Fittipaldi stays at Haas for fifth season in F1 test/reserve role

The young Brazilian-American, who was called up for two grands prix at the end of 2020 as replacement for the injured Romain Grosjean, will twin his reserve duties with Haas alongside his efforts for the Jota team in WEC’s LMP2 class.

As part of his Haas responsibilities, Fittipaldi will likely get some test mileage – most likely in pre-season running in Bahrain and during Friday free practice sessions when teams have to run rookie drivers.

Speaking about renewing his deal, Fittipaldi said: “I’m very happy to be continuing with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, a team that I consider family.

“It will be my fifth season in F1 as the official reserve and test driver for Haas, and I’m super excited to be going into 2023 coming off the back of a very competitive season.

“I’m excited to see the new car and new developments, and I hope that we’re able to make an even bigger step forward with the VF-23.”

Team principal Gunther Steiner explained that it made total sense for Haas to stick with Fittipaldi, who had great knowledge of how the team operated.

Pietro Fittipaldi, Haas VF-22

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

“I’ve said before that continuity and consistency is key to success in Formula 1 and Pietro remaining with the team for 2023 makes me believe that we have strong foundations,” said Steiner.

“In Formula 1, you need to be able to react within the smallest of margins to any scenario, and Pietro is a proven performer and is ready to step in at any time to get behind the wheel and drive, as he did twice in 2020.

“Last season he took part in pre-season testing, two free-practice sessions and post-season testing in the VF-22 and surprisingly unlike many drivers on the grid, he’s said this car suits his aggressive style, which is music to my ears when track time is so limited.

"He’s an asset to our team so I look forward to seeing his continuation with us this season.”

Fittipaldi is the grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.