F1 News
End of dream? This F1 reserve driver opts to switch to Indycar
- GPblog.com
Pietro Fittipaldi has two Grands Prix to his name after he replaced the injured Romain Grosjean at Haas F1 in 2020. It looks like it will stop there for the Brazilian. Indeed, the American team's reserve driver will start working in IndyCar next season.
Fittipaldi will race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL). It will be the first full season for the grandson of two-time F1 champion Emerson. In the past, he drove six races in the American racing class as a substitute. His best result was a 10th place at Phoenix in 2018.
Fittipaldi looks forward to the challenge
"It’s an honour to join a team of the calibre of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. With the experience I’ve gained over the last few years in F1 and other racing series, I am looking forward to the challenge of racing in INDYCAR, one of the most competitive and versatile racing series in the world. I want to thank Mr. Rahal, Mr. Lanigan, and Mr. Letterman for the opportunity and their trust and confidence in me. I can’t wait to get started.”
Fittipaldi had been Haas' official test and reserve driver since 2019. Nothing has yet been announced about his future at Haas, but it seems unlikely that he will combine IndyCar with Formula 1. Last season, Fittipaldi was active in the World Endurance Championship(WEC), which combined well given the limited number of races in this class. For a busy IndyCar year, that becomes a lot more difficult.
It was perhaps already a sign of things to come that not Fittipaldi, but British talent Oliver Bearman may be in action during two Formula 1 free practice sessions. This is as part of the mandatory rookie tests. Bearman (18) is part of the Ferrari Academy and is running for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.