With some of the most famous names in Formula One history hailing from Brazil, you would be forgiven for thinking the South American country boasts a long and illustrious history spanning the breadth of the 55 year old World Championship. In fact, the country that gave us such legends as Ayrton Senna and Emerson Fittipaldi, as well as three times Champion Nelson Piquet and current Ferrari ace Rubens Barrichello, did not hold a Grand Prix until 1973. Beaten by a couple of decades to the startline by neighbour Argentina, and a good ten years by Mexico, Brazil was very much the poor cousin of South American motor sport. These days the opposite is very much the case.
Even today, 11 years after his tragic death, Ayrton Senna must still rank as one of the 'household names' of Formula One. During the late 1980's and early 1990's, when his amazing career was in full swing, the same was true. The early '80s saw one of the most competetive eras in the sport, but even through the ranks of stars, Nelson Piquet shone through.But the Brazillian uprising can be put down to one man in the early 1970's, the seemingly everlasting Emerson Fittipaldi.
Of course, Emerson's name is much in the news these days, as his thirty year old standing as the youngest World Champion in the history of the sport is about to be usurped by Fernando Alonso. That parallel's are drawn between the two is no surprise. 'Emmo' made his Grand Prix debut in a Lotus mid-way through 1970. He won his fifth race. While '71 was a barren year due to an uncompetetive car and a team rebuilding from the death of Jochen Rindt, 1972 was a revelation. Five further victories and a World Championship followed, the beginning of a career that would continue, almost unabated, in Formula One, in Sports Cars, in Indy Cars, right up to recent years, with success in all. Still popular today, his appearance at this years Festival of Speed at Goodwood was considered the highlight by many.
Worthy mention is due of Emerson's brother, Wilson, who accompanied Emmo to Europe in the late 1960's, and was later responsible for the national team, Copersucar, that would lead to the brothers downfall in Grand Prix circles. Wilson also fathered Christian, a latter day Grand Prix driver of some talent. A tidy little dynasty, then.
For a country that has taken no fewer than eight of the 56 World Championships contested Brazil has provided relatively few drivers for the category. This article could become a book if we were to dwell on the Senna story, a tale of tragedy and brilliance that has been told many times over, and would be a major publication should I decide to concentrate on the varied and inspiring career of Nelson Piquet. They both have their place, as do the Fittipladi family, but I would like to delve into the lesser known areas, the ones who walk in the shadows of their illustrious countrymen.
The story begins with a gentleman by the name of Chico Landi, a motor sport enthusiast who raced Ferrari's and Maserati's during the 1950's. Landi was a competent driver, if nothing more, and competed in six Grands Prix, his best result a shared fourth in Argentina in 1956. Landi continued to work in motor sport once his driving days were over, and in fact was the manager of the Interlagos circuit until 1985, when the government took over and promptly replaced this able man. He died a few months later.
Landi had sold his Ferrari 375 to one Fritz d O'rey, a young Brazillian who would have been the first star for his country. Having been signed to drive for none other than the Ferrari sports car team, an accident saw his car hit a tree at Le Mans in 1960. His condition was very serious, indeed he was reported as dead by several contemporary journals, and he spent several months recovering. His racing career was over.
It is not until the arrival of the Fittipaldi clan in the late 1960's that Brazil makes an appearance again in Formula One. The runaway success of the brothers in the lower formulae had inspired more of their countrymen to try their hand in Europe, and one who stood out from all the others was Carlos Pace.
Pace was a gifted driver, fast and smooth with abundant talent. During his six seasons he drove for such as Frank Williams, John Surtees and Bernie Ecclestone, and indeed it was with the latter's Brabham equipe that Carlos won his one and only Grand Prix, his home race in 1975, beating Fittipaldi to the chequered flag. That Pace had it in him to win more is beyond doubt, but he lost his life in 1977 in an air crash just as the Brabham-Alfa combination was coming good. A very popular man, Carlos Pace's loss was widely felt.
Apart from one Luis Bueno, who appeared in a Surtees once in 1973, and Alex Ribeiro and Ingo Hoffman whose efforts in Surtees, March and Fittipaldi chassis in 1976 and 1977 yielded no significant results, it would be the 1980's before the next influx of Brazillian upstarts arrived on European shores.
And there were many; Raul Boesel, Mauricio Gugelmin, Chico Serra and 'supersub' Roberto Moreno all showed well in F1, and subsequently went on to forge successful careers in the United States.
Moreno is worth a mention over the others, for he was the man who swapped seats with Michael Schumacher in the Jordan/Benetton merry-go-round in 1991. Through his career he drove for several teams, and scored a number of points positions including a second place in the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix. Perhaps, though, his greatest moment came in 1992, when he managed the quite astonishing feat of qualifying the frankly atrocious Andrea Moda chassis for the Monaco Grand Prix. The car lasted eleven laps, the most that one of the marque would ever achieve. Moreno deserved better, for he was a talent, no doubt.
Nelson Piquet came next, of course, then Ayrton Senna, three times World Champions each, with the Fittipaldi clan re-emerging by way of young Christian in the early 1990's. Christian's promise never took hold in F1, and he is best remembered for an amazing incident in which he clipped the back of his Minardi team-mate Pier-Luigi Martini's car as they crossed the finish line at Monza. Fittipaldi's car performed a beautifully executed back-flip high in the air and somehow landed on all four wheels, pointing in the right direction.
And so we arrive at the present day, via the charming and surprisingly adept pay-driver Pedro Diniz, and the frankly hopeless Ricardo Rosset (the man whose very presence in the BAR-owned Tyrrell team directly inspired Ken Tyrrell's decision to retire early), and to Interlagos, the sprawling and quite wonderful circuit that has been the mainstay of Brazillian Grands Prix since its first appearance in the calendar.
The present circuit is a mere shadow of the original four mile plus version, but the bumps are the same. The typical Brazillian 'organised chaos' remains too; the chances of a stray dog joining the fun on track would not get you much return at the bookies in nearby Sao Paolo. It is a challenging place, a place that sorts the men from the boys, with high speed corners and deep braking areas the order of the day. And when it rains in Brazil, it pours.
Spare a thought this weekend for the local protagonists; the ever-present Rubens Barrichello, in his home swan-song for Ferrari, who carries to this day the hopes of the fervent crowd, and young Antonio Pizzonia who, in his third race for Williams this season is hoping to impress in front of his countrymen and kick-start a hitherto stalled career.
And a thought, of course, for the man who will always be remembered whenever Brazil is mentioned, be it in connection with Formula One or otherwise. For many, Ayrton Senna was Brazil.
Written by 3 on Thu, 22 Sep 2005 09:59:22
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