Carlos Reutemann

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Reutemann's entry into Ferrari began in 1976 as a temporary replacement for an injured Niki Lauda, but Lauda's rapid recovery limited Reutemann to just one race at Monza. By 1977, he replaced Clay Regazzoni as the number two driver behind Lauda. The season started explosively: Reutemann finished third in Argentina and won the Brazilian Grand Prix, taking the championship lead. For that Brazilian victory, Ferrari fitted a new rear wing to Reutemann's car but not Lauda's, giving him a performance edge he described as his best race ever. However, internal tensions grew; team chief engineer Mauro Forghieri was often frustrated by Reutemann's temperament and distrustful of him, despite the 1977 B-spec Ferrari 312T2 being highly reliable. Lauda reclaimed his status as team leader and won the championship while Reutemann finished fourth with no further wins.

In Their Own Story

In 1978, with Lauda moving to Brabham, Reutemann became the senior member of the Ferrari team alongside rookie Gilles Villeneuve. Driving the 312T2B, he won in Brazil, and later switched to the 312T3 to secure victories at Britain and twice in the United States (Long Beach and Watkins Glen). His win at Brands Hatch was particularly memorable; he capitalized on Niki Lauda being held up by backmarker Bruno Giacomelli, passing the beleaguered Austrian for the lead at Clearways. However, the season took a dark turn at the Spanish Grand Prix. A tyre failure followed by a collision with Jacques Laffite sent Reutemann's Ferrari airborne, clearing the Armco barrier and landing in the debris fencing. Despite this chaos, he finished third in the standings behind Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson.

Reader's Guide

Reutemann's Ferrari career offers a study in managing team dynamics under pressure. Drivers should note that while the 1977 car was reliable, the 1978 season saw him dominate early before Lotus introduced their groundbreaking ground-effect 79 at Monaco, ending his championship contention. His driving style relied on consistency and extracting maximum from available machinery rather than raw aggression alone. A key turning point was the 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix, where a specific aerodynamic upgrade gave him a distinct advantage over his teammate. Fans should remember that Reutemann's third-place finish in 1978 came just behind Ronnie Peterson, who tragically died in an accident at Monza later that autumn. His departure after 1978 was strategic; Ferrari had already unveiled the successful 312T4 model, making his move to Lotus a timing error that cost him potential further success with Maranello.

Did You Know?

• Reutemann qualified on pole position for his very first Grand Prix in Buenos Aires in 1972, a feat previously matched only by Mario Andretti.
• In the 1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Reutemann ran out of fuel with less than two laps to go while safely in the lead due to a team fueling error.
• Reutemann is the last Argentine driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix.
• During his 1978 Ferrari season, he finished third in the championship just behind Ronnie Peterson, who died in an accident at Monza that same autumn.