The Copersucar gamble
At the height of his Formula 1 success, being a two-time (1972 and 1974) F1 World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi surprised everyone by leaving McLaren at the end of 1975, to race for older brother Wilson Fittipaldi’s, Copersucar-sponsored Fittipaldi Automotive team.
Picture above: Emerson Fittipaldi, at the wheel of the pretty Copersucar F6A at Hockenheim, German Grand Prix, in 1979.
He remained with the team for five seasons, but only managed a best finish of second. Fittipaldi decided to retire from F1 racing at the end of 1980. He remembers this period of his career : “I was too involved in the problems of trying to make the team work, and I neglected my marriage and my personal life.”, although at the time he cited the death of many of his colleagues as the reason for his retirement.
After leaving F1 in 1980, the Brazilian took time out from major racing for four years, returning in 1984 in CART. It was the start of a second and very successful career in the US, but that will figure in other posts.
Picture below: Emerson Fittipaldi is seen here hustling his Copersucar F6A at Monaco in 1979.