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emerson fitipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi

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Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi.jpg
Date of birth12 December 1946 (1946-12-12) (age 64)
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBrazil Brazilian
Active years1970 - 1980
TeamsLotus, McLaren, Fittipaldi Automotive
Races149 (144 starts)
Championships2 (1972, 1974)
Wins14
Podiums35
Career points281
Pole positions6
Fastest laps6
First race1970 British Grand Prix
First win1970 United States Grand Prix
Last win1975 British Grand Prix
Last race1980 United States Grand Prix
Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won championships in both Formula One and CART, as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 twice.

Contents

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[edit] Early and personal life

Emerson Fittipaldi is the youngest son of prominent Brazilian motorsports journalist and radio commentator Wilson Fittipaldi Sr and his wife Józefa "Juzy" Wojciechowska, a Polish immigrant to Brazil.[1] He was named after American author and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Both his parents had raced production cars shortly after the Second World War and Wilson Sr was also responsible for the first Mil Milhas race in 1956, in São Paulo, having been inspired by the 1949 Italian Mille Miglia. Emerson unsurprisingly became a keen motorsports enthusiast from an early age.
Emerson Fittipaldi is the younger brother of former Formula One driver and team owner Wilson Fittipaldi. He is the uncle of former CART, Formula One and NASCAR driver Christian Fittipaldi. He was married to Maria Helena from 1970 to 1982. They had three children together, Juliana, Jayson and Tatiana. He was married again, to Teresa, in the mid 1980s. They have one daughter, Joana, and a son, Luca. Now, he has another son, Emerson Fanucchi Fittipaldi, born on March 6, 2007, with his new wife, Rossana Fanucchi Fittipaldi.
In his youth in Brazil, Emerson was known as 'Rato' - mouse, which contrasts with 'Tigrão' - big tiger - for his brother. By the end of his career he was most commonly known as 'Emmo' in the United States and the UK.
In September 1997, Fittipaldi, while recovering from injuries in a crash at Michigan International Speedway a year earlier, was flying his private plane across his orange tree farm estate in São Paulo, Brazil. The plane lost power and plunged 300 feet (91 m) to the ground. He suffered serious back injuries. He recovered, and became a born again Christian.
He was a close friend of George Harrison and was with The Beatles guitarist shortly before he passed away in November 2001.[2]

[edit] Career history

Emerson in the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School F3 Lotus in the 1969 F3 Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch
Aged 14 Fittipaldi was racing motorcycles, and aged 16 hydrofoils. While racing one day, his brother Wilson took off at 70 mph (110 km/h) and landed upside down - they both decided that although he had survived, they would no longer race hydrofoils and moved onto to racing karts.[3]
The pair moved to racing Formula Vees, and built up a company with their parents. In his second season in single-seaters, Fittipaldi won the Brazilian Formula Vee title at 21 years old. He left for Europe in 1969, with the ambition to convince team owners of his talent in three months. After some podiums and his first victories in Formula Ford, Fittipaldi was first trained and then subsequently engaged by the Jim Russell Driving School Formula Three team.

