Why the late Carlos Reutemann missed out on an F1 title

One of the defining Formula 1 drivers of his era, the late Carlos Reutemann should also have been a world champion. The reasons for the 1981 title slipping out of his grasp remain the subject of impassioned debate to this very day. GP Racing investigates…

In many ways, Carlos Reutemann came to be emblematic of an era in Formula 1.

The Argentine, who died aged 79 on July 7 after a long battle with cancer, was not the most famous driver of his time. He didn’t become world champion. His career was not as dramatic as Niki Lauda’s. He was not a notorious playboy in the manner of James Hunt; nor as outspoken and high-profile as Mario Andretti.

But with his film-star looks, his sublime ability, and an enigmatic personality, he was an especially glamorous and evocative figure. In the complexity of his appeal, talented but mysterious, handsome and unknowable, few have come closer to the popular image of a racing driver than Reutemann.