The Lotus 72 was such an important car for me – definitely the best car of my career. I have driven it recently at the Goodwood events and it still feels just as good after all these years.”
That, in a nutshell, expresses the great Brazilian world champion’s abiding love, and respect, for the car in which he won his first grand prix and the first of two titles in 1972. When he joined the F1 team in 1970 he was in the Lotus 49, but after the tragedy of team leader Jochen Rindt’s death at Monza in September he was given the 72 and won the American Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in October, his first victory.
So, how did driving the 72 compare with the Lotus 49?
“The 49 was a very forgiving car to drive, a lot of suspension travel, some roll as you went into the corners, but it felt like a heavy car,” says Fittipaldi. “The 72 was much more agile, it was lighter, more nervous, had much stiffer suspension with the torsion bars, and it was fun to drive, good brakes, good turn-in, very different from the 49.”
It was a difficult time, in the aftermath of Rindt’s accident. Suddenly, at 23, he was the
