Emerson Fittipaldi has reflected on Jochen Rindt’s death and how he became Team Lotus’ leading Formula 1 driver. In 1970, Brazil had yet to produce a successful F1 driver, while 23-year-old Fittipaldi was beginning to make an impression. After success in Formula Vee, Formula Ford and Formula 3, he was competing in Formula 2 with Lotus.
Colin Chapman gave him his F1 debut midway through the season. Fittipaldi first drove the older Lotus 49 alongside Jochen Rindt and John Miles, before moving to the Lotus 72 for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix. He did not race at Monza, however: Rindt, then leading the championship, suffered a fatal accident in qualifying.
The memory of their final exchange underscores the suddenness of the loss. “We had breakfast together,” Fittipaldi recalled. Rindt had invited him to replace him in Formula 2. Fittipaldi accepted and shook his hand; a few hours later, Rindt was dead.
After Rindt’s death, John Miles left Team Lotus and Fittipaldi became the team’s lead driver. He says Colin Chapman told him he would be the number one, while promising the team’s support. Fittipaldi had said he lacked experience. “I was very young,” he recalled. Replacing Rindt, whom he regarded as a fantastic driver, carried a heavy sense of responsibility. He also describes the pressure of the position, but says he was able to approach it positively with the team behind him.
The results came quickly: in his next race, at Watkins Glen, Fittipaldi claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory. Lotus secured its fourth world title, while Rindt was awarded the drivers’ crown posthumously.
Fittipaldi also remembers Colin Chapman’s grief after losing drivers. “People don’t realise how much he suffered from each driver he lost,” he said. More than half a century later, Fittipaldi says he feels deeply privileged to still be alive. He also recalls meeting Jacky Ickx in Spa, where Ickx told him: “Emerson, we are survivors.”
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