Following his return to racing after injury in the recent Verizon IndyCar Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Pietro Fittipaldi is once again being considered for a possible test with the Haas F1 Team, with team principal Guenther Steiner hinting it may happen before the end of the 2018 Formula 1 season.
The Brazilian suffered a broken leg in a crash at Eau Rouge during practice for the Spa-Francorchamps round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in May, and only just returned to his IndyCar ride with Dale Coyne Racing last weekend after completing his recovery.
Steiner revealed just after his Spa crash that talks took place with Fittipaldi about a possible test, but they were put on hold as he sat out three months of racing. However, now he is back in the saddle, he is planning to talk with the Brazilian during the summer break and see whether something can be organised with him for later in the season.
“He needs to get comfortable again,” Steiner is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “I didn’t speak with him after [IndyCar] testing, but I just read what was written in the media, that he felt comfortable.
“I’m going to see him again when I’m back in North Carolina and then we’ll see what can be done for the end of the year. We were speaking about the possibility of him doing something, and then we stopped when he had his legs broken.
“Now we have to pick it up again to see how he feels about it.”
Fittipaldi himself is still eyeing a Formula 1 seat, sooner rather than later, although he hasn’t ruled out the FIA Formula E championship, but he has no ambition to race in Formula 1’s primary feeder series, FIA Formula 2.
“If there is an opportunity in Formula 1 or IndyCar full-time, I will do that for sure,” said Fittipaldi to Motorsport.com. “Formula E is interesting too. But F2 is not something I’m looking at even if I had the opportunity.
“Formula 1 as a reserve driver would be OK, but I still want to be racing something full-time. That’s my goal. Anyway, the opportunity to be reserve driver for Haas still has to present itself.
“I spoke to Gunther again a couple of weeks ago and there might be some opportunities to test at the end of the year. But the focus for now is IndyCar.”
