Former Formula One Driver Wilson Fittipaldi Jr. Suffers Cardiac Arrest on 80th Birthday

Former Brazilian Formula One driver Wilson Fittipaldi Jr. suffered a cardiac arrest on Christmas Day, his wife said on Thursday.

The brother of twice Formula One world champion Emerson Fittipaldi was celebrating his 80th birthday at the time.

“During dinner, he choked on a piece of meat and suffered a lack of oxygen followed by cardiac arrest,” his wife posted on his Instagram account.

“He was resuscitated and is now sedated and intubated, we are waiting for him to wake up, he has a difficult post-surgical history of returning post-sedative, one day at a time, let’s wait.”

Fittipaldi Jr.’s son, former CART, Formula One and NASCAR driver Christian Fittipaldi, was with him in hospital.

Fittipaldi Jr. participated in 38 Formula One Grands Prix between in the 1970s.

Along with his brother, he set up the first and only Brazilian Formula One team in 1974, known as Fittipaldi-Copersucar, which competed from 1975-82.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)