Pedro Lamy
A former motocrosser and karting champion, Lamy won the Portuguese FF1600 title in 1989 and quickly graduated to the GM Lotus Euroseries. Blindingly fast in pre-season testing, Pedro suffered a shock when the racing began as he struggled to qualify, but a switch of teams soon helped restore his confidence and he ended the season strongly by winning the final round of the German series, thus ensuring a move to replace champion Barrichello in the Draco Racing team for 1991. He was out of the traps with a succession of wins to build up such a healthy points cushion that he could even afford to have a couple of shunts at Spa and Imola on his way to the championship.
With sound backing and shrewd management, Pedro opted for a season of German
Formula 3 for 1992 and this was the year that he really came to prominence. Totally dominating proceedings in his WTS Reynard-Opel, he won 11 races in the 26-round series and underlined his mastery when he also won the big Marlboro Masters Zandvoort meeting.
A year in F3000 furthered his reputation as a very quick – but sometimes erratic – driver and some of his track manners were dubious to say the least. He won one race, at Pau, and remained in contention for the title until the final round when a collision cost him his chance. By now he had been called into the Lotus line-up at Monza to replace the unfit Zanardi. Pedro had a tough baptism but, with the backing of Portuguese sponsors, secured a full-time ride with the team for 1994.
His season soon suffered a setback at Imola where he was fortunate to escape unscathed when his Lotus ran into the back of Lehto's stalled Benetton and was soon shattered when he was involved in a massive testing accident at Silverstone. Lamy's car ended up over the barriers with Pedro suffering fractured and dislocated knees and a broken wrist, but it could have been much, much worse. Happily, he made an amazingly swift recovery, and was soon back in the paddock looking to get back into competition at the earliest opportunity.
In the event he had to wait until the middle of 1995 when Minardi finally decided to dispense with the services of Pierluigi Martini, but he was quickly back in the groove, matching the performances of team-mate Luca Badoer. Sixth place at the season's finale in Adelaide brought the softly spoken Lamy his first World Championship point, and a seat with the team in 1996.
With the demise of Simtek, Pacific and Forti, Minardi were once again consigned to the back of the field, and Lamy's main challenge came from his team-mates, Fisichella, Marques and later Lavaggi. The former in particular proved a stern test, and when the pair took each other out on the first lap at Monaco Giancarlo Minardi not unnaturally castigated his young chargers. Unfortunately Pedro was out of the GP frame for 1997 and he successfully chased a GT ride with Porsche, taking fifth at Le Mans.
He joined Olivier Beretta to race the works Chrysler Viper in 1998, and the pair stormed to the GT2 title, scoring eight wins in their class. The still ambitious Lamy, however, was keen to move up to prototypes and, after winning a place in the ill-fated works Mercedes squad for Le Mans alongside Schneider and Lagorce, the Portuguese driver sampled life in the American Le Mans Series with a BMW V12 LM.
After two seasons (2000-2001) without much success in the DTM racing Keke Rosberg's Mercedes, Pedro opted for action in the German V8Star series emerging as Champion in 2003. More victories were to follow the following year when he won the GTS Le Mans Endurance Series driving the Larbre-Ferrari.
After winning the opening FIA GT round at Monza, Lamy's talents were then utilised as a member of the Pro-drive Aston Martin team sharing the winning car in round three of the 2005 FIA GT Championship at Silverstone. Reverting to the trusty Ferrari 550 Maranello Pedro certainly lit up the tracks with some stirring performances, taking another win in the Czech Republic. Thereafter he notched an unlikely second-place in Zuhai, China, following an early 'off'. In the next round of the series in Dubai Lamy and his co-driver Gabriele Gardel then staged another magnificent drive from the back of the grid to gain a magnificent win. The Portuguese driver also tasted success at he wheel of a BMW M3 in sharing both the winning and second place cars the Nürburgring 24 Hour race over the classic 15.769-mile circuit.
In 2006 Lamy was part of the Aston Martin squad contesting the GT1 class of the American Le Mans Series, finishing fifth overall in his division. For 2007, the Portuguese moves back into the prototype class with Peugeot as part of the French car giant’s attack on both the Le Mans 24 hours and the LMES series.