[edit] Formula One

Fittipaldi driving the Lotus 72 at the Nürburgring in 1971.
Fittipaldi continued to win, drawing the attention of Colin Chapman, who was looking for a driver to support the Austrian Jochen Rindt in the 1970 Formula One season. The team's No 3 driver, he ended up becoming No 1 driver after Rindt was killed at Monza and John Miles left the team. Thrust into the spotlight by leading F1's top team, he proved up to the task and won for Lotus in its first race post-Rindt.
In his first full year as Lotus' lead driver in 1971, Fittipaldi finished sixth in the drivers' championship as the team further developed the previous season's Lotus 72. Armed with what was arguably the greatest Formula one design of all time, the Lotus 72D, Fittipaldi proved unstoppable in 1972 as he won five of 11 races and easily won the F1 Drivers' Championship from Jackie Stewart by 16 points. At 25 he was then the youngest champion in F1 history. It appeared he might do it again in 1973. But after three wins from four attempts with the 72D, he began to struggle in the new 72E that was unveiled mid-year. It resulted in the reverse of the previous year, Stewart beating Fittipaldi for the Drivers Championship by 16 points; though the combination of the 72D and E's points earnings were enough to gain Team Lotus the 1973 F1 Manufacturers Championship.
Fittipaldi in the McLaren M23 in the 1974 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.
Fittipaldi driving for his brother's eponymous team at the 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Fittipaldi left Lotus to sign with the promising McLaren team. Driving the highly efficient McLaren M23, he had three victories in 1974, reached the podium four other times, and beat out Clay Regazzoni in a close battle for his second championship. The following season, he notched two more victories and four other podiums, but was second to a dominant Niki Lauda. However, at the height of his F1 success, Fittipaldi shocked everyone by leaving McLaren to race for older brother Wilson Fittipaldi's Copersucar-sponsored Fittipaldi Automotive team.
It was hardly a world class organization and the double champion regularly struggled, even failing to qualify for three races in his time there. Despite this, he remained with the team for five seasons but only managed a best finish of second. Emerson Fittipaldi decided to retire from racing at the end of 1980. He has since said that his last two years in Formula One were very unhappy: "I was too involved in the problems of trying to make the team work, and I neglected my marriage and my personal life",[4] although at the time he cited the deaths of many of his colleagues as his reason.[5] He was only 33, but had been racing in Formula One for a decade. He had failed to finish seven of the last ten races that year and had several times been outpaced by his Finnish teammate Keke Rosberg (a future champion himself). He moved into the management of the team[6] alongside his brother. The team struggled on for another two years with minimal sponsorship, going into receivership at the end of 1982.

[edit] CART

After leaving F1 in 1980, Fittipaldi took time out from major racing for four years, returning in 1984 in CART. The 38-year old spent his first season acclimatising to IndyCars, driving for two teams before joining Patrick Racing as an injury replacement. He stayed five years with the team, recording six victories and solid finishes in the overall standings. In 1989 he had five wins and finished in the top five in every race he completed, giving him a CART championship. Among his wins was a dominant performance in the Indianapolis 500 where he led 158 of 200 laps and won by two laps, but only after a dramatic duel with Al Unser, Jr. in the closing laps of the race. With both drivers a commanding six laps ahead of third place Raul Boesel, Unser ran down Fittipaldi after a late-race restart and passed him for the lead on lap 196. Three laps later, Fittipaldi used lap traffic to his advantage to pull alongside Unser on the backstretch. Neither driver would give way, and the two cars touched wheels as they went through turn three side by side. Unser's car spun out of control to hit the outside wall, while Fittipaldi was able to maintain sufficient control to keep his car moving straight. In spite of the altercation, Unser saluted Fittipaldi from the infield with a double thumbs-up sign as he brought his car through turns three and four on the subsequent caution-slowed final lap.
Emerson Fittipaldi racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1994
Roger Penske hired Emmo for his racing team in 1990 and he continued to be among the top drivers in CART, winning a race with Penske for six straight years. In 1993 he added a second Indianapolis 500 victory by taking the lead from defending Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell on lap 185 and holding it for the remainder. The race was more well known for him breaking Indy victory lane tradition when he drank a celebratory bottle of orange juice instead of the traditional bottle of milk. He was only the second driver to not drink milk at Indy since the tradition was founded in 1936 (and firmly established in 1956). Fittipaldi owned several orange groves in his native Brazil, and wanted to promote the citrus industry. He was widely criticized and ridiculed for the action, even though he later took a sip of milk (after the television cameras were off).
Fan reaction to the milk snub was highly negative, and he was booed a week later at Milwaukee. In the years following, many fans continued to hold the action against him. In interviews since, Fittipaldi explained his action, and apologised for the wave of negativity that followed. Fittipaldi returned to Indianapolis to drive the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car for the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Despite coming clean, he was again booed and heckled by some fans during the Public Drivers' Meeting.
Approaching 50, he was still with Champ Car in 1996 when an injury at the Michigan International Speedway ended his career. Fittipaldi did not return to the series as a driver after the injury but in 2003 he made a return to Champcars as a team owner.
Fittipaldi is currently acting as team principal for the Brazilian A1 GP entry.
In 2005 Fittipaldi made a surprise return to competitive racing in the Grand Prix Masters event held at Kyalami in South Africa, finishing second behind former CART sparring partner Nigel Mansell.
In 2008, Emerson and his brother Wilson entered the Brazilian GT3 Championship, driving a Porsche 997 GT3 for the WB Motorsports team.[7]

[edit] Award

He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001.

