Fittipaldi Automotive
Fittipaldi Automotive, sometimes called Copersucar after its first major sponsor, was a Formula One racing team and constructor that competed from 1975 to 1982. It was the only Formula One team to have been based in Brazil. The team was formed during 1974 by racing driver Wilson Fittipaldi and his younger brother, double world champion Emerson, with money from the Brazilian sugar and alcohol cooperative Copersucar. The team raced under a Brazilian licence. Emerson Fittipaldi became a driver for the team in 1976 after leaving McLaren, but was unable to replicate his earlier success with the family-owned team. Future world champion Keke Rosberg took his first podium finish in Formula One with the team.
| Full name | Fittipaldi Automotive |
|---|---|
| Base | São Paulo, Brazil (1975–1977) and Reading, Berkshire, UK (1977–1982) |
| Founder(s) | Wilson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi |
| Noted staff | Richard Divila Jo Ramírez Adrian Newey Harvey Postlethwaite |
| Noted drivers | Wilson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi Keke Rosberg Chico Serra |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1975 Argentine Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 120 (103 starts) |
| Engines | Ford |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Points | 44 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix |
The team was originally based in the Fittipaldis' hometown of São Paulo, almost 6,000 miles (10,000 km) away from the centre of the world motor racing industry in the UK, before moving to Reading, UK during 1977. It participated in 119 Grands Prix between 1975 and 1982, entering a total of 156 cars. It achieved three podiums and scored 44 championship points.