Carlos Reutemann

Carlos Alberto Reutemann, known throughout the sport as "Lole", was an Argentine driver of rare natural speed whose Formula 1 career became defined by a championship that slipped away at the final round. Born in Santa Fe in 1942, he announced himself on debut by taking pole position for his home Argentine Grand Prix in 1972, and over a decade he remained one of the grid's quickest and most mercurial talents.

Reutemann scored 12 wins, 45 podiums, 6 pole positions and 310 points across 146 starts. He won races for Brabham in the mid-1970s, then enjoyed his most consistent spell at Ferrari, taking four victories in 1978 and finishing third in the championship. After a year at Lotus he moved to Williams, winning in 1980 and then mounting a sustained title bid in 1981. Leading the standings into the final race at Las Vegas, he faded to eighth and lost the crown to Nelson Piquet by a single point.

He walked away from Formula 1 early in 1982 and later turned to politics in Argentina, serving as Governor of Santa Fe province and as a national senator. He died in 2021, remembered as one of the finest drivers never to win the World Championship.

Reutemann was blessed with sublime feel and could be devastatingly fast when conditions and mood aligned, yet he was equally known for his sensitivity and inconsistency, capable of brilliance one weekend and detachment the next. His near-miss in 1981 remains one of Formula 1's great what-ifs. Beyond racing he became a respected statesman in Argentina, and his quiet dignity left a lasting impression on a generation of fans in his homeland and beyond.