The Fittipaldi brothers built karts and tuned engines in Brazil before progressing through junior racing to Formula One. Emerson won his first World Championship in 1972 with Lotus. In late 1973 the brothers decided to start their own team, securing sponsorship from Copersucar. Brazilian designer Richard Divila created the Copersucar FD01, unveiled in October 1974 at the Federal Senate in Brasília. National aerospace company Embraer supplied materials and wind-tunnel time. Mexican Jo Ramírez was hired as team manager.
Wilson Fittipaldi drove in 1975 but managed only five finishes, the best a 10th place at Watkins Glen, and failed to qualify three times. Despite the team's poor form, it scored a coup for 1976: Emerson Fittipaldi joined from McLaren, stepping down from the championship-contending seat where he had won his second title in 1974. The experiment of basing the team in Brazil did not last — it was too far from engine and gearbox suppliers — and from 1977 onwards cars were built at the team's Reading, UK facility. The new F5 in 1977, liveried in yellow rather than silver, was introduced mid-season.
In 1978 the F5A, modified to implement ground-effect principles, allowed Emerson to score several strong results, the best a competitive second place at the Brazilian Grand Prix after fighting with Mario Andretti and Gilles Villeneuve. The team, now renamed Fittipaldi Automotive, finished 7th in the Constructors' Championship — one place ahead of McLaren. The 1979 season saw the promise fade; Ralph Bellamy's F6 failed on the track and ground effect remained poorly understood.
At the end of 1979 Copersucar ended their sponsorship. The team bought the remains of Wolf Racing, becoming a two-car operation for the first time, and was renamed Skol Team Fittipaldi. Emerson Fittipaldi and new teammate Keke Rosberg raced reworked Wolf chassis (the F7) before the less successful F8 was introduced. Both drivers scored third-place finishes with the F7. The design team was headed by Harvey Postlethwaite and also included the very young Adrian Newey as chief aerodynamicist — both later designed championship-winning cars for other teams.
Emerson Fittipaldi retired at the end of 1980, citing the strain of running the team alongside driving. Young Brazilian Chico Serra replaced him for 1981, the team reverting to the Fittipaldi Automotive name as Skol sponsorship was lost. Postlethwaite left for Ferrari early in the year. The team scored no points in 1981. Keke Rosberg departed to Williams, where he won the Drivers' Championship in 1982. Serra continued with the single F8, scoring a final point from sixth place at the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. A final new car, the F9 designed by Richard Divila and Tim Wright, debuted at the British Grand Prix but failed to improve matters. The team closed its doors early in 1983 after failing to raise funds for another season.
Emerson Fittipaldi returned to racing in the CART series in 1984, winning the championship in 1989 and the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993. The team's roster included future 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg and provided an early credit for Adrian Newey, making it historically notable beyond its modest on-track results.
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