Pietro Fittipaldi says he would like to compete in the IndyCar Series in 2021 while also keeping open a link to Formula 1, following his stand-in appearances in the championship.
Fittipaldi has spent the last two years as Haas’ reserve driver and was drafted in to compete for the team in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi following Romain Grosjean’s high-speed accident.
Fittipaldi entered six IndyCar events with Dale Coyne Racing in 2018 prior to a switch to DTM for 2019, though did not race this year as he prioritised his Haas reserve duties.
The Brazilian says a return to full-time competition in 2021, with IndyCar his priority, is a target, though is open to retaining a Formula 1 connection.
“The only possible role I can have in F1 next year, since there aren’t any race drives available, will be to continue as a reserve driver, and for sure I would be open to continue with Haas,” he said.
“It depends a lot on what I am racing, and I have to prioritise to come back to racing full time next year.
“I want to stay in F1. IndyCar is a goal for next year. I have raced in IndyCar before. I adapted well to the car and we had top 10 finishes when I was racing injured. So I know I can do well there. It is a great series with great drivers.
“So if I can get the opportunity to race there next year and still be in F1 that would be the ideal situation.”
Fittipaldi emphasised that he was grateful to receive the opportunity with Haas off the back of an eclectic route to Formula 1.
“If you look at my career people can say I was all over the place and I have raced many different things,” he said.
“But it was because those were the opportunities that I had at the moment. For sure the ideal situation if you want to make it to F1 is you want to come and race in Europe, you want to do the F4, F3, F2 and then make it to F1.
“But it is very difficult to plan it and make sure that things happen the way you want them to happen. It depends on a lot of other things, on sponsorship, on funding.
“For sure I would’ve liked to have raced in F2 after I won the World Series championship if I could not get to F1 I would’ve liked to race F2. But it depends on a lot of other things. But we made it to F1 either way, and I’m here.
“I got the opportunity because Haas gave it to me. I’m very grateful to them. But we got here in an unconventional way. I raced many things before getting to F1. I think I might be the driver that raced in the most things before F1!”
Discussion about this post