Wilson Fittipaldi

Brazilian driver who founded the Fittipaldi team, Brazil's own Formula One constructor, and ran it until 1982

Wilson Fittipaldi

Brazilian driver who founded the Fittipaldi team, Brazil's own Formula One constructor, and ran it until 1982

Wilson Fittipaldi, born on Christmas Day 1943, was the elder son of the motorsport journalist Wilson Fittipaldi Senior and the older brother of double world champion Emerson. He raced in British Formula Three in 1970 and drove 38 Grands Prix from 1972, scoring three points.

Tired of being a paying second driver at Brabham, he stepped away early in 1974 to create a Formula One team for Brazil. By mid 1974 he had persuaded the sugar and alcohol producer Copersucar to back it, and from 1976 he gave up driving to run it full time. The team raced from 1975 until it closed in 1982, with occasional flashes of success. Building a national team from scratch is a bolder ambition than winning races for someone else. He died in São Paulo in February 2024.

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