Come race day, surrounded by a sea of Ferrari-backing Tifosi, the car sprang a leak from the main fuel tank only 45 minutes before the race start. The engineers were forced to pump the fuel out, then remove, repair, and replace the tank. This was completed merely minutes before the warm-up lap. All Fittipaldi's bad luck drained away as the Championship was essentially decided on the first lap: Stewart suffered gearbox failure on the grid and retired. However, that was not enough for the Brazilian, who coaxed his car through the race, outlasting the rivals who started ahead of him. He reached the chequered flag in first position, clinching the Constructors' Championship for Team Lotus and cementing his position as the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion, a record that would stand until 2005. |