P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Former F1 driver and team owner Wilson Fittipaldi dies aged 80
The father of Indycar race-winner Christian and brother of double F1 world champion Emerson, Wilson Fittipaldi had been ill for some time. He was hospitalised since Christmas Day, his birthday, after choking on a piece of meat which led to a cardiac arrest that his family couldn’t clear his airway. Born in Sao Paulo, Wilson began his racing career in Europe, where he competed in Formula 3 and Formula 2 in the 1960s and early 1970s, eventually making his F1 debut with Team Lotus in 1971. He later joined Brabham F1 team, where he achieved his best F1 results, scoring points in races like Monaco and Argentina. In 1975, Wilson founded his own F1 team, Copersucar, which struggled for several years, but had some highlights like Emerson’s second place finish in the 1978 Brazilian GP. After Copersucar folded, Wilson briefly returned to racing in 1982 and managed his son’s, Christian, career in motorsport.
