Carlos Reutemann Has Died
The racing world mourns Argentian Grand Prix race car driver and politician Carlos Reutemann.
Lole has died.
Carlos Reutemann, the Argentinian racer who parlayed those talents into a political career as governor of his local Santa Fe province and later as a senator, passed on July 7, 2021 at the age of 79. He had been ailing, having suffered an intestinal hemorrhage in May of this year and contacting COVID-19 due to his susceptibility to further issues.
Reutemann won 12 Grands Prix between 1972 and 1982, driving for Bernie Ecclestone’s Motor Racing Developments team (Brabham), for Ferrari, Team Lotus and finally with Williams. He earned pole position in his first race, the 1972 Argentinian GP, and earned three third-place results in season standings with his variety of teams, in 1975, 1978 and 1980, nearly taking the title in 1981 for Williams and finishing second to Nelson Piquet.
It was always said he had the talent to become World Champion, but lacked a certain something necessary to gain that success. Known for his intelligence as well as his immense talent behind the wheel, it appeared Reutemann could never grasp the success he had strived to achieve. He competed in 146 Grands Prix over the years.
In his final racing years with Williams, Reutemann was paired with Australian Alan Jones, with whom he regularly sparred in a miserable situation for the Argentine native. His motivation wavered after the 1981 season and he considered retiring at that time, but re-upped for 1982, only to leave the team just before the start of the Falklands war, which pitted Argentina against the United Kingdom, presenting a conflict neither Reutemann nor Williams could endure.
Reutemann’s success behind the wheel contributed to his popularity in his native land and allowed him to enter politics, becoming one of the leading politicians in the country, both as governor of Santa Fe province and later as a senator. His political career was marked by attempts at fiscal conservation, freezing public workers’ salaries and pensions, which reduced the necessity of indebtedness for the area he governed.
In his first career, Reutemann was known for his intelligence and bravery, but was inconsistent in both endeavors. While he could have achieved so much more in motorsports, he was never able to fully apply himself to succeed. While his retirement was blamed on the Falklands conflict, as Williams’ chief designer Patric Head stated, “His heart wasn’t in it anymore.”
The 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti stated on learning of Reutemann’s demise, “So sad to learn of the passing of Carlos Reutemann. Lole was definitely an uncrowned F1 champion. I know how good he was, especially as my teammate at Lotus.”