Fittipaldi Automotive

Fittipaldi Automotive, sometimes called Copersucar after its first major sponsor, was the only Formula 1 team and constructor to be based in Brazil. It was founded in 1974 by runner Wilson Fittipaldi and his younger brother, double world champion Emerson, with money from the Brazilian sugar and alcohol cooperative Copersucar. In 1976, Emerson shocked the motoring world by leaving champion team McLaren to drive for his less than successful family team. Later world champion Keke Rosberg got his first Formula 1 podium with this team.

The team was based in São Paulo, nearly 10,000 kilometers from the center of the UK motorsport world, until it moved to Reading, UK in 1974. It entered 119 Grands Prix between 1975 and 1982, with a total of 156 registered cars. He got three podiums and 44 points.

Origins

Emerson Fittipaldi.

Wilson Fittipaldi was a professional racer with Brabham in Formula 1 during 1972 and 1973. Unhappy with his treatment from the team, he spoke to his younger brother and double world champion Emerson Fittipaldi towards the end of 1973 and the two decided to field their own team Formula 1 in Brazil. The Fittipaldi brothers were already in business together building karts and Formula Vee cars in Brazil since the 1960s, and in a successful specialty automobile accessory business. It was through these ventures that Emerson had achieved his successful entry into the world of European motor racing in 1969. During the 1970s it was not uncommon for a driver to design or buy his own chassis, fit it with the readily available Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland transmission and enter world championship competition. i>(see Hill and Surtees). By the early 1980s the DFV was no longer competitive and the new turbocharged engines were much more difficult to source and maintain.

The 1974 season was spent preparing the new team that had to have a strong Brazilian flavor. Wilson convinced the Brazilian sugar and alcohol cooperative Copersucar to sponsor the team. Emerson still a McLaren driver was acting as a consultant. A car called Copersucar was designed by Brazilian Richard Divila, who had worked for Fittipaldi Empreendimentos designing Formula Vee cars, and later for the European Formula 2 Team Bardahl Fittipaldi, modifying their Lotus and Brabham-derived chassis. The national aerospace company Embraer also got involved, providing materials for the new equipment and time in the wind tunnel. Mexican Jo Ramírez was hired as team boss. The team was initially based in Brazil, almost (10,000 km) from the United Kingdom, a daring decision given the predominantly British nature of Formula 1 technology from the 1960s onwards.

The long, low Copersucar FD01, with its bulbous design containing the engine and radiators (these in an unusual rear position), painted silver with rainbow applications on the flanks, was unveiled in October 1974 at the Federal Senate of Brazil in Brasilia with the presence of President Ernesto Geisel. Like the Brabham BT series of cars (Brabham and Tauranac), the FD designation reflected the initials of the driver and designer (Fittipaldi and Divila).

History

Copersucar-Fittipaldi (1975-1977)

Fittipaldi FD04 of 1976.

The team, initially known as Copersucar-Fittipaldi, was not very successful in its first season in 1975. Wilson crashed in chassis FD01 on lap 12 of its first race, the 1975 Argentine Grand Prix, which his brother ended up winning with McLaren. Chassis numbers FD02 and FD03, used the rest of the year, had the same design as the original but were fitted with a succession of more conventional aerodynamic elements. Wilson was the sole driver and only completed five races with the best result a 10th (and last) at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, failing to qualify three times. Italian Arturo Merzario fared no better when he drove the car at the Italian Grand Prix after Wilson broke two bones in one hand in a crash in practice before the Austrian Grand Prix. Despite the lack of success the The small team scored a goal for the following year: Emerson Fittipaldi left McLaren, with whom he had won his second drivers' world title in 1974, to join the family team. His brother retired as a pilot to oversee the management of the team.

Emerson commented:

I am aware that I have virtually no chance of winning the world title the next season... It will be a very difficult start but I am very enthusiastic and I am sure that with the effort of all we will have the first positive results in the second half of next year. I believe that in the medium term of one or two years Brazil will have one of the best Formula 1 teams in the world.

Emerson was the team's primary driver in 1976 although Brazilian Ingo Hoffmann joined him for four races. Fittipaldi qualified the new FD04 fifth on his debut at Interlagos. In the race he could only finish in 13th place, a position that was representative of what would be the rest of the season during which he only won three points. The result of this classification was the best that the team would achieve throughout its history. The experiment of having the team base in Brazil did not last, it was too far from its engine and transmission suppliers and did not have the wide availability of expert UK component manufacturers. Although the first FD04 was built there, subsequent cars would be built at the base the team established in Reading, UK, in what would come to be known as the 'valley of motorsport'.

