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Fittipaldi's 1971 season was interrupted by a road accident on his way home. His injuries while not life-threatening contributed to his lack of form that year but the following season saw him rise to the top, becoming the youngest World Champion in history. In 1973 he started the season as World Champion destined for another title. He seemed to have the measure of his competitors all save one, his teammate. Colin Chapman hoping to duplicate the super team of Clark and Hill added the Swede Ronnie Peterson. At first Fittipaldi seemed to take this challenge in stride when he won both the Argentine and Brazilian Grands Prix. But the strain of developing the car, only to be out-qualified by Peterson, soon told on the usually calm Brazilian. In France he made an uncharacteristic error in trying to pass South African Jody Scheckter, causing a collision that ended the race for both cars. Fittipaldi would finish the title chase in second that year and soon left for McLaren.
In 1984 he made a remarkable comeback, not in Formula 1 but in the Indy Car series. He soon became a crowd favorite with his open love of racing and his gracious attitude to his fellow drivers, one of whom, Al Unser Jr. who would become his rival, teammate and friend something not exactly the norm in Formula 1. His smooth style and experience would result in two Indianapolis 500 victories on that fearsome track. He finally retired for good after suffering neck injuries in a crash at the start of the US 500 in Michigan in 1996 and later back injuries in a small airplane crash. Today he continues his involvement in motor sport on multiple levels loved by fans on two continents.
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The son of well
know Brazilian motor racing journalist Wilson Fittipaldi started racing motor bikes but
soon moved to karts. In 1967, Fittipaldi with his older brother Wilson Jr. built their own
karts and won everything in sight. Knowing that any future in motorsport led through
England, Fittipaldi traveled to the distant shore in 1969 and came under the wing of
legendary racing school owner Jim Russell, the first in a trio of great Brazilian drivers
who were yet to come. Driving a Lotus Formula 3 car he won the Lombank F3 championship.
His driving was smooth and controlled, trademarks that would continue throughout his
career.
In 1970 he graduated
to Formula 2, again driving a Lotus. In May of that year he was invited to a Formula 1
test drive by 
His career while ending
in disappointment had shown a driver of great talent, whose smooth style was best
described in the title of his autobiography; Flying on the Ground. All could have ended
there but the racer's heart still beat in his chest and.
