Wilson Fittipaldi, Emerson’s brother and also an F1 driver, died at 80

Wilson Fittipaldi, Emerson's brother and also an F1 driver, died at 80

È died at the age of 80 Wilson Fittipaldi, older brother (by three years) of two-time world champion Emerson, the first Brazilian to win a Formula 1 championship, and father of Christian, who competed in the Circus in the 1990s.

Born in São Paulo on Christmas Day 1943, he began racing steadily in Europe in 1970, in British Formula 3, moving on the following year  to Formula 2, in the then very prestigious European championship, racing first with a Lotus and then with a Team Bardahl March, otening three fourth places.

In 1972 he was called by Brabham to compete in Formula 1, with which he remained in 1973, and in the second year he obtained his only points results in the Circus, sixth in Buenos Aires in the season opener and fifth at the Nurburgring, on the old, dangerous and beautiful Nordschleife.

In 1974, he took a sabbatical and founded his own team, Copersucar-Fittipaldi, with which in 1975 he disputò his last year in Formula 1 without obtaining significant results and then handing over the team and his place at the wheel to his brother Emerson. who came from McLaren.

After his retirement he served more as manager, including to his son Christian. From 2004 è he was technical director WB Motorsports Brazilian team in the Stock Cars championship. Last Christmas, on his 80° birthday, he suffered a cardiac arrest, unfortunately he left us today.