Regazzoni: Larger than life and a darling of the fans

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©TheCahierArchive

On this day in 2006, Formula 1 mourned the loss of Clay Regazzoni, one of the sport's larger-than-life characters from the golden age of Grand Prix racing.

Just 67, the Swiss died in a head-on road accident collision with a lorry driver just outside Parma.

The flamboyant Swiss driver was an F1 icon of the seventies and a man who missed the world championship by just three points in 1974, when he finished the season as Ferrari's runner-up to McLaren's Emerson Fittipaldi.

©TheCahierArchive

Regazzoni was also the driver who brought Williams their very first Grand Prix victory, a feat achieved at Silverstone in 1979.

His colorful career, which included 132 race starts and five wins with five different teams, came to an abrupt end at Long Beach in 1980 when a horrific crash with his Ensign left him paralyzed from the waist downwards.

Regazzoni always put his very big heart to good use, whether he sat behind the wheel of a racing car or in life, which he continued to enjoy despite his physical handicap.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.