Patrick Gaillard
French racing driver (born 1952)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Patrick Gaillard (French pronunciation: [pa.tʁik ɡa.jaʁ]; born 12 February 1952) is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 5 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 1 July 1979. He scored no championship points.
| Born | 12 February 1952 Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 1979 |
| Teams | Ensign |
| Entries | 5 (2 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1979 French Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1979 Dutch Grand Prix |
After performing well in French Formula Renault and Formula 3, Gaillard moved into Formula 2 in 1979, the same year as he drove for Ensign in Formula 1. The Ensign N179 was not a good car and Gaillard struggled on occasions, failing to qualify three times out of five, before being dropped in favour of Marc Surer.
In 1980, Gaillard returned to Ensign for the Spanish Grand Prix and finished in 6th place—the last of six cars still running at the finish, five laps down. However, the result (which would have earned points) did not count as this race was subsequently downgraded to non-Championship status due to the FISA–FOCA war (F1 sporting body versus the F1 manufacturers), making Gaillard's only point nullified.
Thereafter, Gaillard drove in Formula 2, CanAm, and sports cars including the 24 Hours of Le Mans before retiring. He later became a racing instructor.[1]