The team kept the same configuration for 1977. Fittipaldi was able to achieve several fourth and fifth places throughout the year. Hoffman only appeared a couple of times early in the year finishing 7th at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The new F5, painted yellow instead of silver, (as Divila had stepped down from the role of technical director, the 'D' was dropped from the name) was unveiled mid-season.

Fittipaldi Automotive (1978-1979)

Although not very successful in 1977, in 1978 the F5A, modified to implement the principles of ground effect that had been successful when introduced by Lotus, enabled the former two-time world champion to achieve several good results. The best was a disputed second place after fighting Mario Andretti and Gilles Villeneuve, in the team's permanent lucky spot in Brazil. Fittipaldi finished with 17 points as the team, then called Fittipaldi Automotive, finished 7th in the Manufacturers' table – one place ahead of Emerson's former team McLaren.

The 1979 season saw all the promise of the previous year disappear. Implementing ground effect successfully became crucial to success on track but understanding of the phenomenon was in its infancy and Ralph Bellamy's F6 was a failure on track. Fittipaldi was again the sole driver for the team although Alex Ribeiro participated. in a non-championship race that opened the Imola circuit that year, before trying and failing to qualify a car for the North American championship races at the end of the season.

Skol Fittipaldi Team (1980)

Fittipaldi F8 with Skol's sponsor.

At the end of 1979 Copersucar decided to end its sponsorship. The team bought the remains of nearby neighbor Wolf Racing, becoming a two-car operation for the first time. The team took the name Skol Team Fittipaldi for the 1980 season to reflect the new sponsorship of Skol Brasil (currently an AmBev brand). Emerson and Wolf Racing driver Keke Rosberg raced the early part of the season on a modified Wolf chassis from the previous year. The cars, called the F7, awarded a third place to each driver before being replaced by the less successful F8. The design team that year was headed by Harvey Postlethwaite, another Wolf asset, and also included a very young Adrian Newey—both of whom later designed championship-winning cars for other teams.

Fittipaldi Automotive (1981-1982)

Emerson Fittipaldi decided to retire at the end of 1980. He later stated that his last two years in Formula 1 had been less than happy: "I was very involved with the problems of trying to make the team work and I neglected my marriage and my personal life', although at the time he said the death of some colleagues was the cause. He was only 33 years old, but had been racing in Formula 1 for a decade. He had failed to finish seven of the last 10 events that year and on several occasions had been outclassed by his Finn partner. He became manager of the team and the young Brazilian Chico Serra replaced him during 1981. The team, which had resumed the name of Fittipaldi Automotive after ending Skol's sponsorship, went into sharp decline from 1981 onwards. Postlethwaite left for Ferrari at the start of the year and the team again began using chassis variants from the previous season, Michelin, Avon and Pirelli tires—including one race in which each car used a different make. Rosberg managed to get a fourth place (one lap back) in the South African Grand Prix organized by FOCA and not valid for the world championship at the beginning of the year, but after that both drivers registered a series of retirements and failures in the classifications. When they managed to finish the races they were among the last and that year they did not get points.

Rosberg moved to Williams for 1982, where he would win the drivers' championship. The team continued with a lone F8 driven by Serra—frequently using a chassis it had raced for most of the 1981 season—and earned a final point with its sixth-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, though only after Niki Lauda was disqualified. A final new car—the externally identical F9, designed by Divila, which had returned to the team, was unveiled at that year's French Grand Prix—could not improve matters. The team became insolvent at the end of the 1982 season and closed its doors.

Aurora Formula

A Fittipaldi F5A chassis driven by RAM Racing (under the name MotorParts Ultramar Racing Team) achieved the marque's only victory in the Formula Aurora championship at Brands Hatch on 15 April 1979 in the hands of Guy Edwards. The competition was the non-scoring F1 Race of Champions for the world championship, and Edwards was sixth overall in the race standings behind five world championship regulars. He and his teammate Bernard de Dryver posted other strong results in the heats, including a string of podium finishes.

Valentino Musetti, an Italian stuntman, raced an updated variant of the F5B in the 1980 Formula Aurora, but with less success.

