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DE ADAMICH, ANDREA
Born 10/3/1941, Trieste Italy
Starts: 29
Points: 6
Wins:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
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De Adamich looked anything but a race driver. However, he did show a good turn of speed in most categories in which he raced, and given the overall lack of outstanding Italian drivers in the 60’s/early 70’s, was often considered Italy’s top driver. After winning the Italian F3 championship and the European Touring Car championship two years running, Andrea was given a crack at F-1,in the non-championship Spanish GP of 1967. He did well to be called back for the works team for 1968. Ferrari showed up in South Africa with three cars, including berths for Jacky Ickx and Chris Amon, and amazingly it was De Adamich who qualified better, 7th. I suppose this is a big “IF”, but outqualifying both Ickx and Amon in similar equipment was a very big accomplishment in 1968. However, De Adamich would last in the Ferrari F-1 team for two races: South Africa, and the Race of Champions, where he crashed badly enough to put him out of action for most of the year. He spent the next two years racing everywhere he could, winning the 1969 F-2 Temporada for Ferrari. Eventually, Alfa Romeo decided to take Andrea under its wings for good, and that was his home until retirement. The Alfa angle allowed Andrea to be back in F-1, driving an Alfa engined McLaren in 1970. However, the V8 was underpowered, and De Adamich mostly did not qualify for races, although he did finish 8th in Italy. For 1971, Alfa decided to support de Adamich again, then in an Alfa engined March. Again the experience was not very good, Andrea lingering mostly towards the back of the grid while the Ford engined March racked up point after point in Ronnie Peterson’s hands. For 1972, Alfa decided to quit attempting to make the Alfa V8 engine work in F-1, and Andrea was the third driver at Surtees. He did well enough to finish 4th in Spain, scoring his first points in F-1, and finishing 7th in Monaco. He also finished 2nd in two Non Championship F-1 races that year. For 1973, De Adamich drove the Surtees in South Africa, but then shifted to the Brabham team, starting in Spain. He scored another fourth place, driving the older BT37 in Spain, and eventually was upgraded to the new BT42 for England. However, luck was not on his side in England again, and he was the only injured driver in the melee that ensued from Jody Scheckter’s over abundance in the initial stages of the race. He was never again called to race in F-1, and after a further year driving Alfa’s prototypes in 1974, he retired. He continued as a TV commentator, to this day.
ANDREA DE ADAMICH
Italian Andrea de Adamich began his career in his native Italy driving a Triumph TR 3 in National events. He son became involved in Formula Junior, eventually driving in the newly reinstated Formula 3 category in 1964. In that category, he drove a Lola Ford, gaining experience mostly in Italian events. Driving that car he finished 3rd in the important Lottery GP in Monza. He also raced for the first time in the European Makes championship, driving an Alfa Giulia Super in the Tour de France, retiring. In 1965 he continued in F3 with the Jolly Club Lola and a Brabham, in 1965, becoming Italian champion in that category. His first big result at an international level was a 7th and class victory in the Monza 1000, in 1965, driving an Alfa Giulia TZ. He also co drove a Ferrari 250 LM in the Targa Florio, and by the Nurburgring 1000 he was driving for Autodelta, the Alfa works team. He was also involved in Touring cars, driving Alfa Romeo vehicles, and by 1966 was becoming a major player in this category. Initially driving the Giulia, De Adamich became European Touring Car champion in 1966, repeating the performance in 1967, driving an Alfa Romeo GTA. He won many races at this level, becoming highly associated with the Alfa Romeo marque. In the meantime, he continued to drive Giulia TZs in the Makes Championship, earning occasional class victories, and continued to drive in Formula 3, in 1966, now driving a Brabham. By 1967, Ferrari had contracted de Adamich, for Formula 1 and other categories, but his association with Ferrari was short lived and somewhat disastrous. A serious accident in the Race of Champions put him out of action for most of 1968. He returned to drive in the last F-2 races of the year, finishing 2nd in Rome for Ferrari, and also took part in the F-2 Temporada in Argentina, for Ferrari, in 1969, winning it. However, during most of the year he was pretty much driving anything. He drove a Surtees in F-5000, with a best of 3rd place, and also tried his hand in the Can-Am, driving a McLaren, with a best 5th place. He also co drove a Lola T70 with Frank Gardner, in the Monza 1000, and was back driving an Alfa 33/2, with Vacarella, in the Targa Florio, and pretty much continued as an Autodelta mainstay for the rest of his career. In 1970, he began the year well, winning the Buenos Aires 1000 with Piers Courage, in an Alfa T33. This year’s Alfa racer was a 3 liter, rather, then 2 liter, and by the end of the year the car was getting nearer the top of the results sheets, finishing 2nd in Austria. Elsewhere, de Adamich continued to drive tin tops, winning the important Nurburgring round with the Alfa GTAM. He also drove a Brabham in Formula 2. 1971 was de Adamich’s main year in the Makes championship, when he won two important rounds, Brands Hatch with Pescarolo, and Watkins Glen with Peterson. If there was a driver’s championship, he would have been runner-up, behind only Rodriguez. Unfortunately, Alfa’s challenge was not sustained in 1972, against Ferrari, and de Adamich’s best result was 3rd in the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring. He also raced in F-2, with a Surtees, including outings in the end of year Brazilian F-2 Temporada, with a best of 2nd place. He also took part in the weak Copa Brasil for Sports cars, earning a 3rd and a 2nd place, taking an occasional Touring Car drive. If in 1972 Alfa’s challenge was poor in the makes championship, in 1973 it was pitiful. The company was trying to develop a new 12 cylinder racer, and the results were nil. In Monza, de Adamich drove a 2 liter Chevron with Serblin. De Adamich continued to be lucky in South America, winning a poorly supported Formula 2 race in Venezuela. He also drove some F-2 races in the continent, without major success. Amazingly, he had another serious accident in England, being out for the rest of the year. His last season was 1974, again driving for Alfa Romeo. Now more sorted out, De Adamich was able to score several 3rd places and one 2 place (in Austria) codriving the 12 cylinder Alfa with Carlo Faccetti, another Autodelta old hand. By the end of the year, he hand up his helmet for good, becoming a journalist, TV personality and manager.