Chris Lambert

9/4/1944 - 28/7/1968

Record updated 09-Apr-14

Promising driver with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, he was runner up in the 1965 British F3 Championship. In 1968 he formed the London Racing Team with future FIA President Max Mosley but was killed in the F2 race at Zandvoort later that year in a controversial accident involving Clay Regazzoni.

Chris Lambert
Chris Lambert started out in karts with his neighbour, Tony Dowe, and won the British Championship 1964. In 1965 he moved into Formula 3 with Dowe working as his mechanic, driving a Brabham BT15 to victory in only his second race. He stuck with the BT15 for 1966 and finished runner up to Harry Stiller in the Championship. he was one of the years Grovewood Award Winners (The Grovewood Awards are presented by Grovewood Securities to the year's up-and-coming racing drivers selected by a panel appointed by the Guild of Motoring Writers).

In 1967 he moved up to Formula 2 with a Brabham BT23 but had an unhappy season beset with minor mechanical failures and an accident enroute to Spain which damaged the race car and its trailer. His only compensation was a second at Hockenheim in a non-championship race and a win in his heat at Mallory in the wet.

In 1968 he formed the London Racing Team with future FIA President Max Mosley who was also competing in F2 at the time. They purchased a Brabham BT23C and Chris scored his first European Championship points when he came 4th at Hockenheim in the race in which Jim Clark was tragically killed. The rest of the season was much like '67 with a series on DNF's.

He also tried his hand at sportscar racing, driving with Bill Bradley in his Porsche 906 at the full Nurburgring circuit for the 1000 Km Race, finishing 15th. He then went to Spa-Francorchamps with Bradley for the next 1000 Km race finishing 7th overall.

After Spa Chris was back behind the wheel of the F2 Brabham for the European F2 Championship round at Zandvoort. On the 10th lap Clay Regazzoni made a passing move on the inside of Lambert as they approached the small bridge (Tunnel Oost) in the fast right-hander.
 
Travelling at over 200 Kph Lambert's rear wheel was touched by Regazzoni´s front left. Lambert veered left clipping the corner of the concrete bridge and crashing onto the road below. Unfortunately Chris had not fastened his seat bells and was partially thrown out. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Regazzoni's car rolled several times down the track but he escaped without injury.

The London Racing Team was disbanded and a local investigation absolved Regazzoni of all blame however John Lambert, Chris' father felt that Regazzoni had caused his son's death and attempted to get Regazzoni prosecuted or banned. Finally, on November 14th 1971, over three years from the date of the accident an official report was published by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. It stated that Regazzoni was guilty of "a mistake in appreciation, but not of serious negligence". The report went on to say that the "audacity" of a driver was impossible to monitor. Implying that it was probably not the best place to make that overtaking manoeuvre.




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