[edit] Racing record

[edit] Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617WDCPts.
1970Gold Leaf Team LotusLotus 49CFord V8RSAESPMONBELNEDFRAGBR
8
GER
4
AUT
15
10th12
Lotus 72CFord V8ITA
DNS
CANUSA
1
MEX
Ret
1971Gold Leaf Team LotusLotus 72CFord V8RSA
Ret
ESP
Ret
6th16
Lotus 72DFord V8MON
5
NEDFRA
3
GBR
3
GER
Ret
AUT
2
CAN
7
USA
NC
World Wide RacingLotus 56BP&W gas turbineITA
8
1972John Player Team LotusLotus 72DFord V8ARG
Ret
RSA
2
ESP
1
MON
3
BEL
1
FRA
2
GBR
1
GER
Ret
AUT
1
CAN
11
USA
Ret
1st61
World Wide RacingLotus 72DFord V8ITA
1
1973John Player Team LotusLotus 72DFord V8ARG
1
BRA
1
RSA
3
2nd55
Lotus 72EFord V8ESP
1
BEL
3
MON
2
SWE
12
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
NED
Ret
GER
6
AUT
Ret
ITA
2
CAN
2
USA
6
1974Marlboro Team TexacoMcLaren M23Ford V8ARG
10
BRA
1
RSA
7
ESP
3
BEL
1
MON
5
SWE
4
NED
3
FRA
Ret
GBR
2
GER
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA
2
CAN
1
USA
4
1st55
1975Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M23Ford V8ARG
1
BRA
2
RSA
NC
ESP
DNS
MON
2
BEL
7
SWE
8
NED
Ret
FRA
4
GBR
1
GER
Ret
AUT
9
ITA
2
USA
2
2nd45
1976Copersucar-FittipaldiFittipaldi FD04Ford V8BRA
13
RSA
17
USW
6
ESP
Ret
BEL
DNQ
MON
6
SWE
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
6
GER
13
AUT
Ret
NED
Ret
ITA
15
CAN
Ret
USA
9
JPN
Ret
17th3
1977Copersucar-FittipaldiFittipaldi FD04Ford V8ARG
4
BRA
4
RSA
10
USW
5
ESP
14
MON
Ret
SWE
18
12th11
Fittipaldi F5Ford V8BEL
Ret
FRA
11
GBR
Ret
GER
DNQ
AUT
11
NED
4
ITA
DNQ
USA
13
CAN
Ret
JPN
1978Fittipaldi AutomotiveFittipaldi F5AFord V8ARG
9
BRA
2
RSA
Ret
USW
8
MON
9
BEL
Ret
ESP
Ret
SWE
6
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
4
AUT
4
NED
5
ITA
8
USA
5
CAN
Ret
10th17
1979Fittipaldi AutomotiveFittipaldi F5AFord V8ARG
6
BRA
11
USW
Ret
ESP
11
BEL
9
MON
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
21st1
Fittipaldi F6Ford V8RSA
13
Fittipaldi F6AFord V8GER
Ret
AUT
Ret
NED
Ret
ITA
8
CAN
8
USA
7
1980Skol Fittipaldi TeamFittipaldi F7Ford V8ARG
NC
BRA
15
RSA
8
USW
3
BEL
Ret
MON
6
FRA
Ret
15th5
Fittipaldi F8Ford V8GBR
12
GER
Ret
AUT
11
NED
Ret
ITA
Ret
CAN
Ret
USA
Ret

[edit] Formula One non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678
1971Gold Leaf Team LotusLotus 72CFord V8ARG
Ret
ROC
Ret
QUE
Ret
SPR
7
INT
Ret
RINOULVIC
2
1972John Player Team LotusLotus 72DFord V8ROC
1
BRA
Ret
INT
1
OUL
2
REP
1
VIC
Ret
1973John Player Team LotusLotus 72DFord V8ROC
Ret
INT
Ret
1974Marlboro Team TexacoMcLaren M23Ford V8PRE
1
ROC
3
INT
1975Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M23Ford V8ROC
5
INT
2
SUI
Ret
1978Fittipaldi AutomotiveFittipaldi F5AFord V8INT
2
1980Skol Fittipaldi TeamFittipaldi F7Ford V8ESP
5

