Emerson Fittipaldi: Why He Shocked F1 by Starting His Own Team

Emerson Fittipaldi sits down with Tom Clarkson on the Beyond The Grid podcast to revisit one of the most surprising moves in Formula 1 history: leaving a race-winning McLaren at the peak of his career to form his own team.

In 1976 Fittipaldi stunned the paddock by walking away from a championship-caliber drive to launch Copersucar, a Brazil-based outfit he built with his brother Wilson. On the episode he explains the motivations behind that decision — a desire for a new challenge, a wish to build something in his homeland, and the family ties that made the project personal.

He traces the path that led to that moment: rapid success with Lotus, a flirtation with retirement, a comeback to clinch a second world title with McLaren, and even talks with Ferrari that might have rewritten his career. Those memories frame why starting Copersucar felt like the right, if risky, next step.

Fittipaldi’s love for the sport remains undiminished. He recently drove his championship-winning M23 in a McLaren showrun in Miami, follows every Grand Prix closely, and offers his take on the sport’s young talents, including Kimi Antonelli’s strong start to 2026.

To hear the full conversation, listen to this week’s Beyond The Grid episode on your preferred podcast platform or via the audio player on the show page. The Beyond The Grid archive also holds a deep catalog of interviews covering every era of F1.