Emerson Fittipaldi returns to the Hall of Fame Formula 1 category shortlist for the second year in a row. He is joined by 11 other racing names who you can find out about on the F1 podcast with Karun Chandhok, Mark Hughes and myself here.
Winner of two Formula 1 World Championships, two Indianapolis 500s and the 1989 CART Championship, Fittipaldi was still competing two years ago in a one-off appearance in the World Endurance Championship at the age of 68. Those facts alone justify a place for him in the Hall of Fame. He might even have joined the likes of Brabham and Stewart as a three-time world champion had he not moved to his brother’s Copersucar-Fittipaldi team for the 1976 season, leaving his seat available for James Hunt.
With John Miles leaving Lotus and the tragic death of Jochen Rindt in 1970, Fittipaldi found himself as the Lotus number one at the age of only 23. His first race after Rindt’s death, in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, he won.
Nationality: Brazilian
Teams: Lotus, McLaren, Fittipaldi Automotive
Grands Prix starts: 144
World Championships: 2
Wins: 14
Podiums: 35
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