind Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell, that was in 1992. A year later he hung up his helmet because Michael Schumacher had shown him new frontiers at Benetton.

Patrese entered the premier class as the Italian Formula 3 champion in 1977, backed by shadow businessman Franco Ambrosio, as a replacement for the troubled Renzo Zorzi. In Japan, Patrese claimed his first World Championship mark in sixth place.

In 1978, the core group left Shadow to found a new Arrows racing team, Ambrosio and Patrese were there. Patrese almost won the second Arrows GP, in South Africa.

Riccardo was considered too risky and too quick, his rivals grumbled, as they grumbled years later about Senna, Schumacher and the young Verstappen.

After a collision at the start of Monza in 1978 and the death of Lotus star Ronnie Peterson (oil embolism on Monday night), Patrese was made a bogeyman. Stars Hunt, Andretti, Fittipaldi, Lauda and Scheckter wanted Patrese banned or they would not drive in the US.

The American race organizer agreed and did not allow the Italian to enter the track. Patrese got a temporary restraining order from a judge in Watkins Glen, but the Arrows removed Patrese’s name for peace.

It later emerged that the main culprit behind the mass collision at Monza was not Patrese, but rather the race stewards, who approved the start with the third row at the back of the field running. As a result, the latecomers stuck to the midfield, and as the track narrowed towards the first chicane, collisions with cars were no longer inevitable.

Monza race director Gianni Restelli and Patrese even had to face manslaughter charges, but the case was dismissed.

Patrese’s F1 profile was on the rise when Bernie Ecclestone brought him to Brabham: first GP victory (Monaco 1982), partner of the first turbo world champion in 1983, Nelson Piquet, in Brabham-BMW.

Then quiet: Alfa Romeo’s new promise failed, as did Brabham’s return because the team’s heyday was over. It wasn’t until Williams that things started to fall into place, and Patrese made the transition to become a respected driver and a great ambassador for Formula 1 racing.

Today, Patrese likes to appear at historic racing car events, such as Goodwood in 2023 (our photo), and is also a regular participant of Grands Prix on Italian soil, namely, Imola and Monza.

At Imola, Riccardo experienced all the turmoil of the Italian in front of his own audience. It was in 1983 at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola. Patrese had ambushed Patrick Tambay’s leading Ferrari in the Brabham and passed the Frenchman on lap 55 of 60. But then he slid off the track in the Alta variant. The fans went wild because Ferrari was in front again. Tambay won.

Patrese later said: “As an Italian, you are useless in your country if you don’t sit in a Ferrari.”

Riccardo took revenge in 1990 and won in Imola – in Williams.

I also met the Italian at Imola and wanted to know what he thinks about today’s generation of winged cars.

Riccardo said: “I love this new Formula 1, I love the cars. In fact, this is something completely different than the Prime Minister’s class during my time. But the world is changing, and so is Formula 1. Formula 1 should be an interesting show, and it certainly is.

When we met, the big theme of the new wing cars was flying or lifting – this pushing movement of cars under full aerodynamic load.

Riccardo smiled: “We had that then too! Our cars were also very low and the cars were always going down, which was not very pleasant as it shook the head. The mechanics did not care, the main thing is that the car was fast. And for us pilots, speed comes before comfort. As we see today, nothing has changed.”

Regarding the modern Formula 1, Patrese continued: “You know, in the past everything was different – we were able to develop at any cost. In theory, you can create a completely new car during the season. This is no longer possible under the current regulations and especially due to and the cost limit. We had teams finish in the first three races and win races in the summer.”

“Today that is no longer possible. If you can start the season with a good car, then you have an advantage. On the contrary, if you have problems with your car, it is twice as difficult to make up the ground. Even if you had good ideas about how to make the car go fast, you have the limit of what you can put in the car.

What surprised Riccardo at the time: “I did not expect that Mercedes would have such problems when it came to this new generation of racing cars. One thing is clear to me – not because of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

We are facing a race weekend. Riccardo says: “I’m a bit divided about this, on the one hand the fans get one more race, but on the other hand it’s too fake for me. The drivers also had to be very careful: the race defined the Grand Prix series, so one mistake was enough and you’re out the window for the World Championship. This meant that some drivers fell back in the race. Fortunately the rules were adjusted later.”

Regarding today’s 24-weekend programme, Patrese says: “In my day we had 16 races a year, that was enough for me at the time. Now one day it can be twice as much – that’s just crazy. If I were a driver today, it would be difficult for me.”

Riccardo Patrese in the 1st form

256 Grand Prix
From Monaco 1977 to Australia 1993
8 Pole-Positions
13 best racing laps
6 Siege
37 podium finishes
1977 and Shadow: WM-20.
1978 with Arrows: World Cup-12.
1979 with Arrows: World Cup-20.
1980 and Arrows: WM-9.
1981 with Arrows: World Cup-11.
1982 with Brabham: 10th in the World Cup. (Victory in Monaco)
1983 with Brabham: 9th World Cup. (Victory in South Africa)
1984 with Alfa Romeo: 13th World Cup
1985 with Alfa Romeo: not classified
1986 with Brabham: World Cup-17.
1987 with Brabham and Williams: 13th World Cup.
1988 with Williams: 11th in the World Cup.
1989 with Williams: 3rd place at the World Cup.
1990 with Williams: 7th World Championship. (Victory at Imola)
1991 with Williams: 3rd place in the World Cup. (victory in Mexico and Portugal)
1992 with Williams: World Cup 2nd place. (Victory in Japan)
1993 with Benetton: 5th World Cup.