After leaving school Andrea de Adamich set his sights on a career in law but, during his studies, discovered a passion for racing cars. The bespectacled Italian went on to forge a successful career as a true all-rounder, competing in touring cars, single-seaters and sports prototypes.
European Touring Car Champion for Alfa-Romeo
Born in Trieste during World War II de Adamich found success early in his career, driving single-seaters and touring cars. He was the 1965 Italian Formula 3 champion and in 1966 claimed the prestigious European Touring Car Championship, driving an Alfa-Romeo for the Autodelta team. By the next year de Adamich was set to make his Formula 1 debut at Monza, but the Jo Bonnier owned Cooper which he was due to drive was a non-starter.
Formula 1 Debut with Scuderia Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari had been impressed by de Adamich, and offered him a Formula 1 drive for the 1967 non-championship Spanish Grand Prix. His relationship with Ferrari in Formula 1 proved short-lived. In his first world championship Grand Prix start, at Kyalami in 1968, he spun out of the race. A short time later de Adamich injured himself during the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, leaving him out of action for much of the year. Kyalami turned out to be de Adamich’s only world championship start in a Ferrari. Only two other drivers, Bob Bondurant and Jonathan Williams, share this unwanted record. He did, however, win the Temporada series driving a Ferrari Formula 2 car.
Formula 1 with McLaren, March, Surtees and Brabham
Despite the disappointment of his Ferrari experience de Adamich was soon back in Formula 1, driving an Alfa-Romeo powered McLaren during 1970. The car was plagued by terrible reliability, which continued into 1971 when de Adamich switched to a March chassis.
For 1972 de Adamich moved to Surtees, where he recorded a fourth place finish in that year’s Spanish Grand Prix. He repeated the result, the best Grand Prix finish of his career, at the 1973 Belgian Grand Prix while driving a Brabham. At the 1973 British Grand Prix de Adamich was involved in the colossal pile-up triggered by McLaren's Jody Scheckter. A badly broken leg was the result, effectively ending his career.
Throughout his Formula 1 career de Adamich also competed successfully for Alfa-Romeo in sports prototype racing, driving the fabulous T33. Following the end of his racing career he established himself as a respected racing journalist and commentator for Italian television.
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