Wilson Fittipaldi, brother of Emerson (two-time Formula 1 world champion), died today in a hospital in San Pablo, after being hospitalized since last December due to a domestic incident while having lunch on Christmas Day.
The 80-year-old driver was also the creator of the Copersucar team, a car entirely assembled in Brazil, which had the pleasure of competing in Formula 1 for almost five seasons in the mid-70s.
Wilsinho, as he was known, was the son of a businessman and journalist who was in charge of organizing automobile activity in Brazil. And at just over 20 years old, the man from São Paulo embarked on the adventure of competing in Europe, long before his famous brother, the most prominent in the family, did so.
Thus, in 1966, the eldest of the Fittipaldi brothers competed in Formula 3, in which he continued intermittently until the dawn of the ’70s. He had as rivals in that division and in British Formula 3 two future F1 world champions, such as Niki Lauda and James Hunt, among others.
After a season in Formula 2, Wilson arrived at the top international category in 1972, driving a Brabham. He spent two full years in the English team and his best result was fifth place in the German Grand Prix, held in 1973 on the traditional Nurburgring racetrack.
Fittipaldi returned to Formula 1 in 1975 – no longer as a driver but with his own team and at the head of the Copersucar squad, with which he remained in F1 until 1979.
The mission of driving the car was delegated to his award-winning brother Emerson, who achieved second place in the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix, behind Carlos Reutemann at the Jacarepaguá racetrack.
Wilson raced a total of 35 Grand Prix in the top automobile category and his last competition took place at Watkins Glen, with the United States Grand Prix, in 1973.
he was one of the greats, will be missed