It has been over 50 years since Emerson Fittipaldi was crowned Formula 1 champion. Since then, the motorsport icon has remained loyal to the premier class – at least as a fan. Now he reveals who he would see at the front in a world championship duel.
Fittipaldi trusts Max Verstappen to beat Lando Norris, even if both were in the same car. The two-time world champion believes that the Dutchman would have a small advantage over the McLaren driver even under identical conditions.
Fittipaldi finds the idea that the two world champions could drive in a joint team quite exciting. “That would be explosive. But I think Max would have a small advantage. It would be a very interesting duel.”
The now 79-year-old Brazilian currently counts Verstappen as his favorite driver in the field. “Although he doesn’t have a perfect car at the moment, he is always at the front. He is a great racer,” Fittipaldi explained in an interview with “GPblog”.
Fittipaldi hopes to become Brazilian champion
The motorsport icon also has high hopes for the next generation of Brazilian racing drivers. In particular, Gabriel Bortoleto, who currently competes for Audi, believes Fittipaldi has a great career.
“He’s doing a really good job. He definitely has the potential to become world champion one day,” explained the former champion. The direct comparison with teammate Nico Hülkenberg is an important benchmark: “Hülkenberg is very fast. This comparison helps Gabriel enormously.”
Fittipaldi also dreams of another world championship title within his own family. His 19-year-old son Emerson Fittipaldi Junior is currently contesting his first season in Formula 2. “Formula 1 has been his dream since he was six years old,” revealed the Brazilian.