Romain Grosjean had a narrow escape from the claws of death yesterday. The last time a car went up in flames like that, Niki Lauda suffered severe burns to his face and chest. As the Frenchman sits out for the second leg of the triple header, his cockpit will have Pietro Fittipaldi as the substitute.
Pietro Fittipaldi is not yet as famous as his surname might suggest. Grandson to the two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi and brother of racing driver Enzo Fittipaldi, Pietro awaited his time in F1. Although the Brazilian is in the scene of motorsports, he was yet to make his F1 debut.
Following the narrow escape of Grosjean from the inferno, they admitted him to a nearby hospital. The diagnosis was minor burns and bruises. Although there were no fatal injuries, the mental trauma was enough to let Grosjean sit out for one weekend.
“After it was decided that the best thing for Romain (Grosjean) was to skip at least one race, the choice to put Pietro (Fittipaldi) in the car was pretty easy,” spoke Guenther Steiner.
Pietro Fittipaldi will agree that this is not the ideal circumstance for an F1 debut. However, we are never aware of what destiny might throw our way. We just need to be ready to grab the opportunities.
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Pietro Fittipaldi will do a good job – Guenther Steiner
The Fittipaldi family has a legacy in F1. Thus, Pietro will of course feel the pressure on his shoulder. It may be a sub driver for Haas, but it is an enormous chance for Pietro to make a statement. Being the fourth racer from the Fittipaldi family, after Emerson, Wilson, and Christian Fittipaldi, he will aim to give it his best shot.
“Obviously, it’s not an ideal set of circumstances to get my first opportunity to compete in Formula 1, but I’m extremely grateful to Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for their faith in putting me behind the wheel this weekend,” added Pietro.
The Haas chief, who is a rather critical person, appears to be very confident about his sub driver.
“He’s been patient and was always prepared for this opportunity – and now it has come. That’s why we want him in the car and I’m sure he’ll do a good job. It’s very demanding being called in at the last minute, but as I said, I think it’s the right thing to do for Haas F1 Team,” remarked Steiner.
Pietro Fittipaldi may not have appeared in F1, but he has competed and won a couple of championships. Back in 2014, he won the Formula Renault MGR championship. Following that, he also bagged the Indian MRF championship in the F3 offseason.
Besides those, he won another title at the FV3.5 campaign in 2017, which also was his last win. Although the stats are not very overwhelming, it was enough to get him his super license. Armored with 38 podiums and 15 pole starts, Pietro may as well be a lucky shot for Haas F1.
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