41 replies to this topic

[Tim Murray]

https://racer.com/20...intensive-care/

Thanks to SophieB for posting the news in this thread in the Racing Comments forum.

Best wishes to Carlos for a full and speedy recovery.

[barrykm]

One of my favourite drivers. Let's pray that he pulls through.

[arttidesco]

Always a contender during the period that most engaged me in Formula One, hope he makes a speedy and full recovery. 

[AJCee]

Hoping for a full recovery. Best wishes to Lole.

[wolf sun]

Come on Lole, keep going!!!

 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Dick Dastardly]

As I posted in the RC section...

 

Wonder if Alan Jones has sent his Get Well Soon wishes...

Hope Carlos has a speedy recovery...

[Arjan de Roos]

El Globo reported:

 

El Lole (79) was admitted to an intensive care in Santa Fe last week suffering bleeding in the digestive tract, though he was lucid and talking. There were no failures of other organs. The situation was under control, but on Friday, worsened with new bleedings and hemodynamic decompensation, in addition to a drop in his blood pressure.

 

He was then moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at hospital Sanatório Parque in Rosario. Reutemann had another hemorrhage (gastric bleeding) on Monday, undergoing endoscopic hemostasis, a procedure designed to treat bleeding in the region. He is now recovering well from this procedure to which he was subjected on Tuesday.

 

He is in battle against liver cancer since 2017.

[sstiel]

Fingers still firmly crossed but Carlos Reutemann is recovering well from the second op he underwent this morning. Potentially out of intensive care tomorrow. Dale Lole!!

14 May tweet by Peter Windsor so keep hoping.

[davidbuckden]

Good news!

[Rob Ryder]

Great news.... heart-warming photo

[tampaguy]

Carlos get well soon !

[Tim Murray]

He’s been discharged from hospital:

https://www.planetf1...arged-hospital/

[10kDA]

Good news!

[Jack-the-Lad]

He’s been discharged from hospital:
https://www.planetf1...arged-hospital/

👍

[Richard Jenkins]

We've just lost one beloved 79 year old in Jerry and we may have to steel ourselves for a second one. News from Argentina is not good - https://www.lanacion...nn-nid06072021/

 

But Carlos has battled his way through a lot already so we can only hope. 

[Tim Murray]

As my Spanish is almost non-existent I used Google’s translate function on the article, by José E. Bordón in La Nacion, dated 6th July at 17.49 hours:

The national senator Carlos Reutemann (79 years old) suffered new complications in his critical state of health this afternoon, as a consequence of a progressive deterioration caused by intestinal bleeding that has been without an effective solution for two months, as a result of the complications generated by an intervention surgery that he underwent in New York, in 2017.

As it transpired, the doctors who assist him summoned his relatives to remain in the sanatorium where he is being treated, given that he suffered a worsening of his kidney function, which with the passing of minutes it was not possible to overcome.

After 4 pm, it was commented that the state of the national legislator is "very serious." Therefore, his current wife, Verónica Ghío, his daughters Cora and Mariana, and other close relatives, including his nephew Federico, remain on guard at the Santa Fe Sanatorium, where "Lole" has been hospitalized since May 30. , after spending a few days at his home, after returning from Rosario, where he remained hospitalized, and underwent surgery.

This is the second period of hospitalization of the former pilot, which began with severe health problems on May 5, when he was hospitalized in the capital of Santa Fe and three days later he had to be referred to Rosario, where he received medical discharge on May 21.

His ailments are related to liver cancer for which he underwent surgery in 2017 in New York City and which partly explains the pre-existing pathologies that Dr. Sebastián Del Pazo, coordinator of the Clinical Department of the Sanatorium in Santa Fe, talks about. The complications that caused his hospitalization for two months were related to after-effects derived from that condition, they pointed out from his environment.

On June 21, the two-time governor of this province again entered intensive care at the Santa Fe Sanatorium, located in the area of ​​the “Manuel Belgrano” bus terminal, in this capital, as a result of the various pathologies that he had been facing since who detected intestinal bleeding that repeatedly led to severe anemia and required a series of studies and interventions to stop this issue. On May 15, and after fifteen days of being assisted in intensive care, Reutemann had gone to a common room, after having responded "favorably to the treatments" ordered by the specialists who attended him.

