About Patrick Depailler
Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler (French pronunciation: [patʁik ɑ̃dʁe øʒɛn ʒozɛf dəpaje]; 9 August 1944 – 1 August 1980) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980. Depailler won two Formula One Grands Prix across eight seasons. Depailler was born in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme. As a child, he was inspired by Jean Behra. In Formula One, he joined a Tyrrell team that was beginning a long, slow decline, eventually moving to the erratic Ligier team before finally ending up with the revived Alfa Romeo squad in 1980. In August 1980, Depailler was killed during a private testing session at the Hockenheimring. He achieved two wins, one pole position, four fastest laps and 19 podiums in Formula One. Depailler jointly holds the record for the most podiums before winning a Grand Prix (15). In May 1974 Depailler qualified his March in first position in qualifying for the Formula Two Pau Grand Prix. On the first day of qualifying for the 1975 United States Grand Prix, Depailler crashed his Tyrrell into a catch fence at Watkins Glen.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.