from Zandvoort on. In a twist of fate, the Theodore’s throttle sticks during the session and Lammers hits the wall to break his thumb. As a result, Patrick Tambay signs the Ferrari contract. At Zandvoort, instead of driving the Ferrari, Lammers takes part in his last Grand Prix before Tommy Byrne takes over the seat. Late 1985, Lammers is given a test by Toleman at Estoril but with the team unable to get a tyre contract for 1986, plans for a Formula One return fall through. In 1989, another Formula One opportunity comes to nothing when Lammers is asked by Ken Tyrrell to replace Michele Alboreto, but the Dutchman decides to stick with TWR Jaguar, and Tyrrell signs up Jean Alesi instead. Then in 1992, Lammers makes a surprise Formula One comeback when he steps in at March for the final two races of the season – a full ten years after his initial final Grand Prix, a record career gap in Formula One. Replacing Karl Wendlinger, Lammers laps sixth fastest in wet free practice at Suzuka, before retiring from the race with a broken gearbox. At Adelaide, he finishes 12th. Looking set to continue with March in 1993, his Formula One ambitions receive a blow when the team is denied an engine deal by Ilmor unless bills are paid. This leaves Lammers a spectator at Kyalami, after which the team folds. Another Formula One option hits the rocks when Lammers is signed by the DAMS F3000 team for its debut season in 1996, having already tested their GD-01 car all through 1995. The project remains stillborn when DAMS fails to gather sufficient funding. Sportscars Fed up with driving inferior machines at the back of the Formula One grid, Lammers decides to switch to sportscar racing where he becomes a mainstay for the next three decades, both as a driver and a team owner. His time in Group C includes seasons with Richard Lloyd Racing’s private Porsche 956, the works Jaguar team and the works Toyota team, while in the days of LMP900 and LMP1, Lammers runs his own Racing for Holland team with the Japanese Dome S101 chassis. His final call at Le Mans comes in 2017 and 2018 when he races the Racing Team Nederland Dallara in LMP2, sharing with Rubens Barrichello and Jumbo Supermarkets CEO and team owner Frits van Eerd. Prototypes Having turned his back on