Carlos Pace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
José Carlos Pace

Pace at the 1974 British Grand Prix
Born	(1944-10-06)6 October 1944 São Paulo, Brazil
Died	18 March 1977(1977-03-18) (aged 32) Mairiporã, Brazil
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Brazilian
Active years	1972 – 1977
Teams	Williams, Surtees, Brabham
Entries	73 (72 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	6
Career points	58
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	5
First entry	1972 South African Grand Prix
First win	1975 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last win	1975 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last entry	1977 South African Grand Prix

José Carlos Pace (born October 6, 1944 – died March 18, 1977) was a super fast racing driver from Brazil. He competed in Formula One, which is the highest class of international auto racing.

Pace took part in 73 Formula One races. He won one race, stood on the podium six times, and earned a total of 58 championship points. He also started one race from the very front, which is called a pole position.

A Racing Star's Journey

Pace driving a Ferrari 312PB at the Nürburgring in 1973.

Carlos Pace started his racing career in Brazil in the late 1960s. He raced at the same time as famous Brazilian drivers like Wilson and Emerson Fittipaldi.

Moving to Europe

In 1970, Pace moved to Europe to race. He competed in British Formula 3 and won the Forward Trust championship in a Lotus car. This was a big achievement for him.

The next year, in 1971, he moved up to Formula Two with the Frank Williams team. Even though he didn't score points that year, he still made it to Formula One in 1972. He raced with a Williams-entered March car. He earned points twice and finished 18th in the drivers' championship.

First Podiums and Ferrari

For 1973, Pace joined the Surtees team. He got even better, finishing 11th in the championship. He came in fourth place in Germany and achieved his first podium finish (third place) in Austria. He also set the fastest lap in both of these races.

Besides Formula One, Pace also raced for the famous Ferrari team in the World Sportscar Championship. He shared a 312PB car with Arturo Merzario. They finished second at the Nürburgring and at Le Mans. They even started Le Mans from pole position!

Joining Brabham

Pace stayed with Surtees for the start of 1974. He finished fourth in his home race, the Brazilian Grand Prix. Later that season, he joined the Brabham team. He quickly showed his skill, finishing fifth and setting the fastest lap at Monza. He then finished second at Watkins Glen, right behind his teammate Carlos Reutemann. This was a great one-two finish for Brabham.

Pace at the Nürburgring in 1973.

His Big Win

The Brabham cars were very competitive in the 1975 season. This allowed Pace to race at the front of the pack. He achieved his first and only Formula One victory in front of his home fans at the Brazilian Grand Prix. This was a very special moment for him.

He also earned his first pole position at the next race in South Africa. Pace finished on the podium again in Monaco and Silverstone. He ended the season in sixth place overall in the drivers' championship. He also helped Brabham finish second in the Constructors' Championship, right behind Ferrari.

Challenges and Final Races

In 1976, Pace continued with Brabham. However, their car was not as good because they changed engines from Ford-Cosworth to Alfa Romeo. The new Alfa Romeo engines were bigger, heavier, and less reliable. This made it harder for Pace to compete, and he finished 14th in the championship.

By the start of the 1977 season, the Alfa Romeo engines had improved a lot. Pace showed this by finishing second at the first race in Argentina. He was doing well in the next two races too, but then he had mechanical problems. Sadly, he was unable to race for the rest of the season due to his sudden death.

Death and Honours

José Carlos Pace died in a private light aircraft accident near São Paulo, Brazil, on March 18, 1977. This was just 13 days after another F1 driver, Tom Pryce, passed away.

To honour him, the Interlagos race track in Brazil was renamed Autódromo José Carlos Pace. This is the same track where he won his only Formula One race in 1975. Pace is buried in Cemitério do Araçá in São Paulo.

Career Summary

See also

In Spanish: José Carlos Pace para niños