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Emerson Fittipaldi, the classic racing driver

24. Dec 2023 
by Ziv Knoll
2130 views

Equally brilliant team mates at Colin Chapman’s JPS Team Lotus in 1973, Swede Ronnie Peterson and Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi (picture above) won races in their Lotus 72D, but could not prevent Tyrrell driver, Scot Jackie Stewart from winning the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship for the third time. Nevertheless Team Lotus won the Constructors’ Championship.

Arturo Merzario, a former Ferrari driver, once said: “In the past I was an admirer of Graham Hill for the Formula 1 races and of Jo Siffert for those of the Prototypes. Currently my esteem is for Emerson Fittipaldi, because he is the classic driver who, in addition to being fast, knows how to get by even when his car is not up to par with his opponents, emerging in the distance.”

While Ronnie Peterson was gifted with formidable car control and speed, Emerson Fittipaldi, seen here-below in his Lotus 72E at Anderstorp in Sweden, was perhaps more of the “complete package” as a driver, and the reigning 1972 World Champion.

Source: LAT Images

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