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Formula 1 – Emerson Fittipaldi: “I still believe in Vettel”

EMerson Fittipaldi grins mischievously. After all, he says, he can remember two German words. “Attention, paddock,” he says and laughs. The 73-year-old Brazilian racing legend finally heard the words for years when he was sitting in his Formula 1 car. In 1972, at the age of just 25, he was crowned world champion in the premier class for the first time, and in 1974 he won again.

Fittipaldi, who is third married and the father of seven children, continues to follow Formula 1 very closely and is now involved in social projects as a Laureus Academy member. This weekend, Formula 1 is visiting Barcelona.

October 4th, 1970: Emerson Fittipaldi, then 23 years old, surprisingly wins the US Grand Prix. Only eight days earlier he had a contract as a works driver for the Lotus racing stable received

What: pa / dpa

WORLD: Mr. Fittipaldi, do you believe? in his last season at Ferrari still to Sebastian Vettel?

Emerson Fittipaldi: Sebastian is extremely talented and very fast, physically he can still race for many years. It depends on how much he burns, how strong his motivation is. When I finished my career in Formula 1 and drove indy car races, I was no longer a youngster, but I really wanted to. And that is what it is about. So yeah, I believe in Sebastian. He has everything to fight for at the top.

WORLD: So was motivation the problem sometimes?

Fittipaldi: No, I don’t want to say that. There are phases like this. And that for most athletes. It depends what you do with it. I mean, he won four world titles – that’s something! And that shows that he can do it. Sebastian is a champion, as always. He is of course under immense pressure from the Italian press and public. This is really extreme and not easy for Ferrari drivers. And if things don’t go quite optimally anyway, that doesn’t necessarily help. My advice to him: “Don’t read Italian newspapers, it’ll just hinder you, just go to the Grand Prix, do your best. If you don’t believe in yourself, that will stop you. ”The latter applies to every athlete – and Sebastian is not free from it either. The Italian press traditionally takes the Ferrari drivers very hard, and it is not easy to get rid of them. Then there is the pressure from the other side: his team-mate Charles Leclerc is an extremely talented young man. But Sebastian is very good.

WORLD: … but not quite the car?

Fittipaldi: Rather, I think it was a transition phase. Sometimes the driving style doesn’t go that well with the car – that can improve quickly. A driver can feel that, but if he has the bite and what it takes, and that applies to Sebastian, then that is a solvable problem.

Big name: Fittipaldi's grandson Pietro at the 2019 DTM at the Hockenheimring

Big name: Fittipaldi’s grandson Pietro at the 2019 DTM at the Hockenheimring

Source: pa / HOCH ZWEI / Julian Schmidt

WORLD: How good is Pietro?

Fittipaldi: Oh my grandson Very talented (Pietro, 23, is a Formula 1 test driver at Haas). I hope that one day he will get the chance to drive in Formula 1. It will be difficult, but it would be a dream. We haven’t had a Brazilian in the premier class for two years – for the first time since 1970 when I started.

WORLD: Why is that?

Fittipaldi: We just lack the support of the industry in Brazil. It’s different in Germany, where ADAC supports motorsport in every form. Not in Brazil, it is difficult to find sponsors and supporters. Everything starts with karting and we will have the World Cup in Brazil for the first time in November. I hope that through this we can change something and that I discover talent there. The Brazilians love Formula 1 and we miss not having a driver in the field. We had three world champions, all of them followed shortly after one another. People thought it would be a sure-fire success. Later there was a big gap, of course, we had very good drivers like Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa, but no world champions. We also have to better support the young talents.

WORLD: Do you mean your son too?

Fittipaldi: Emo is only twelve years old, but I have just been to Italy with him, where there were also many young German kart drivers. By the way, my nine-year-old daughter also drives kart races. What did I do there? (laughs)

Schalk in the neck: Emerson Fittipaldi on the day of the Laureus World Sports Awards in an interview with our author

Schalk in the neck: Emerson Fittipaldi on the day of the Laureus World Sports Awards in an interview with our author

Source: pa / GES / Markus Gi / Markus Gilliar

WORLD: The racing driver gene seems to be inheritable. Are you recognized when you are in a race with your kids?

Fittipaldi: Of course the boys don’t come to me (laughs), it is more the older ones who ask for a photo. That’s part of it, I don’t mind at all, why should I? That’s nice, my career is part of my life. Nevertheless, I prefer to live in the now, accompany my son, help him when he wants to. And look to the future. Past is history, presence is mystery, future is a gift.

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WORLD: So let’s talk about the present: would you like to be a Formula 1 driver under today’s conditions?

Fittipaldi: In any case. I still love this sport. I also think that Formula 1 has developed fantastic, the cars are much safer today than they were in my time, and so are the tracks. The rescue team is on a whole different level.

WORLD: But it used to be more adventure.

Fittipaldi: It was different because the risk was very high. The mood among us drivers was also different than with the current generation, we were all very close outside the cockpit, today the drivers are much more separated, the risk is lower. But sport is changing. In my opinion, however, we need to ensure that more overtaking maneuvers are possible again. And young talents should have better chances to work their way up again. In my day it was easier.

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WORLD: With the flower you say: In some places it gets boring in Formula 1 …

Fittipaldi: Yes, sometimes Formula 1 is very boring. Even for me. I also think the races are too long. The world is changing – we need shorter races. You have to look at the new generation, a very fast generation. The world has generally become much faster. Formula 1 must also do justice to this – with shorter races, a maximum of 1:15 hours, and more possible overtaking maneuvers. In short: we need shorter and more exciting races. And something else will change.

WORLD: Do tell.

Fittipaldi: We live in Key Biscane, Miami. A small town with a good 10,000 inhabitants. I was driving my daughter to school the other day when a Corvette pulled up in front of us – oh, the engine sound was good to my ears!

WORLD: Your daughter saw it differently?

Fittipaldi: She heard the noise, smelled the smell … and I don’t think that was her thing. If you hear a Ferrari on the road in five years, you’ll think a dinosaur is coming. It makes so much noise, so much pollution. I love that, but the new generation sees it differently. And that will change Formula 1 too.

Charmer: Emerson Fittipaldi 1975

The charmer and heartthrob: Emerson Fittipaldi in 1975

Source: pa / ASA / LAT Photographic

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