[edit] CART results

YearTeam1234567891011121314151617RankPoints
1984Patrick RacingUnited States
LBH
5
United States
PHX1
12
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
United States
POR
United States
MEA
7
United States
CLE
Ret
United States
MIS1
United States
ROA
United States
POC
United States
MDO
4
United States
SAN
Ret
United States
MIS2
12
United States
PHX2
United States
LS
United States
LVG
Ret
15th30
1985Patrick RacingUnited States
LBG
2
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
8
United States
POR
3
United States
MEA
2
United States
CLE
8
United States
MCH
1
United States
ROA
5
United States
POC
6
United States
MDO
8
Canada
SAN
Ret
United States
MCH
13
United States
LAG
Ret
United States
PHO
8
United States
MIA
Ret
  6th104
1986Patrick RacingUnited States
PHX
3
United States
LBG
Ret
United States
INDY
7
United States
MIL
Ret
United States
POR
Ret
United States
MEA
2
United States
CLE
Ret
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MCH
Ret
United States
POC
Ret
United States
MDO
Ret
Canada
SAN
3
United States
MCH
3
United States
ROA
1
United States
LAG
7
United States
PHX
5
United States
MIA
Ret
7th103
1987Patrick RacingUnited States
LBG
Ret
United States
PHX
Ret
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
7
United States
POR
Ret
United States
MEA
3
United States
CLE
1
Canada
TOR
1
United States
MCH
7
United States
POC
Ret
United States
ROA
Ret
United States
MDO
6
United States
NAZ
Ret
United States
LAG
Ret
United States
MIA
10
  10th78
1988Patrick RacingUnited States
PHX
Ret
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
INDY
2
United States
MIL
3
United States
POR
3
United States
CLE
Ret
Canada
TOR
4
United States
MEA
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
POC
Ret
United States
MDO
1
United States
ROA
1
United States
NAZ
8
United States
LS
Ret
United States
MIA
Ret
7th105
1989Patrick RacingUnited States
PHX
5
United States
LBH
3
United States
INDY
1
United States
MIL
Ret
United States
DET
1
United States
POR
1
United States
CLE
1
United States
MEA
2
Canada
TOR
2
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
POC
Ret
United States
MDO
4
United States
ROA
5
United States
NAZ
1
United States
LS
5
1st196
1990Team PenskeUnited States
PHX
5
United States
LBH
2
United States
INDY
3
United States
MIL
3
United States
DET
7
United States
POR
9
United States
CLE
3
United States
MEA
6
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
DEN
Ret
Canada
VAN
6
United States
MDO
12
United States
ROA
2
United States
NAZ
1
United States
LS
6
5th144
1991Team PenskeAustralia
SRF
Ret
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
PHX
3
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
8
United States
DET
1
United States
POR
2
United States
CLE
2
United States
MEA
7
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
DEN
2
Canada
VAN
Ret
United States
MDO
2
United States
ROA
6
United States
NAZ
8
United States
LS
4
5th140
1992Team PenskeAustralia
SRF
1
United States
PHX
3
United States
LBH
3
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
DET
8
United States
POR
2
United States
MIL
4
United States
NHA
Ret
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
CLE
1
United States
ROA
1
Canada
VAN
Ret
United States
MDO
1
United States
NAZ
7
United States
LS
19
4th151
1993Team PenskeAustralia
SRF
2
United States
PHX
Ret
United States
LBH
13
United States
INDY
1
United States
MIL
3
United States
DET
Ret
United States
POR
1
United States
CLE
2
Canada
TOR
2
United States
MIS
13
United States
NHA
3
United States
ROA
5
Canada
VAN
7
United States
MDO
1
United States
NAZ
5
United States
LS
2
2nd183
1994Team PenskeAustralia
SRF
2
United States
PHX
1
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
2
United States
DET
2
United States
POR
2
United States
CLE
Ret
Canada
TOR
3
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
MDO
3
United States
NHA
3
Canada
VAN
9
United States
ROA
3
United States
NAZ
3
United States
LS
4
2nd178
1995Team PenskeUnited States
MIA
Ret
Australia
SRF
Ret
United States
PHX
3
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
NAZ
1
United States
INDY
DNQ
United States
MIL
Ret
United States
DET
10
United States
POR
Ret
United States
ROA
15
Canada
TOR
10
United States
CLE
Ret
United States
MIS
5
United States
MDO
Ret
United States
NHA
5
Canada
VAN
7
United States
LS
16
11th67
1996Hogan PenskeUnited States
MIA
13
Brazil
RIO
11
Australia
SRF
Ret
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
NAZ
4
United States
500
10
United States
MIL
4
United States
DET
Ret
United States
POR
Ret
United States
CLE
Ret
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
MDO
United States
ROA
Canada
VAN
United States
LS
19th29