In recent days, Reutemann seemed to enter a more stable picture until this Monday it was known that since the weekend his picture had progressively worsened.

The legislator developed pre-existing pathologies, such as chronic liver disease, long-standing portal hypertension, and liver failure, derived from the aforementioned surgical intervention.

LA NACION spoke in the early hours of this afternoon with the nephew of the two-time governor of this province. Federico Reutemann, son of Enrique, Lole's brother, avoided other considerations, given the moment the family faces. "Yes, the situation is serious, very complicated," he said. Concern for an eventual outcome regarding the health status of his family member could be seen on his face.

As Richard said, it doesn’t sound good.

[tampaguy]

May the good lord hold Carlos in his arms .

[Gary C]

...am hearing that Carlos passed away earlier this afternoon. RIP.

[Tim Murray]

His daughter Cora has confirmed it on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/...817852839628801

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.

I saw him race so many times. Sincere condolences to his family and friends. RIP Carlos.

[cpbell]

Immensely sad - R.I.P.

[Richard Jenkins]

RIP to someone who beat and was consistently competitive against Stewart, Fittipaldi, Lauda, Andretti and Piquet, amongst others. Probably underappreciated at the time, his passing might shed more light on his many achievements.

[10kDA]

One of the greats of his era, who surely must be held in the same regard as Peterson, Villeneuve, and yes, Moss. RIP Lole.

[chr1s]

RIP 1981 World Champion.

[Nick Planas]

This is so sad. As well as being a very fast driver and a top racer, he always gave the impression of being a decent man too. When I was a Lotus F1 fan I had the privilege of hiring a car to him when he wandered in to our "new" office, in an old London car park. He was very modest, charming and patient. I can't remember what pile of rubbish we gave him but I'm sure it was tested to its limits on the way to Hethel...

 

RIP Lole

[Alan Lewis]

Nigel Roebuck's introduction to his chapter on Carlos in Grand Prix Greats has always stayed with me: "If Carlos had chosen to be a writer then I suspect he would have been a very great one. True, much of what he wrote would have been thrown away, but what we saw would have been tinged with genius."

It's that awful phrase, "On his day". But on his day, Lole made the best in the world look ordinary.

[Doug Nye]

Sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans.  

 

I first met him as a dour and silent figure, wearing a thick duffle coat and looking most unhappy in cold wet London, when he first came to Europe with Benedicto Caldarella and their ACA F2 Brabham team around February/March 1970.  I'd been asked to cover their arrival for 'El Grafico', I think, the Argentine paper in Buenos Aires.  I didn't get very far - I had no Spanish, they apparently no English, and their ACA team manager spent all his time just telling us how thrilled they all were to be folliowing in the footsteps of Fangio and Gonzalez.  I can't say that frozen Carlos looked very thrilled.

 

I later vividly remember handsome 'Lole' in the sunny paddock at the Nurburgring in 1976 when he was doing his best with the bulky Brabham-Alfa.  We were talking about Bernie Ecclestone and Mr Ferrari, and someone suggested that, bright and sharp as Mr E most certainly was, he could still learn a lot from Mr Ferrari.  Carlos roared with laughter, cradled his arms  in front of his chest and swung them from side to side, chuckling "Hey yeah - Bernie like a liddle baby, yeah!".  He really did have a fit of the giggles.  And of course a day or two later Niki Lauda would suffer his German GP accident, and within weeks Reutemann would be driving for Mr Ferrari.

 

DCN

[Juan Mac Mahon]

R.I.P.  A very nice and gentleman he was.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[wolf sun]

Yes, very sad news.

 

RIP Lole.

[Michael Ferner]

A true giant of his sport, and a long serving politician for his community.

 

RIP, Lole.

[Claudio Navonne]

The hero of my youth has died. Although it was foreseeable, because of the information that was known, I am still shocked. The motorsport community, here in Argentina, is in the same condition.
With his death we also realize (at least I do) how distant that era of today's motorsport is, and I have realized that it has been almost forty years since Lole retired, that everything is becoming distant and how old I am getting.
So long Carlos, how many memories of my adolescence you have brought back to my memory.

