page_title: Clay Regazzoni
section_title: Sports car racing
hierarchical_section_title: Clay Regazzoni / Racing career / Pre-Formula One / Sports car racing
caption_attribution_description: Bildbeschreibung: Clay Regazzoni im Ferrari 312 P beim Training zum 1000-km-Rennen des ADAC auf den Nürburgring (Boxeneinfahrt von der Gegengeraden aus) Fotograf: Lothar Spurzem Datum: 1971-05-29 Die genannte Gegengerade des Nürburgrings gibt es nicht mehr. Eine kleine Abweichung ist möglich.
context_page_description: Gianclaudio Giuseppe Regazzoni, commonly called "Clay", was a Swiss racing driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until 1972. After a single season with BRM, Regazzoni returned to Ferrari for a further three years, 1974 to 1976. After finally leaving Ferrari at the end of 1976, Regazzoni joined the Ensign and Shadow teams, before moving to Williams in 1979, where he took the British team's first ever Grand Prix victory, the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
  He was replaced by Carlos Reutemann at Williams for 1980 and moved back to Ensign. Following an accident at the 1980 United States Grand Prix West he was left paralyzed from the waist down, ending his career in Formula One. Regazzoni did not stop racing, however; he competed in the Paris-Dakar rally and Sebring 12 hours using a hand controlled car during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1996, Regazzoni became a commentator for Italian TV.
context_section_description: As well as single seater racing, Regazzoni participated in sports car racing, including the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans where he and Arturo Merzario raced a Ferrari 512S. However, the pair retired after completing only 38 laps. This would prove to be Regazzoni's only appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although he did test for the 1972 event.
  For the following two years Regazzoni was a permanent fixture in Ferrari's sports car racing squad. With the new 312B-based 312P cars underneath him, Regazzoni regularly ran at or near the front of the field. Regularly partnered with Jacky Ickx, the pairing took second place in the BOAC 1000 km at Brands Hatch in 1971, and won the first heat during the Imola 500 km. Regazzoni also won the Kyalami 9 Hours race, this time in partnership with Brian Redman. Further successes followed in 1972, with second places at the 1000 km Buenos Aires, partnered again by Redman, and prestigious Spa 1000 km race. The high point of the season came when the Regazzoni/Ickx partnership won the Monza 1000 km race.
  With his departure from Ferrari during 1973, Regazzoni's sports car results dried up. His uncompetitive Alfa Romeo 33 TT was thoroughly outclassed by the Ferrari and Matra opposition. At the end of 1973 Ferrari withdrew from sports car racing, and Regazzoni's move to rejoin the Ferrari Formula One team in 1974 effectively ended his sports car career, as he could not then race for other manufacturers.
caption: Regazzoni in a Ferrari 312PB at the 1971 Nürburgring 1000km
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