Emerson Fittipaldi

Brazilian racing driver

Two world titles, two Indianapolis wins

Emerson Fittipaldi won titles with Lotus and McLaren in the 1970s, then built a second career in American racing that included two Indianapolis 500 wins.

Emerson Fittipaldi was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 12 December 1946, into a family steeped in motor sport. With his brother Wilson he raced motorcycles, boats and then cars in Brazil, and after moving up from Formula Two he joined Team Lotus as a third driver, starting the 1970 British Grand Prix.

After Jochen Rindt was killed at Monza that September, Fittipaldi found himself leading the team in only his fifth Grand Prix, and he won the next race he started, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. In 1972 he won five times and became world champion at 25, the youngest at that point, a record that stood for 33 years. Three more wins followed in 1973.

For 1974 he joined McLaren, won three races and took his second title, which also brought McLaren its first constructors' championship. Two more wins came in 1975. He then left to race for Fittipaldi Automotive, the team founded by his brother, and stayed from 1976 to 1980. The car was rarely competitive, though he scored a second place in 1978 and a third in 1980. His final totals were 144 starts, 14 wins, 6 pole positions and 35 podiums.

His story continued in the United States. In the CART series he won the 1989 championship and the Indianapolis 500 in both 1989 and 1993, and he retired from IndyCar racing in 1996.

2 world titles, 14 wins, 6 pole positions, 144 starts.

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