Pietro Fittipaldi is racing in the F1 this weekend

 Who is Pietro Fittipladi?

BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, BAHRAIN – DECEMBER 04: Pietro Fittipaldi, Haas F1 Haas VF-20 during the Sakhir GP at Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, December 04, 2020, in Sakhir, Bahrain.

The replacement for Grosjean

Fittipaldi was chosen to replace Grosjean after an accident during the Bahrain Grand Prix. He has been on the same team as Grosjean for the last two seasons, so he does have experience handling the Formula 1 car.

Fittipaldi has been a test driver since 2018 and took part in a test drive in Abu Dhabi. As the replacement for Grosjean, Fittipaldi will be driving the VF-20 Formula 1 racing car in the Prix. This vehicle has much horsepower behind it, but Fittipaldi is familiar with it as the team’s testing driver.

Most importantly I’m happy Romain (Grosjean) is safe and healthy. We’re all very happy his injuries are relatively minor after such a huge incident.

Pietro Fittipaldi

Test Driver, Haas F1 Team

Grosjean was released from the hospital recently. Since then has been giving Fittipaldi advice and guidance on what to do during the race. Fittipaldi said that everyone on the team was helping him improve his driving skills.

This includes keeping him informed on the best places to speed up and brake on the track, plus other beneficial information. Fittipaldi stated he is grateful for the team and feels they offer him their utmost support in preparing for the Grand Prix.

Why he was chosen

Fittipaldi is the obvious candidate for Haas’s new driver. He is well-known on the team as the test driver and has experience in driving the F1 car. Plus, Fittipaldi was available, ready, and willing to take over as Grosjean’s replacement.

Overall, Fittipaldi has completed more than 1,200 miles of testing and spent a good amount of time working in the simulator and on the Prix’s track. All of this together makes him more than qualified for racing this weekend as a stand-in on Haas.

BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, BAHRAIN – DECEMBER 04: Mechanic working on the car of Pietro Fittipaldi, Haas VF-20 during the Sakhir GP at Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, December 04, 2020, in Sakhir, Bahrain.

Preparing for the F1

The simulated races are made to be as realistic as possible. With them, drivers can practice their fuel-saving strategies and get a feel for how the car drives. Learning to use their fuel efficiency and improving reaction times are skills that drivers improve in these simulated races.

Some of these simulations are so advanced; they can even recreate G-force reactions. However, Fittipaldi is going to continue practising in Bahrain right up until Formula 1 begins.

How Pietro Fittipaldi qualified

Fittipaldi was a Haas test and reserve driver; plus, he competed virtually this year. Fittipaldi also participated in the Asian F3 series, giving him enough super license points to enter the F1.

He had earned 35 points during the Series Formula V8 3.5 championship in 2017. However, Fittipaldi was later in an accident that left him unable to compete until he healed. This situation allowed him to transfer those points to 2018, giving him more time to make the final points he needed.

BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, BAHRAIN – DECEMBER 04: Pietro Fittipaldi, Haas F1, with Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 during the Sakhir GP at Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, December 04, 2020, in Sakhir, Bahrain.

During the Buriram finale, Fittipladi achieved a podium with third place- earning him six super license points, putting him at 41 total. That was just enough for him to enter the F1 as Grosjean’s replacement racer after the accident.

Fittipaldi has stated that he was happy that Grosjean’s injuries were minor and that it was not the best circumstances for him to enter Formula 1. However, Fittipaldi is still grateful for the opportunity to race given to him by the Haas team owners.

Soon enough, you will be able to watch him race in the F1 live as the grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, the double world champion. Plenty of fans are going to be tuning in via live stream.

Summary

Fittipaldi has relatives who raced on the F1, making him the third in his family to participate. He has been practising a lot and preparing for the weekend- even saying that he dreamed of entering the F1 since he started kart racing at the age of four.

Overall, we want to wish Pietro Fittipaldi good luck with his Formula 1 debut! It starts this weekend and will have today’s best racers competing. Be sure to check out more of our articles on Pietro Fittipaldi to learn more.