Italian racer Andrea de Adamich, whose career spanned Formula 1, touring cars, and endurance racing, has passed away today, 5 November 2025, at the age of 84.
De Adamich contested 30 Formula 1 World Championship grands prix from 36 entries, between 1968 and 1973, representing an impressive list of teams including Ferrari, McLaren, March, Surtees, and Brabham. Though he never reached the podium, he came close with fourth-place finishes at the 1972 Spanish Grand Prix and the 1973 Belgian Grand Prix, while also earning several podiums in non-championship F1 events.
Early career and Alfa Romeo success
De Adamich began his competitive life in hillclimbs and Formula Junior, but his most enduring success came in touring car and sportscar racing, particularly with Alfa Romeo. Driving for the marque’s Autodelta works team, he captured the 1966 European Touring Car Championship, winning four races at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA.
He repeated his Division 2 class title the following year and triumphed in the Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park, then run for touring cars. Parallel to his saloon car exploits, de Adamich was active in single-seaters — winning the Italian Formula 3 Championship in 1965 and the 1968 F2 Temporada Series in Argentina, beating a strong lineup that included future world champion Jochen Rindt.
From Ferrari to Formula 1
Armed with a law degree and his trademark spectacles, de Adamich made his Formula 1 debut with Ferrari, entering the non-championship 1967 Spanish Grand Prix before joining the grid for the 1968 South African Grand Prix. However, his time with the Scuderia ended after a heavy crash in the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.
After recovering from his injuries, de Adamich found a natural home back with Alfa Romeo. When the manufacturer supplied engines to McLaren, he was entered in a third McLaren-Alfa during the 1970 season, though the underpowered V8 struggled against the dominant Cosworth DFV engines.
A similar pattern followed with March-Alfa in 1971, but his fortunes slightly improved after switching to Surtees in 1972 — scoring a career-best fourth at Jarama. His final F1 season came in 1973 with Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team, where he repeated that result at Zolder before his career was abruptly halted.
The crash that ended his F1 career
De Adamich suffered severe leg injuries in the 1973 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a race notorious for a massive pile-up triggered by Jody Scheckter. Trapped in his Brabham for nearly an hour, de Adamich later recalled, “I couldn’t stand for three months.” Though he made a handful of later appearances for Alfa Romeo in 1974, the accident effectively ended his front-line career at just 31 years old.
Sportscar highlights and life beyond racing
Away from Formula 1, de Adamich remained a formidable sportscar driver. He twice competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing fourth in 1972 alongside Nino Vaccarella in an Alfa Romeo T33/3. The previous year, he had claimed two major World Sportscar Championship victories — at Brands Hatch with Henri Pescarolo and Watkins Glen with Ronnie Peterson, triumphing over the era’s dominant Porsche 917s.
Following retirement, de Adamich transitioned into broadcasting and driver training. He became a well-known motorsport journalist and TV presenter, and later directed the N.Technology outfit, continuing his long association with Alfa Romeo. Under his leadership, the team achieved success in international touring car competitions during the early 2000s.
Though he may not have been a household F1 name, Andrea de Adamich was respected throughout the racing community as a skilled, intelligent, and enduring ambassador for Italian motorsport.
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