How Chapman's wedge-shaped wonder won Fittipaldi’s heart
Emerson Fittipaldi has driven many successful cars – in Formula 1 and Indycars – but his all-time favourite remains the machine in which he took his first F1 World Championship in 1972, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year
Motorsport.com's Prime content
The best content from Motorsport.com Prime, our subscription service. Subscribe here to get access to all the features.
When it comes to Formula 1 designs, few have changed the game as much as Colin Chapman’s Lotus 72 – the wedge-shaped wonder. Three constructors’ championships and two drivers’ titles, the first posthumously for Jochen Rindt and the second for Emerson Fittipaldi two years later, mean it’s a car without compare in championship teams, with only McLaren’s M23 rivaling it for its 20 race wins from 75 grands prix.
Fifty years on from the first time he drove a 72, Fittipaldi doesn’t hold back when it comes to lavishing praise on both the car’s poise and Chapman’s ingenuity. Remember too that he won his second title in McLaren’s M23.
Share Or Save This Story
Related video
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.