Pietro Fittipaldi has been confirmed as the official Test Driver for the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, the Brazilian continuing the partnership that began back in 2019.
Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, will play back-up to full-time drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg in 2023 whilst combining the role with an attack on the LMP2 title in the FIA World Endurance Championship as well as select outings in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The twenty-six-year-old, who raced in two races for Haas in 2020 as a replacement for the injured Romain Grosjean in the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, participated in two free practice sessions with the team in 2022 in Mexico City and Abu Dhabi, and could be in line for similar outings in 2023.
“I’m very happy to be continuing with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, a team that I consider family,” said Fittipaldi. “It will be my fifth season in Formula 1 as the Official Reserve & Test Driver for Haas and I’m super excited to be going into 2023 coming off the back of a very competitive season.
“Last year I did two free practice sessions, tested at the beginning of the year and at the end of season test so we’ve already been able to try some stuff for the new 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.”
Guenther Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says continuing with Fittipaldi was always planned and he feels the Brazilian is an ‘asset’ to the team that can come in at short notice and perform well if necessary.
“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.”
