With Copersucar in the garage, grandfather fulfills dream with multi-champion grandson in karting

Dona Dora Tesser looks incredulous when her husband Josimar swears not to be nervous seeing her grandson, João, compete.

“No? Okay, I’m the one who stays then…”

Even greater distrust comes with his statement that he did not dream of being a pilot. A few meters away, in the garage of the house where they live in the south of São Paulo, is a collection of cars. Four of them from different categories of motorsport.

One belonged to Nelson Piquet, and the owner proudly points out that the cockpit still bears the marks of the helmet of the three-time F1 champion. “I’m a big fan of Nelson, he was a great pilot. Too bad he wasn’t a sportsman like Senna”, he says.

Another is a perfect replica of Copersucar, the Brazilian team that competed in the main motorsport category between 1975 and 1982, founded by Emerson and Wilson Fittipaldi —Josimar is a fan above all of Wilson, whom he calls the “forerunner of Brazilian motorsport”. There is also a replica of an F3 and a Formula Ford.

“I don’t get nervous, but I get emotional. It’s a wonderful feeling”, says businessman Josimar Tesser, 61, explaining what he feels when following the races of João Tesser, 21, who is now a Formula 4 driver.

It’s an unusual story. The grandfather, passionate about speed for as long as he can remember and a collector, didn’t make it as a pilot because he was shot in the knee during a robbery.

The grandson, who cried the first time he got into a kart and thought only of studying medicine, competed in nine championships last year. He won seven and, although he started late in motorsport, he plans a future in Stock Car.

Not to mention the physical similarity that João Tesser has with Ayrton Senna. Something no one in the family can explain.

“Yeah. A lot of people have asked me that…”, he laughs.

The boy never shared his grandfather’s fanaticism for speed. The few times he went karting (after the first tearful experience as a child), it was just playing with friends. Something changed from 2020. Still not taking it seriously, he played in the Campeonato Paulista. He finished in fourth place.

“That’s when I started to think more carefully about the subject. It’s a life that requires dedication. What would medicine be like. You can’t reconcile the two things”, he notes.

In different kart categories, João won in 2021: Paulista Sprint, Paulista Light, Paranaense, Catarinense (it is allowed to race in different states), Copa do Brasil Open, Brazilian and Brazilian Open.

The next step was to compete in Formula 4.

“It’s a learning process, and everything has to be very fast. I’m still adapting because the braking point, the acceleration, the G-force are different… It changes everything”, he says.

Because of this, it has tried to speed up the process. Training from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Almost always in Interlagos. Seek to adapt. Having started in earnest at an older age than usual makes him in a hurry.

Maybe that’s why grandfather Josi doesn’t say projecting his image onto his grandson’s or admits to being nervous, despite family members saying the opposite. Why put unnecessary pressure on the boy?

“If I’m doing poorly, he says it’s okay, no problem. When I’m doing well, he asks why I didn’t do this or did that differently”, says João.

When the possibility arose of the young man dropping out of his studies in medicine due to dedication, it is clear that Josi was not one of those who told him that “it would go nowhere” and that it would be “better to continue with his studies”.

“My grandfather just asked me if I was sure what I was doing. If that was what I wanted”, recalls the Formula 4 driver.

“As he said yes, I replied: ‘So, we will support you,'” confirmed Josimar.

Each race is a family excursion. Everyone boards a minibus and goes to practice and race. The next one will be on the weekend of July 30th and 31st, in Interlagos. The same race track where Josi remembers camping out for a weekend to watch F1 in the 1970s. He took little money, a bag of bread and a can of sausage.

“On the first day, I bought a cap from Copersucar and I was broke”, he jokes, today with a replica of the team’s car in the garage

Josi still dares to run. He calls himself the “king of Piracicaba” because he goes to the track in the city of the interior of the state to have fun. He does it his way. No bank adjustment or engine tuning worries. He exaggeratedly claims that he doesn’t care “even if the tire is stuck in the car.”

Very different from João, who is more cerebral, cold and focused on what he wants. Even though it took him time to realize his vocation.

“I get so focused on what people say to me later about overtaking and I don’t remember.”

He doesn’t have to worry about that. Josi remembers everything. Despite swearing that his grandson does not fulfill his dream, when he comments on a victory on the tracks, he does not say that João won. He uses “won”.

“It’s a joy, isn’t it? It’s an immense pride”, he admits.

At least in the face of this statement, Dona Dora doesn’t look suspicious.