Notable pilots

For much of its history Fittipaldi Automotive was entirely focused on Emerson Fittipaldi. Emerson was a two-time world champion, renowned for his easy-going, fast-paced style when he joined the family team. Although his older brother was the driver in the first season, the idea that Emerson could drive for the team was always in the air and only a year later he called off negotiations for a new contract, already well advanced, with his team. then McLaren and signed with Fittipaldi. Although he remained capable of top-place performances, during his time with Fittipaldi Automotive he became an inconsistent driver. On several occasions team manager Jo Ramírez scolded his driver when a sudden burst of speed indicated that he was not driving to his full capacity. By 1980, Fittipaldi's partner, Keke Rosberg, thought that Emerson had left his prime behind and saw him unmotivated. Emerson retired at the end of that year after six full seasons with the family team. The partnership destroyed the great Formula 1 career of a very competitive young driver, although he would later go on to achieve a very successful career at the highest level of North American single-seater racing in the CART series. Something similar happened years later to fellow world champion Jacques Villeneuve with his five frustrating years with BAR, a team forged with money from the tobacco company BAT in 1998.

Young Finn Keke Rosberg was struggling to get a competitive place in Formula 1 when he joined Fittipaldi for the 1980 season. He had previously raced sporadically for two seasons with Theodore Racing, ATS and Walter Wolf Racing teams but although won a non-championship race with Theodore, he had not scored any drivers' world championship points. Fittipaldi bought the Wolf team at the end of 1979. Rosberg stated that Emerson, who until then had not had a full-time partner at Fittipaldi Automotive, wanted another Brazilian driver but was convinced by former Wolf employees Peter Warr and Harvey Postlethwaite to join the team. that offered the position to the Finn. Rosberg himself saw a full season in Formula 1 with Fittipaldi as a step "to victory". He was competitive through the first season alongside Emerson, scoring a podium finish in his first race with the team, the 1981 Argentine Grand Prix. Rosberg passed Emerson on the track during the next race, and claims friction between Fittipaldi followed from then on. and the. During his disastrous second season with the team, during which they failed to score a single point, Rosberg arranged to have his contract terminated. He moved on to Williams, where he would win the drivers' world championship the following season.

Results

Formula 1

(Key) (bold indicates pole position) (italics indicates fastest lap)

Year	Chasis	Motor	Pilots	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	Pos.
1975	FD01 FD02 FD03	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	USA				0	NC
			Wilson Fittipaldi	Ret	13	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	12	17	11	Ret	19	Ret	DNS		10
			Arturo Merzario													11
1976	FD03 FD04	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA	JPN		3	11.
			Emerson Fittipaldi	13	17	6	Ret	DNQ	6	Ret	Ret	6	13	Ret	Ret	15	Ret	9	Ret
			Ingo Hoffmann	11		DNQ	DNQ				DNQ
1977	FD04 F5	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN	JPN	11	9.
			Emerson Fittipaldi	4	4	10	5	14	Ret	Ret	18	11	Ret	DNQ	11	4	DNQ	13	Ret
			Ingo Hoffmann	Ret	7
1978	F5A	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	MON	BEL	ESP	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN		17	7.
			Emerson Fittipaldi	9	2	Ret	8	9	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	4	4	5	8	5	Ret
1979	F5A F6A	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	GER	ITA	CAN	USA			1	12.
			Emerson Fittipaldi	6	11	13	Ret	11	9	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	8	7
			Alex Ribeiro														DNQ	DNQ
1980	F7 F8	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA				11	9.
			Emerson Fittipaldi	NC	15	8	3	Ret	6	Ret	12	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret
			Keke Rosberg	3	9	Ret	Ret	7	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	Ret	16	DNQ	5	9	10
1981	F8C	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		USW	BRA	ARG	SMR	BEL	MON	ESP	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	LVG			0	NC
			Keke Rosberg	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	12	Ret	Ret	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	10
			Boy Serra	7	Ret	Ret	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	11	DNS	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ
1982	F8D F9	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8		RSA	BRA	USW	SMR	BEL	MON	USE	CAN	NED	GBR	FRA	GER	AUT	SUI	ITA	LVG		1	14.o
			Boy Serra	17	Ret	DNQ		6	DNPQ	11	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNQ	11	7	DNQ	11	DNQ
Source:

Non-Championship Races

Year	Grand Prix	Circuit	Pilot	Outcome	Notes
1975	BRDC International Trophy	Silverstone	Wilson Fittipaldi	Ret	The International Trophy was regularly disputed from 1950 to 1970.
1978	BRDC International Trophy	Silverstone	Emerson Fittipaldi	2
1979	Dino Ferrari Award	Imola	Alex Ribeiro	Ret	Race to celebrate the inauguration of Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
1980	Grand Prix of Spain	Jarama	Emerson Fittipaldi	5	This race was not recognized by the 'FISA' teams in the framework of the FISA-FOCA war and was then declared invalid for the championship.
			Keke Rosberg	Ret
1981	South Africa Grand Prix	Kyalami	Keke Rosberg	4	Another victim of the FISA-FOCA war
			Boy Serra	9