A home win at Interlagos

Carlos Pace won the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix for Brabham in front of his home crowd, and the São Paulo circuit now carries his name.

Carlos Pace was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on October 6, 1944. He began racing in Brazil in the late 1960s alongside the Fittipaldi brothers, went to Europe in 1970 and won the Forward Trust British Formula 3 championship in a Lotus. In 1971 he raced in Formula Two for Frank Williams.

Williams then ran him in a March in Formula 1 for 1972, when he scored points twice, with fifth place at the Belgian Grand Prix his best result. He moved to Surtees for 1973, took his first podium with third in Austria and set fastest lap there and in Germany, and also drove for the works Ferrari sports car team, finishing second at Le Mans. Midway through 1974 he left Surtees for Brabham, and by the end of that season he finished second to his teammate Carlos Reutemann at Watkins Glen.

The 1975 Brabham was competitive from the start. At the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, Pace won in front of his home crowd, his only Formula 1 victory. He took pole position at the next race in South Africa, finished on the podium at Monaco and at the British Grand Prix, and placed sixth in the championship. A switch to Alfa Romeo engines made 1976 harder, but he opened 1977 with second place in Argentina.

His final start was the 1977 South African Grand Prix. Days later, in March 1977, he was killed in a light aircraft accident. The Interlagos circuit was renamed Autódromo José Carlos Pace in his honor. Our record shows 72 starts, 1 win, 1 pole position, 5 fastest laps and 6 podiums, with March, Surtees and Brabham.

0 world titles, 1 wins, 1 pole positions, 72 starts.

Teams

Victories

• Brazilian Grand Prix 1975