Depailler grew up in Clermont-Ferrand and was inspired by the French racing driver Jean Behra. He progressed through Formula Two during the early 1970s, driving March machinery and competing in events across France and Europe. In 1972, Tyrrell gave him guest appearances at the French and United States Grands Prix, where he showed enough promise to be selected as a full-time driver for 1974, replacing the late François Cevert and the retired Jackie Stewart alongside Jody Scheckter.
Depailler's Tyrrell years were marked by consistency and near-misses. He captured the pole position for the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix — only his ninth Formula One start — and finished second to Scheckter in the race. The following seasons saw him accumulate podium after podium without a win, a run that became a record: he jointly holds the mark for the most podium finishes before a first victory, with 15 such results. His car in 1976 was the distinctive six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, in which he finished strongly at Monaco and remained competitive throughout the season.
By 1977, following Ronnie Peterson's departure to Lotus, Depailler was promoted to lead driver status. He drove with growing confidence and finally broke his victory drought in 1978 when he won the Monaco Grand Prix, piloting a Tyrrell-Ford 008 to victory in only his 69th championship race. It was a race he had long been strong in, and the win was widely celebrated.
For 1979, Depailler joined the French Ligier team, which had switched from Matra V12 engines to Ford Cosworth V8 power. The season began promisingly: he scored a flag-to-flag victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jarama, and briefly led the World Championship standings jointly with Gilles Villeneuve. He was a genuine title contender. His season ended abruptly on 3 June 1979 when he broke both legs in a hang-gliding accident near his hometown of Clermont-Ferrand. His Ligier seat was given to Jacky Ickx; Ligier's French government sponsors required his replacement also be a French-speaking driver.
After months of recovery, Depailler joined the revived Alfa Romeo Formula One team for 1980. He fought back through rehabilitation, equipping his car with special brakes designed to exercise his injured legs. Despite still driving in pain, he showed genuine pace — qualifying third for the United States Grand Prix West at Long Beach. The Alfa Romeo was quick but unreliable.
On 1 August 1980, ten days before the German Grand Prix, Depailler was killed during a private testing session at the Hockenheimring. A suspension failure sent his Alfa Romeo 179 into the Armco barrier at the high-speed Ostkurve at full speed; the car overturned and cleared the barrier, inflicting fatal head injuries. He was 35 years old.
As a direct consequence of Depailler's fatal accident, a chicane was installed at the Hockenheim Ostkurve, first used at the 1982 German Grand Prix. The previously flat-out high-speed bend became a slower, safer section of the circuit. At his hometown of Clermont-Ferrand, a radio-controlled car racing circuit — the Mini Circuit Patrick Depailler — was named in his honour and became one of the oldest model-racing tracks in France. Across eight seasons, Depailler achieved two wins, one pole position, four fastest laps, and 19 podium finishes, leaving a record of tenacity and speed in an era of heavy attrition. He was portrayed by Xavier Laurent in Ron Howard's 2013 film Rush.