Ronnie Peterson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing. After winning a number of karting titles, including two Swedish titles in 1963 and 1964, he moved on to Formula Three, where he won the Monaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race for the 1969 Grand Prix. Later that year he won the FIA European Formula 3 Championship and moved up into Formula One, racing for the March factory team. In his three-year spell with the team, he took six podiums, most of which were scored during the 1971 Formula One season. After seeing out his three-year contract at March, Peterson joined Colin Chapman's Team Lotus in the 1973 season, partnering defending champion Emerson Fittipaldi. During his first two seasons with Lotus, Peterson took seven victories, scoring a career-best 52 points in 1973. After a poor 1975 season, Peterson moved back to March and scored his final victory for the team at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix. After spending the 1977 season with Tyrrell, he moved back to Lotus for the 1978 season as number two driver to Mario Andretti. Peterson scored two wins, at the South African and Austrian Grand Prix races, and finished second in the Drivers' Championship standings despite his fatal first-lap accident at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix.

In Their Own Story

In 1978, Peterson returned to Lotus as number two driver to Mario Andretti. He won the South African Grand Prix with a last-lap victory over Patrick Depailler and took another win at the Austrian Grand Prix in the ground-effect Lotus 79. Despite often following Andretti closely, leading to speculation about team orders, Peterson refused to fuel controversy, stating simply that Andretti had turned faster times. His season ended tragically at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. After damaging his car in practice and bruising his legs, he started on a spare Lotus 78 as the taller driver did not fit the Lotus 79. An early green light caused an accordion effect at the first chicane. James Hunt collided with Peterson after Riccardo Patrese forced him across the line. Peterson's car hit barriers and caught fire. He was freed by Hunt, Clay Regazzoni, and Patrick Depailler before suffering more than minor burns but sustained severe leg injuries.

Reader's Guide

Peterson made his Grand Prix debut in a March 701 for Colin Crabbe's works-supported Antique Automobiles Racing Team at the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix. He qualified 12th and finished seventh. In 1971, he moved up to the full March works team, earning five second places and finishing runner-up to Jackie Stewart. He stayed at March until 1973, when he signed for John Player Team Lotus. His first Grand Prix win was at the 1973 French Grand Prix in a Lotus 72. He took three more wins that year, in Austria, Italy and the United States, finishing third in the championship. For 1974, the Lotus 76 proved a failure, so the team used the older Lotus 72, with which Peterson claimed three more victories: the French and Italian Grands Prix, as well as the Monaco Grand Prix. 1975 was a bad year for Lotus. Peterson drove the first race of 1976 in the Lotus 77 before rejoining March Engineering, winning the Italian Grand Prix in a March 761. In 1977, he raced for Tyrrell, driving the six-wheel Tyrrell P34B, with his only podium finish a third place at a rain-affected race in Belgium. For 1978, he returned to Lotus, winning the South African and Austrian Grands Prix in the Lotus 79, finishing second in the championship.

Did You Know?

• Peterson won the 1971 European Formula Two Championship driving for March.
• Peterson drove in the World Sports Car Championship in 1971, winning the Watkins Glen 6 hours driving an Autodelta Alfa Romeo.
• Peterson was offered a seat at McLaren in 1979 but did not take it.
• Peterson's fatal accident occurred on the first lap of the 1978 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.