 

[AJCee]

RIP Lole and sincere condolences to family and friends. One of my childhood favourites and all the better for being the enigma he often could be.
I’ll always remember you for Brands ‘78 over Las Vegas ‘81.

[techart]

Very sad news!  He was the first F1 driver who's autograph I managed to get in the paddock at Brands in 74! I still have it!  RIP

[sstiel]

Sincere condolences to Senor Reutemann's family, friends and colleagues.  A very thoughtful man as well as supremely gifted, competing in Rally Argentina in 1980 as well. My colleague Mike Jiggle interviewed Marc Surer and this is what Marc mentioned about Carlos:

"Mike: "Recently, I spoke to Alex Caffi, he told me of his first Formula One race at Monza. He said he was so frightened and timid he hid in the corner of the pit garage as he felt so out of place. After his first run he was in the corner of the garage when he felt an arm on his shoulder, it was Ayrton. He came to welcome the “new boy” in Formula One."

Surer: "Yes, a similar thing happened to me—not with Ayrton, of course, my debut was much earlier than him. Carlos Reutemann, came to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Welcome to Formula One.” I thought him a bit strange, he continued, “Do you like this Formula One?” “Yes”, I replied. He looked at me, eye to eye and said “Why?”

[BRG]

The hero of my youth has died. Although it was foreseeable, because of the information that was known, I am still shocked. 

My sentiments as well.  Farewell. Lole and thank you for the memories!

 

The two Carloses, Reuteman and Pace, teamed together driving the gorgeous Brabham BT44B - my dream team.  

Edited by BRG, 08 July 2021 - 11:12.

[davidbuckden]

My sentiments as well.  Farewell. Lole and thank you for the memories!

 

The two Carloses, Reuteman and Pace, teamed together driving the gorgeous Brabham BT44B - my dream team.  

So agree, not only about Reutemann and Pace, but also those Brabhams - Gordon's cars just looked so distinctive and 'right' - what a contrast with the same-iness of today's efforts! 

[Doug Nye]

Another excellent obit from the BRDC - sad that in recent months they have had so much practice:

 

 

 

The BRDC joins the motor racing world in mourning Carlos Reutemann, the Argentinian Grand Prix driver who died yesterday from complications relating to liver cancer which had been diagnosed in 2017. He was 79 years old. In 2007 he was elected an Honorary Member of the BRDC in recognition of his distinguished career in the sport.

 

After successes at national level in Argentina, in 1968 Carlos was selected as one of the best of the local drivers to compete in the end-of-season Formula 2 Temporada series which was well-supported by the leading European teams. An unreliable Tecno was replaced by a Brabham BT23C with which he eclipsed all the other Argentinian drivers with a best result of eighth place at Buenos Aires. With the backing of the Automovil Club Argentina Carlos came to Europe in 1970 armed with a new Formula 2 Brabham BT30. He created an immediate sensation at Hockenheim in his first race by an over-optimistic late-braking manoeuvre which took out the then king of F2, Jochen Rindt. As the season unfolded Carlos frequently finished in the top 10, one of his best results being third place behind Jackie Stewart and Francois Cevert in the first heat of the Alcoa Transport London Trophy at Crystal Palace. 

 

With continued support from his homeland, Carlos had a new Brabham BT36 for F2 in 1971. However, before the European season began, as the local hero he was given the chance to compete in his first Formula 1 race, the non-championship Gran Premio de la Republica Argentina at the Buenos Aires Autodrome. At the wheel of Jo Bonnier’s ageing McLaren M7C Carlos qualified fifth and finished third in a race won by Chris Amon’s Matra MS120. The European F2 season was dominated by Ronnie Peterson in his March 712M and Carlos won only once, in the Preis von Baden-Wurttemberg at Hockenheim, but three second places and other good results secured him second to Ronnie in the final standings. He was also runner up, this time to Emerson Fittipaldi, in the end-of-season Brazilian Torneio with one race win at Porto Alegre and a string of second places. 

