F1 | Goodbye to Carlos Reutemann, the memory of Ferrari

Former Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Reutemann passed away in his Santa Fe at the age of 79. Carlos, nicknamed "Lole" since childhood for his passion for animals, and in particular for pigs - "los lechones", which however he mispronounced as "Lole-chones" at the age of three - crossed his path for the first time Enzo Ferrari and his Scuderia in 1973, when he had the opportunity to support Tim Schenken in some endurance races with the 312 P, while he was in Formula 1 with Brabham. Reutemann knew Ferrari well because his mother was Italian and his relatives had told him of the exploits of the best of the Argentine drivers, Juan Manuel Fangio, who had won the 1956 World Championship with the Prancing Horse.

Formula 1. In 1976, after Niki Lauda's terrible accident at the Nürburgring, the Scuderia called Reutemann to replace the Austrian starting from Monza, although Carlos ultimately found himself acting as Niki's companion, given his recovery in record time. At the Italian Grand Prix the Scuderia ran with three cars for the first time since 1972, and Carlos' car bore an unprecedented number 35 on the bodywork. Also kept in the team for 1977, the Argentine was able to establish himself with the 312 T2 in Brazil, in his third race for Ferrari, and helped the Scuderia win its fifth Constructors' title, showing that he had the qualities to be a first driver. The team entrusted him with this role in 1978, when the young Gilles Villeneuve was placed alongside him, and Carlos was able to do himself credit by winning four Grands Prix (Brazil at Jacarepaguà; United States West at Long Beach; Great Britain at Brands Hatch, and United States East at Watkins Glen) and finishing third in the standings behind the Lotus of Mario Andretti and the unfortunate Ronnie Peterson. At the end of 1979 he decided to leave Ferrari for Lotus.

The most successful. Reutemann took part in 34 races with Scuderia Ferrari, winning five, numbers that make him the most successful Argentine driver in the history of the Maranello company. In fact, not even Fangio won as much as him, having stopped at three successes. Two went to José Froilàn Gonzalez, although the first remains of incomparable value given that it was the Scuderia's inaugural victory in Formula 1, achieved on 14 July 1951 at Silverstone with the 375 F1.

The return. Over the years the Argentine had returned to Maranello more than once, in 1991 as well as four years later, when he had himself photographed aboard Jean Alesi's 412 T1. In December 2004 he also had the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1, when in a very special test he climbed into the cockpit of Rubens Barrichello's F2004 and covered about twenty laps at Fiorano.

The memory. Enzo Ferrari had a lot of respect for Reutemann, who after his years as a pilot had built a brilliant political career in his native Argentina, but in his book "Piloti, che gente..." he did not spare him a severe judgment: "Athletic, a pilot of excellent abilities, conditioned by a tormented and tormenting temperament. Capable of resolving difficult situations, also making up for occasional mechanical deficiencies, but labile in wasting, due to congenital emotionality, results that can be acquired from the start". Carlos Reutemann competed in Formula 1 from 1972 to 1982, racing for four prestigious manufacturers - Brabham, Ferrari, Williams and Lotus - competing in 146 Grands Prix in total. He won 12, and in the World Championship he placed second in 1981 and third three times (1975, 1978 and 1980).