Franco Colapinto’s entry into the 2024 Formula 1 grid brought back memories of the last Argentine seen on track: Carlos Reutemann, the former Ferrari and Williams driver, with the hope of winning a World Championship that never came to fruition.
146 Grand Prix races contested, 12 wins, 45 podiums, 6 pole positions, and the number of fastest laps achieved by Carlos Reutemann during his decade-long career in Formula 1, during which he achieved his best result by finishing second in the Drivers’ World Championship in 1981.
“It was half amusing and half disconcerting to watch this man with an athletic build and overly perfect features, a brooding heartthrob straight out of a romance novel if you like, wandering around the pit lane with his camel-like stride and furrowed brow, glancing at his own and others’ race cars, as if trying to uncover the secrets that were both elusive and frightening to him” Renato D’Ulisse described it this way Carlos Reutemannthe last Argentine driver in Formula 1 before Franco Colapintothe 21-year-old from Buenos Aires who raced with the Williams team last season, before vacating the seat for the arrival of Carlos Sainz in 2025.
The white and light blue flag returned to fly in Formula 1 circuits starting in 1972, during the Argentine Grand Prix, when Carlos Reutemann made his debut in the category behind the wheel of the Brabham BT34, a car from the team led by Bernie Ecclestone. With the British team’s car, the Argentine driver managed to secure pole position, beginning to stir the excitement of the home crowd who were waiting for a worthy heir to Juan Manuel Fangio, the five-time world champion. Needless to say, the prospects were all there, but history had other plans.
The first victory came two years after his debut, at the 1974 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami; the second, however, came in 1975 at the Nürburgring circuit, where the driver crossed the finish line a minute and a half ahead of the competition, once again showcasing his talent and catching the attention of Enzo Ferrari.
The Adventure at Ferrari (1976 – 1978)
The following year, in 1976, the white and light blue of the Argentine flag blended with the red of Maranello: Carlos Reutemann was called by the Drake to replace the Austrian Niki Lauda, who was recovering from the horrific crash at the German Grand Prix that same year, and then later to replace Clay Regazzoni at the end of the season. However, the 1974 world champion managed to recover in time for the Italian Grand Prix, just six weeks after the accident in Germany.
Enzo Ferrari listed all the qualities that made the Argentine a great candidate to wear the Scuderia Ferrari overalls alongside champion Lauda for the 1977 season, writing about him: “Athletic, a driver of excellent ability, but conditioned by a troubled and tumultuous temperament. Capable of resolving difficult situations, even compensating for occasional mechanical deficiencies, but prone to wasting, due to his innate emotional sensitivity, results that could be secured from the start.”
With the retirement of Niki Lauda in 1978, Canadian Gilles Villeneuve joined the team, a more thoughtful driver than the Argentine. That year, Reutemann, with four victories, had one of his best seasons, finishing in third place in the Drivers’ Championship, despite being unable to compete with the dominant Lotus of Mario Andretti. This led him to the decision to end his chapter with Ferrari and move to Lotus, with the hope of securing a winning car to finally claim the world title.
The move to Lotus with hope and at the end, Williams
However, even in this case, Reutemann’s plans with the move to Colin Chapman’s team did not go as planned. While Lotus was struggling, Ferrari had found the right balance, which would bring them back to the top, winning both championships with Jody Scheckter. As a result, the Argentine decided to join Williams, where he was paired with Alan Jones, who won the Drivers’ Championship in 1980. Meanwhile, Carlos Reutemann began to sense the end of his career after another season in which the title eluded him. The following year, after his controversial win in Brazil, where he ignored team orders, the two Frank Williams drivers became bitter rivals.
That year, the Argentine truly fought for the first time for the World Championship, battling against Nelson Piquet aboard the car built by Brabham. In the end, it was the Brazilian who claimed the title in Las Vegas, crossing the finish line ahead of the Argentine, who was once again thwarted by fate during the weekend. Meanwhile, the Constructors’ Championship went to Williams.
Just one point was all that stood between Carlos Reutemann and his first Formula 1 World Championship, a title that would never come in the Argentine driver’s career. Reutemann decided to retire from the Formula 1 scene after just two races in the 1982 season. Lole passed away at the age of 79 in 2021 in Santa Fe, after a long battle with liver cancer, which had been diagnosed in 2017.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, Pinterest.