 

As a prelude to a full season with the Brabham team in Formula 1 in 1972, Carlos was entered in a Brabham BT33 for the Brands Hatch Rothmans World Championship Victory race which ended tragically and prematurely with the fatal accident to Jo Siffert. Carlos was running ninth when the race was stopped. His next outing in a F1 car came in January 1972 when he qualified the ‘lobster claw’ Brabham BT34 on pole position for the Argentine Grand Prix, the opening round of the World Championship, sending tens of thousands of Argentinians lining the circuit into ecstasy. In the race, after pressing World Champion Jackie Stewart in the opening laps, Carlos gradually fell away with tyre problems and finished seventh. His first F1 race win came a couple of months later in the non-championship Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos after the Lotus 72D of Emerson Fittipaldi had retired a few laps from the finish with collapsed suspension. For the rest of the year Carlos had the more orthodox Brabham BT37 which brought him his first points-scoring result with fourth place in the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park.

 

For the new 2-litre Formula 2 in 1972 Carlos teamed up with Ron Dennis’s Motul Rondel Racing in a Brabham BT38. The season began encouragingly at Mallory Park where Carlos won the second part but was too far back in third place in part 1 to prevent Dave Morgan from winning on aggregate in his Formula Atlantic-based Brabham BT35 ahead of Niki Lauda’s March 722 and Carlos. Disaster struck in practice at Thruxton for the next race when Carlos crashed heavily at Allard Corner, sustaining a badly broken ankle which kept him out of the cockpit for the best part of two months. On his first race back he won a heat of the Greater London International Trophy at Crystal Palace but had to settle for third place in the final behind Jody Scheckter’s McLaren M21 and Mike Hailwood’s Surtees TS10. Mike would go on to win the European F2 Championship while Carlos came fourth with a couple more third places (second non-graded driver) at Rouen and the Osterreichring. This was Carlos’s last season in F2. He did not take part in the end-of-season Brazilian Torneio and for 1973 chose to supplement his Formula 1 commitments to Brabham with occasional outings for Scuderia Ferrari in the World Sportscar Championship. With Tim Schenken as team-mate in a 312P, they finished second in the Vallelunga 6 Hours and In the Monza 1000 Ks. 

 

In Formula 1 in 1973 Carlos had the Gordon Murray-designed Brabham BT42 at his disposal, twice finishing third, in the French and US Grands Prix, and fourth twice in Sweden and Austria. He ended the season seventh in the points. The following year, now with the BT44, he took his first World Championship victories in South Africa, Austria and the USA having started the season by leading each of the first four F1 races including non-championship events in Brazil and the Brands Hatch Race of Champions before everything held together to give him that first victory at Kyalami which he dedicated to the memory of Peter Revson who had lost his life in testing a few days before the race. At the end of the year Autocourse ranked Carlos third, behind Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson, describing him as unbeatable on his day. Because of modest mid-season results, Carlos ended the year sixth in the standings despite those three victories.

 

In 1975, still with Brabham and now in the BT44B, Carlos only won once, in the German Grand Prix by avoiding the puncture-inducing stones which littered the Nordschleife. Overall consistency rather than sheer speed brought him some decent results and third place in the title battle behind Niki Lauda and Emerson but he had dropped to seventh in the Autocourse ratings. One more season with Brabham, and an Alfa Romeo engine behind him in the BT45, was poor with only one points-scoring result, fourth place in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. Before the year was out Carlos had moved to Ferrari as Enzo’s intended replacement for Niki Lauda after the latter’s fiery crash in the German Grand Prix. However, Niki defied all expectations and was back for the Italian Grand Prix to finish fourth with his head swathed in bandages while Carlos came home ninth.

 

With Niki determined to stay with Scuderia Ferrari for 1977, Carlos found himself with a different team- mate from who he was expecting when he made the move from Brabham. However, he had a rather more competitive and reliable car in the Ferrari 312T2 which enabled him to win the Brazilian Grand Prix. Other results were variable but sufficient to secure Carlos fourth in the World Championship which Niki won. As Niki moved on to Brabham, for his second full season with Ferrari Carlos had Gilles Villeneuve as team-mate. It was a much better year, Carlos won four races – in Brazil, Long Beach, Brands Hatch and Watkins Glen – and ended the year best of the rest in the wake of the technically superior JPS Lotus 79s of Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson. His Autocourse ranking was now back up to third behind Niki Lauda (fourth in the Championship for Brabham behind Carlos and Mario Andretti). 

