(Motorsport-Total.com) – Before the Miami Grand Prix, Emerson Fittipaldi had the chance to drive his 1974 world championship car. The Formula 1 legend raved about this experience in the podcast “Beyond the Grid.”
“It was just like before,” explains Fittipaldi. “The cockpit, the position of the steering wheel, the pedals. I never thought I would one day drive the M23 on the streets of Miami, and it was a fantastic feeling to be there with all the champions and world champions of McLaren’s history.”
McLaren celebrated its 1000th Grand Prix in Formula 1 in Miami. Accordingly, a variety of iconic cars were presented ahead of the weekend, including Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 world champion McLaren. The M23, on the other hand, was the first single-seater with which the team from Woking secured a title.
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“It feels extremely good,” Fittipaldi continues. “The weight is also impressive, 550 kilograms with over 400 hp. That means almost one kilogram per horsepower. I had so many spinning wheels, which was not so different from today’s Formula 1 cars.”
“Now the power-to-weight ratio is quite similar. The acceleration was very impressive, but we had almost no grip. There were many fans on site and McLaren organized a great event, typical for Zak Brown.”
In conclusion, the 1974 world champion summarizes: “When I came to McLaren, I was extremely motivated. Back then, there were about thirty people in the team, including Teddy Mayer and team manager Alastair Caldwell. We tried to win the world championship. McLaren was about to become one of the best teams, so I chose McLaren.”
Already in 1972, Fittipaldi was able to secure a title, then aboard the Lotus 72D. Later followed a title in the CART series and winning the 500 Miles of Indianapolis. His attempt to set up his own Grand Prix team is often shrouded in silence.