Emerson Fittipaldi

After his first racing experiences on two wheels and on the water in hydrofoil competitions, this São Paulo-born Brazilian entered karting, became national Formula V champion in 1967 and made the leap to Europe in 1969. He won the British Formula 3 Championship at the first attempt and just one year later was driving a Lotus 69 in the European Formula 2 Trophy, which he finished in third place behind Clay Regazzoni and Derek Bell.

Due to convincing test drives in the spring of 1970, Lotus boss Colin Chapman took him on as the third driver in his Formula 1 team. After Jochen Rindt's fatal accident in Monza, he suddenly found himself in the number one position, moreover at the wheel of a Lotus 72 and thus the superior Formula 1 car of its time. Fittipaldi completed six Grands Prix, finished fourth in his second race and won his fifth race, the round at Watkins Glen.

In 1972, while still with Lotus, he won his first world championship title. The following season he finished second behind Jackie Stewart, switched to McLaren for the new season and won the drivers' world championship again in 1974. After finishing second behind Niki Lauda in the 1975 final classification, he left McLaren and answered the call of home. He joined his older brother Wilson's Formula 1 project as a driver. In the uncompetitive Copersucar-Fittipaldi, he spent three frustrating seasons on the back seat. From 1978, the team was called Fittipaldi Automotive, but the results did not improve, so the Brazilian took a three-year break from racing.

in 1984, the now 38-year-old made his comeback not in Formula 1 but in the American Indy Car series. A first race victory in 1985 was followed by the championship in 1989, during which he also won the Indianapolis 500 miles – as he did again four years later.

In 1990, Team Penske signed him up and, after good results in 1993 and 1994, he finished runner-up in the championship. In 1994, he was already driving the Penske PC 23 with a Mercedes-Benz power unit provided by Ilmor. He was also signed by Penske in 1995, but had a disappointing year despite a win in the PC 24, finishing 11th in the drivers' championship. in 1996, Fittipaldi switched to the Hogan Penske racing team, had a serious accident four races before the end of the season and subsequently had to end his long career in formula racing. Twelve years later, in 2008, he took part in the Brazilian GT3 Championship once again with his brother Wilson in a Porsche 911.