| Patrick Tambay drove for Renault in its final
two years as a constructor in Formula One, 1984 and ’85, until
its return in 2002. Although they were not among the most successful
years of his career, Tambay was at least privileged to have experienced
Renault engines at the time – among the most powerful in F1’s
‘golden’ turbocharged era of the 1980s. In 1985, with
the boost turned up for qualifying, it was reckoned the French motor
blasted out 1400bhp
In 1983 he finished fourth for Ferrari in the F1 world championship
behind team-mate and fellow former Renault team racer René
Arnoux. His switch to Renault for 1984 was a seen as a good move,
for in ’83 the team had only just missed out on the title.
Renault had built a fine car, but this year the Porsche-powered
McLaren was the thing to have. Tambay still came close to winning
the French GP at Dijon, qualifying in pole position and leading
all the way until the McLaren of Niki Lauda moved past in the closing
stages. When Renault withdrew from F1, Tambay moved to the fledgling
Lola-Haas team where he ended his career.
Renault F1 Podiums:
3 |