 

In the belief that the 1979 Lotus could only be an improvement on the dominant 1978 version, Carlos left Ferrari for Colin Chapman’s team. Some good early races with second places in Argentina and Spain and thirds in Brazil and Monaco suggested he had made a good choice only for Jody Scheckter, in his first season at Ferrari, to win the title as Carlos’s second half of the season turned sour. Sixth in the standings with less than half the points scored by Jody and his Ferrari was not what Carlos had been hoping for.

 

On the crest of a wave after enjoying increasing success with Alan Jones, the Williams team had its attractions and so Carlos joined Alan for 1980. As the latter went on to win five races and the World Championship, Carlos produced just one victory and invariably finished in the points but was a solid, stylish performer rather than scintillating in many races. With the FW07C for 1981, Carlos began 1981 in fine form, winning the Brazilian and Belgian races, finishing second in Long Beach and Argentina, and third at Imola. He also finished first in the non-championship South African Grand Prix which had lost its championship status on account of the off-track wranglings between the FOCA and the FIA. Later he was second at Silverstone and third at Monza and headed for the final round of the championship in the car park of Caesar’s Palace Hotel in Las Vegas as favourite to take the title. He pulled out one of his trademark scintillating qualifying laps to take pole position and it all looked so promising. For whatever reasons, which perhaps even Carlos could never explain, as soon as the race started he was off form and eventually drifted to the finish in seventh place out of the points and losing the title to Nelson Piquet by a single point.

  

As Alan Jones retired, Carlos initially appeared intent on leading the Williams team through 1982. He was second at the opening race in South Africa, qualified sixth but retired after tangling with Rene Arnoux’s Renault in Brazil and that was that. As his 40th birthday approached, Carlos retired from Formula 1. It may be that the imminent Falklands conflict with Great Britain made him feel uncomfortable driving for a British team. He was not quite finished with motor sport, finishing third in the Rally of Argentina for Peugeot in 1985, having previously been third for Fiat in the same event in 1980. 

 

In later years Carlos went into politics, his appetite whetted perhaps by driving for Bernie Ecclestone at Brabham, and became Governor of Santa Fe province. He was elected to the national senate as a member of the Justicialist Party but resisted attempts to stand for President. 

 

The BRDC offers its deepest condolences to Carlos’s wife Veronica and to his daughters Cora and Mariana. 

 

DCN

 

 

 

[charles r]

RIP Lole. On his day amongst the very, very best, always dignified, sadly the mould is no more, but thank you for so many memories and like BRG, the two Carlos and the Brabham BT44 equalled the dream team for me too. Here is the duffel coat that Doug mentions at the Rothman's 50,000 at Brands Hatch.

Edited by charles r, 09 July 2021 - 07:37.

[charles r]

Peter Windsor's recollections here https://youtu.be/0Rutrx5yLjA

[Nemo1965]

Did Reutemann not tangle with Lauda in Brazil 1982?

[kyle936]

Peter Windsor's recollections here https://youtu.be/0Rutrx5yLjA

Just watched that. Absolutely essential viewing (to put it mildly).

 

Mind you, I also just watched, after listening to Peter Windsor's wonderful reminiscences, the highlights of the 1978 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, and let's just say Michael Turner's dramatic artist's impression, shown in Windsor's video, of how Carlos passed Niki Lauda for the lead after Niki was held up by Bruno Giacomelli out of Clearways, even though I've always loved Turner's paintings, isn't actually how it happened (well, this is TNF, after all!) - at no point did Niki and Carlos pass either side of Bruno - but never mind!

 

It's a shame Simon Taylor never managed to do a 'Lunch with...' Lole - I guess he might have had to go to Argentina to do it, but it would have been fascinating.

[BRG]

The two Carloses, Reuteman and Pace, teamed together driving the gorgeous Brabham BT44B - my dream team.  

Wonderful to see the #7 Brabham at Goodwood today, bearing the legend 'For Carlos'.