Carlos Alberto Reutemann, historic Argentine pilot who competed between 1972 and 1982 in Formula 1, has died at the age of 79 after not being able to overcome the aftermath of a serious kidney crisis for which he had been admitted for more than a month.
‘Lole’ was one of the most beloved athletes in his country at the time, and he piloted for Brabham, Ferrari, Lotus and Williams. It was with this last team, which practically saw its birth, that it achieved its greatest successes: world runner-up in 1981, after an intense battle with Nelson Piquet that in the end it would end up replacing him.
The news of his death has been confirmed by his daughter Cora, who has not been separated from her hospital bed in Santa Fe, her hometown, since she was admitted.
Dad left in peace and dignity after fighting like a champion with a strong and noble heart that accompanied him to the end. I am proud and blessed for the father I had. I know that he will accompany me every day of my life until we meet again in the house of the Lord🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/84wo3WgfTg
– Cora Reutemann (@CoraReutemann) July 7, 2021
Reutemann was one of the last Formula 1 ‘gentlemen’ of the 70s. Serious and somewhat aggressive on the track, outside he was always one of the pilots who moved better between the offices, although that did not help him to grow within the sport once retired. After a couple of dabbling with rallies (he played the Argentina rally in 1980 and 1985, with two third places: it was the first driver to score the Formula 1 and Rally World Cups) focused on its other side: the politics.
#OnThisDay in 1980, Carlos Reutemann won the Monaco Grand Prix, bringing Williams top of the Constructors’ standings pic.twitter.com/Po1T6MGN54
– Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) May 18, 2016
6 May 1978 – At Monaco, Carlos Reutemann sets an incredible laptime to take pole no. 87 for Ferrari #redseason pic.twitter.com/KHxMBXjNFf
– Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 6, 2015
In 1991 he was elected Governor of Santa Fe by the Justicialist Party, one of the best known branches of Peronism. One of his first decisions involved the elimination of the archives of the national reorganization process, the official name given to the coup which led to the dictatorship of Videla between 1976 and 1978. He was in charge of the region in two stages: between 1991 and 1995 and between 1999 and 2003.
Since that year and until his death he has been a Senator. In recent times he was part of the coalition with the Republican Proposal to support the candidacy of Mauricio Macri, and although he was always very close to the Kirchner, it did not quite fit well with Cristina nor with Nestor, provoking very notorious disputes in the always convulsed Argentine political scene.