Emerson Fittipaldi won here to claim the 1972 Drivers' Championship, becoming the first Brazilian F1 World Champion and, at 25, the youngest champion at the time.
Key Facts
- Race length
- 55 laps
- Winner
- Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus-Ford)
- Winner's starting position
- 6th
- Fittipaldi's age at championship
- 25 years and 273 days
- Circuit modification
- Two chicanes added for safety
- Race number in 1972 season
- 10 of 12
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Monza circuit was modified with two new chicanes to reduce dangerous speeds ahead of the race. Team Lotus was also hampered when Fittipaldi's primary Lotus 72D was seriously damaged during transport, forcing him to race a spare car built close to 1970 specifications.
On 10 September 1972, Emerson Fittipaldi started from sixth on the grid and won the 55-lap Italian Grand Prix at Monza driving a Lotus-Ford. Mike Hailwood in a Surtees-Ford finished second, and Denny Hulme in a McLaren-Ford third. It was also the final Formula One race for 1964 World Champion John Surtees.
Fittipaldi's victory sealed both the Drivers' Championship and the Manufacturers' Cup for Lotus. He became the first Brazilian Formula One World Champion and the youngest champion in the sport's history at that time, a record that stood until Fernando Alonso surpassed it in 2005. The race also marked Firestone's last win as a tyre supplier in Formula One.