Former world champions and F1 team owners alike have gathered in Switzerland for the funeral of five-time GP winner Gianclaudio ‘Clay’ Regazzoni.
The 67-year-old, who finished a career best second behind Emerson Fittipaldi in the 1974 world championship, died in northern Italy last week in a road smash.
Fittipaldi, as well as Sir Jackie Stewart, Peter Sauber and Niki Lauda – who took off his trademark red cap for the thirty minute ceremony – were in addition to a crowd of about 1,000 at the Basilica del Sacro Cuore in Lugano, near Regazzoni’s birthplace Mendrisio.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone reportedly sent a fax of condolence to Clay’s family.
Sauber told the newspaper Blick: “I have never before heard applause in a church.”
Alongside his parents, Regazzoni was then buried in the Porza cemetary.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
