Emerson Fittipaldi 1972 Overall

Our collaboration with Emerson Fittipaldi expands with an Original Replica collection, manufactured by OMP Racing, of Emerson’s historic F1 suits.

We’re offering an authentic reproduction of Emerson’s 1972, 1974 and 1976 overalls in an elegant black aluminium frame.

The overall is signed by Fittipaldi and accompanied by an authenticity certificate.

OMP will produce a maximum of 50 units per suit design.  Take advantage of this unique opportunity!  |  On-demand- item.

Based on the success of Cosworth DFV and Lotus 49/49B in 1968, Team Lotus was enjoying the reputation as one of the top F1 teams with the inflow of sponsorship money, and Colin Chapman  used the third seat on the team for championship races as the testing ground for younger drivers. This was in contrast to the team’s tradition to use non-championship F1 events for the purpose.

The third seat was given to Alex Soler-Roig  in the early 1970, and then to Fittipaldi starting with the British GP in July, with Jochen Rindt and John Miles as the regular seat holders. Fittipaldi scored a fourth place as the No. 3 driver at the next German Grand Prix where the No. 1 Jochen Rindt won, and the No. 2 John Miles retired.

Team Lotus plans for the season drastically changed when Jochen Rindt was killed at Monza in September and became the only driver to win the championship posthumously. John Miles also left the team, and Fittipaldi was promoted to be the Lotus No. 1 driver on his fifth F1 race at the US Grand Prix with Reine Wisell and Pete Lovely as the teammates. Fittipaldi proved up to the task and won this first post-Rindt race for Lotus.

In his first full year as Lotus’s lead driver in 1971, Fittipaldi finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship as the team further developed the previous season’s Lotus 72. Armed with what was arguably the greatest Formula one design of all time, the Lotus 72D, Fittipaldi proved dominant in 1972 as he won five of 11 races and claimed the F1 Drivers’ Championship.

At 25 he was then the youngest champion in F1 history. It appeared he might do it again in 1973. But after three wins in four attempts with the 72D, he began to struggle in the new 72E that was unveiled mid-year. It resulted in the reverse of the previous year, with Stewart beating Fittipaldi for the Drivers’ Championship.