Top 5 Worst performing Fittipaldi Automotive Drivers


Top 5 Worst performing Fittipaldi Automotive drivers
List by Brian Cotnoir

Some of the best drivers in the world have hailed from the South American nation of Brazil.  Drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, and Emerson Fittipaldi won multiple championships and dominated F1 for decades.    In 1975 Wilson Fititpaldi, the brother of two-time Formula 1 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi started his own F1 team; Fittipaldi Automotive.  Fittipaldi Automotive was the first and so far only Brazilian-based Formula 1 team.  The team ran mostly a single car entry, but did eventually grow into a 2 car operation.  The team mostly fielded drivers from Brazil—most notably Emerson Fittipaldi—but was also the launching ground for the career of another (future) World Champion.

5.)  Emerson Fittipaldi, 5 Seasons, 37 Championship Points Scored, 2 Podiums

Two-time Formula 1 Drivers World Champion Emerson Fittpaldi joined the team that shared his name, in their second season of existence.   For the first four seasons he raced with a team, he raced a mostly single car entry.  Occasionally, he’d have his fellow countryman Ingo Hoffmann run the South American Grand Prix’s (Brazil and Argentina).   Fittipaldi scored two podiums while driving for the team.  His best finish was a 2nd place at his home Grand Prix in 1978, which he lost to Ferrari’s Carlos Reutemann.  Emerson Fittipaldi would leave the team he started with his brother, after the 1980 season to focus on a career in CART.  He would eventually go on to win a Championship in 1989, and would become a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.  

Those Yellow racing livery's looked so good

4.)  Keke Rosberg, 2 Seasons, 6 Championship Points Scored, 1 Podium

Keke Rosberg was the only full-time non-Brazillian driver for Fittipaldi Automotive.   He scored a 3rd place finish in his debut race for the team at the 1980 Argentine Grand Prix; that unfortunately would be the only points finish for Fittipaldi Automtive.  He was teamed up with Emerson Fittipaldi for his first season, and in his second season he was teamed up with Chico Serra.  Both drivers struggled to qualify for races that season and Rosberg would leave the Fittipaldi Automotive to go drive for Williams in 1982, and would win the first and only Drivers Championship of his career.


3.)  Ingo Huffman, 0 Championship Points Scored, DNQ 50% of races entered

I am cheating a little bit on this list here by including Ingo Huffman, because he only ever entered 6 Grand Prix’s and failed to qualify for 3 of them, but he still entered more races than any other part-time driver for Fittipaldi Automotive   Hoffman was teamed up with his fellow countryman, Emerson Fittipaldi for parts of 1976 and 1977.   He entered 4 races his first season, but only qualified for the Brazilian Grand Prix.  The following season, Hoffman only entered the opening two rounds in Argentina and Brazil.   Hoffman scored a 7th place finish in his final ever F1 start, and never raced in F1 again.


2.)  Wilson Fittipaldi, 1 Season (1975), 0 Championship Points Scored, 1 DNS, Best Finish of 10th place at the United States Grand Prix

After two lackluster seasons at Brabham, Wilson Fittipaldi started his own Formula 1 team.  His only season with the team he failed to score any championship points with the team.   He had a DNS at the Austrian Grand Prix, and stepped aside in the Italian Grand Prix to let Arturo Merzario run for the team.   Wilson Fittipaldi’s best finish for the team was a 10th place at the United States Grand Prix, which was also his last start in Formula 1.  The following season Wilson stepped out of the driver’s seat and into a managerial role with the team, and his brother Emerson joined the team, and would be the team’s most successful driver.


1.)  Chico Serra, 2 Seasons, 1 Championship Point Scored, Best Finish 6th place at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.

Chico Serra raced two seasons for Fittipaldi Automotive and failed to qualify for 14-of-the-29 race he entered for the team.   Serra’s best finish was a 6th at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix; the only championship point he would score in F1.  He ran a single car entry for Fittipaldi Automotive in 1982, which was also the team’s final season.  The team would eventually shutdown due to lack of financial support.  Serra would run a handful of race the following season for Arrows, but never raced again in Formula 1 after that.  



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