Born in Paris on 25 June 1949, Patrick Tambay was part of a generation of French drivers who found success on the track during the second half of the 1970s with the likes of Jacques Laffite, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Didier Pironi and René Arnoux.

After a notable junior career in alpine skiing, Tambay's win representing Elf in 1972 springboarded him toward car racing. He made a promising debut in single-seaters, finishing runner-up in Formula Renault in 1973 and in Formula 2 in 1975.

Tambay took the start in the 24 Hours before ever competing in Formula 1. With Renault-Alpine in 1976 and 1977, he figured at the heart of Porsche's quest for victory, but both efforts ended in retirements. He returned to Le Mans four years later with another French constructor, Jean Rondeau, but was once again forced to retire. During that time, Tambay had as teammates two French winners of the race, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud in 1977 and Henri Pescarolo in 1981.

He finally made it to the chequered flag as a factory Jaguar driver in 1989 for his final participation, finishing fourth in his class along with Dutchman Jan Lammers (winner the previous year with the same marque) and British driver Andrew Gilbert-Scott.

At the same time, Tambay was pursuing a career in Formula 1, marked namely with two wins for Ferrari in 1982 and 1983, contributing to the manufacturer's titles at the end of both seasons. In 114 Grand Prix between 1977 and 1986, he earned nine podium finishes and five pole positions. Eclectic like most drivers of his generation, Tambay also made a name for himself in North America in the CanAm Challenge Cup (two titles in 1977 and 1980) and in rally-raid, with a third place in the 1988 Paris-Dakar.

His 31-year-old son Adrien is currently distinguishing himself in the DTM series (German touring car masters) and in the FIA ETCR World Cup (electric touring cars), winning a first world title in 2022.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest extends its sincerest condolences to Patrick Tambay's family and loved ones.