Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo honoured Clay Regazzoni - who was a Ferrari F1 driver for six years from 1970 to 1972 and from 1974 to 1976, and who was killed yesterday in a car crash in Italy - with the following words: "The death of Clay Regazzoni has robbed us of a man of courage and generosity who lived his life demonstrating those values. I remember him not only as one of my drivers during unforgettable times, but also as a true supporter of Ferrari.

"For him, races had to be tackled with boldness and on the limit, from the first to the final lap. I celebrated a first World Championship win with him and Niki in 1975, and I will never forget his great victories at the wheel of our cars, both in Formula 1 and sports cars. This is a very sad moment for me, especially as his "Swiss-Neapolitan" character meant he was also a unique person away from the race tracks and so many memories of him now come to mind.

Regazzoni is also a figure close to the hearts of the Williams F1 team as the Swiss driver delivered the team its first ever Grand Prix victory - at the British Grand Prix in 1979 - a result from which the English team went on to win world championships and establish itself as one of the leading teams of the 1980s.
 

The team's founder and owner, Sir Frank Williams, said the Swiss driver will always be remembered by the team. "Clay won the very first Grand Prix for the Williams Team in 1979 at Silverstone," read a statement from Frank Williams. "This was probably the most important event ever to occur in the history of our time in Formula One. He was a gentleman and always a pleasure to have with us in the team. Patrick and I and other team members will always remember him."

Also passing tribute was Gianni Petrucci, the chief of the Italian Olympic Committee who about Regazzoni, "I got to know him after his accident, he was an extraordinary character who always worked hard in welfare activities. When a great and such an intelligent and sharp champion leaves us, the pain is bigger."