VIDEO: Emerson Fittipaldi tested for Buggyra
As a two-time Formula 1 World Champion from 1972 and 1974 and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner from 1989 and 1993, Emerson Fittipaldi is mostly associated with the fastest single-seaters on the planet. Yet, even despite his age, he is not afraid to try new things.
On Monday, just before the noon, Emerson Fittipaldi (1946) got behind the wheel of a Buggyra VK50 truck. “Once again we saw that the more achievements the person have, the easier it is to communicate with them and to find a common ground,” confirmed Martin Koloc, the Buggyra Racing team owner. “Emerson is an absolute professional, and we’re discussing his potential involvement in the Buggyra Academy project. Anyway, that’s why he came here, with his wife and his son Emmo, who will be his co-driver.”
The two-time Formula 1 champion, whose battles with Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda rank amongst the golden moments of motorsport history, took his test at Most seriously. “I have a double motivation. By driving the Buggyra, I’ll at least partially match my brother Wilson, who raced in the European Truck Racing Championship and the Brazilian truck racing series as well. And I’ll be racing on the circuit against Aliyyah Koloc, who is, as I’ve just discovered, currently the fastest trucker in the world, despite she’s just 16 years old.”
After the first two installation laps, Emerson Fittipaldi started pushing. “Anyone who becomes an F1 world champion and also an Indianapolis 500 winner, simply won’t forget how to race. We spoke about half an hour about the truck and he was listening carefully. It’s clear that his first lap was about getting used to a bigger vehicle, then in the next lap, he started to drive a bit faster and now he is going to really push. Considering that it’s his debut with a truck racing special, that’s very good,” said the two-time European Truck Racing champion David Vršecký.
After 8 laps, Emerson and Emmo Fittipaldi drove back into the pits. “I have huge respect for all designers, race engineers and mechanics. I would have never believed how easy it could be to handle a five-tonne vehicle. The truck reacts nicely to the throttle, it has the perfect brakes and the acceleration as well. I’d adjust a thing or two more to my liking, but other than that, I’m really happy,” said the driver who wrote the history of motorsport and wants to continue to do so through his son Emmo now.
