Andrea Lodovico de Adamich (born 3 October 1941) is a former

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

from Italy. He participated in 34 World Championship

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

Grands Prix, making his debut on 1 January 1968. He scored a total of six championship points. He also participated in numerous non-championship Formula One races.

Career

1971 Andrea de Adamich, March, Fuchsröhre

De Adamich was born in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

, from a family originally from

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. One of his ancestors, Andrija Ljudevit Adamić, had been the wealthiest and most powerful merchant in

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

in the 18th Century.Avakumovic, Ivan. "An Episode In The Continental System in the Illyrian Provinces", ''The Journal of Economic History'', Vol. 14. No 3 (Summer, 1954), pp. 254–261. Andrea de Adamich was an accomplished saloon and sport-car racer who performed solidly when asked to race in

where he was one of the few drivers to have worn glasses to race. He won the 1966

European Touring Car Championship The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World T ...

at the start of a long relationship with

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...

and made his GP debut in the 1968 South African race when his

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...

spun off on oil. Later in the season he won the South American Temporada F2 Championship in Argentina with

but was not retained by the Italian team and he returned to the

fold as they entered F1 supplying engines to a third works

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...

. De Adamich only finished once in 1970 in the McLaren-Alfa and the following year was no more successful when the Alfa engine deal switched to

March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...

. In 1972 De Adamich joined the

Surtees The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978) as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. History The team was formed by John Surtees, a four-time 500cc motorcycle champion and the ...

team and scored his first

points when he finished fourth in the Spanish GP at Jarama. In 1973 he moved to

Brabham Brabham () is the common name for Motor Racing Developments Ltd., a British racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing team. Founded in 1960 by Australian driver Jack Brabham and British-Australian designer Ron Tauranac, the team won four ...

. After a promising start of the season, when he finished again fourth in the Belgian GP at Zolder, De Adamich career was ended abruptly due to injuries sustained in a multiple-car pile-up at the British GP. The accident happened when

Jody Scheckter Jody David Scheckter (born 29 January 1950) is a South African business proprietor and former motor racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980, winning the Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari. Scheckter remains the only Afr ...

, running fourth in his McLaren, spun across the track at Woodcote Corner at the end of the first lap, causing many other cars to collide and crash. The incident eliminated nine cars, including all three works Surtees cars. De Adamich retired the following year and became a respected motor sport journalist and TV pundit in his native Italy. From 1978 through 2012 he hosted the TV sport program ''Grand Prix'' on

Italia 1 Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is oriented at both young and adult people. Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, originally, was o ...

. He is currently the vice-president of

N.Technology N.Technology is an Italian auto racing team, founded by Mauro Sipsz and Monica Bregoli. Team history N.Technology (originally named Nordauto Squadra Corse or Team Nordauto) were set up to manage the worldwide sporting activities of the Fiat Gro ...

which prepares race cars for

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

)

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(

)

Non-championship Formula One results

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)

Complete European F5000 Championship results

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) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

References

External links

Profile on Historic Racing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamich, Andrea De 1941 births Living people 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Brabham Formula One drivers European Formula Two Championship drivers European Touring Car Championship drivers Ferrari Formula One drivers Formula One journalists and reporters Italian Formula One drivers Italian Formula Three Championship drivers Italian racing drivers March Formula One drivers McLaren Formula One drivers Sportspeople from Trieste Surtees Formula One drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers Italian motorsport people Italian people of Croatian descent