He won the 1966 European Touring Car Championship at the start of a long relationship with Alfa Romeo and made his GP debut in the 1968 South African race when his Ferrari spun off on oil.

Later in the season he won the South American Temporada F2 Championship in Argentina with Ferrari but was not retained by the Italian team and he returned to the Alfa Romeo fold as they entered F1 supplying engines to a third works McLaren.

In 1972 De Adamich joined the Surtees team and scored his first Formula One points when he finished fourth in the Spanish GP at Jarama.

The accident happened when Jody Scheckter, running fourth in his McLaren, spun across the track at Woodcote Corner at the end of the first lap, causing many other cars to collide and crash.

De Adamich retired the following year and became a respected motor sport journalist and TV pundit in his native Italy.