[edit] Indy 500 results

YearChassisEngineStartFinishTeam
1984MarchCosworth23rd32ndWIT
1985MarchCosworth5th13thPatrick
1986MarchCosworth11th7thPatrick
1987MarchChevrolet33rd16thPatrick
1988MarchChevrolet8th2ndPatrick
1989PenskeChevrolet3rd1stPatrick
1990PenskeChevrolet1st3rdPenske
1991PenskeChevrolet15th11thPenske
1992PenskeChevrolet11th24thPenske
1993PenskeChevrolet9th1stPenske
1994PenskeIlmor-Mercedes3rd17thPenske
1995LolaIlmor-MercedesFailed to QualifyPenske

[edit] Helmet

Fittipaldi's helmet is blue (sometimes with a dark blue grid effect) with a red vertical stripe crossing the helmet from the top and a red horizontal stripe that cover all the area under the visor (resulting the blue part to form 2 circles), in some seasons he adds a brazilian flag in the sides or change helmet model (simspon bandit or Bell model with 2 eyeholes). in his formula indy years, the vertical stripe has 5 black lines, the blue changes to navy and on the blue area on the top were added sky blue and azure cylinders. his compatriot Tarso Marques sports a helmet with similar design (with the vertical stripe being fluo yellow and on the side of the inferior area there are red curved lines rather than a horizontal line)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ludvigsen (2002) p.26 Fittipaldi's paternal grandfather was Italian, and his maternal grandmother was Russian.
  2. ^ George Harrison in Brazil and Singing Tribute to Emerson Fittipaldi (Sounds and Colours)
  3. ^ On the Move: Emerson Fittipaldi Sunday Times - August 26, 2007
  4. ^ Ludvigsen, Karl (2002) 'Emerson Fittipaldi' p.136 Haynes Group. ISBN 1-85960-837-X
  5. ^ Fittipaldi to Retire (December 12, 1980) The Times page 20
  6. ^ Emerson Fittipaldi 8w.forix.com Retrieved 28 February 2006
  7. ^ Emerson Fittipaldi vai correr na GT3 Brasil globo.com Retrieved 30 July 2008
Books
Ludvigsen, Karl (2002). Emerson Fittipaldi Heart of a Racer. Osceola: Motorbooks International. ISBN 185960837x. 
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Tim Schenken
British Formula Three Championship
BRSCC Series Champion

1969
Succeeded by
Dave Walker
1970 BRSCC Lombank Series
Succeeded by
Tony Trimmer
1970 BRSCC Motorsport/Shell Series
Preceded by
Graham Hill
BRDC International Trophy winner
1972
Succeeded by
Jackie Stewart
Preceded by
Jackie Stewart
Formula One World Champion
1972
Succeeded by
Jackie Stewart
Preceded by
Clay Regazzoni
Brands Hatch Race of Champions
Winner

1972
Succeeded by
Peter Gethin
Preceded by
Jackie Stewart
Formula One World Champion
1974
Succeeded by
Niki Lauda
Preceded by
Rick Mears
Indianapolis 500 Winner
1989
Succeeded by
Arie Luyendyk
Preceded by
Danny Sullivan
CART Series
Champion

1989
Succeeded by
Al Unser, Jr.
Preceded by
Al Unser, Jr.
Indianapolis 500 Winner
1993
Succeeded by
Al Unser, Jr.
Records
Preceded by
Jim Clark
27 years, 188 days
(1963 season)
Youngest Formula One
World Drivers' Champion

25 years, 273 days
(1972 season)
Succeeded by
Fernando Alonso
24 years, 58 days
(2005 season)

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