Fittipaldi doesn’t hold a grudge against Magnussen
Pietro Fittipaldi thought he could take over the seat left vacant by Nikita Mazepin. Despite the frustration, he does not hold a grudge against the fortunate one.
Kevin Magnussen has been chosen by Haas to replace Nikita Mazepin this season. A little surprise, considering that the Danish driver was engaged in other programs in 2022, notably in endurance racing. Before the American team made its decision, the name Pietro Fittipaldi was mentioned, especially after Günther Steiner’s comments a few days ago.
If we were to part ways with Nikita, our third driver Pietro Fittipaldi would receive the first call, said the Team Principal the day after the first day of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Therefore, the nephew of double world champion Emerson Fittipaldi may feel frustrated following Haas’ decision not to retain him as a regular driver.
“I have already had to face a lot of adversity in my career, and this is just something extra. The only thing I can do is work even harder,” declared the Miami native after his run in the white single-seater at the Bahrain winter tests.
« It’s true that on Monday, I told myself that there was a chance, and I know what I could have done. It would have been huge in Brazil and elsewhere. It would have been incredible. The Miami Grand Prix, where I was born, I thought it was going to happen. But it’s okay. There’s no problem. The next day you wake up, you work hard, and a new opportunity will arise. I know the story doesn’t end here. »
Fittipaldi joined Haas in 2019 as a reserve driver. He is determined to take advantage of every opportunity that arises to race for the team.
« I told Günther that I was as involved as I was before. That every time he would ask me to drive the car, I would be as prepared as possible. And if an opportunity arises, maybe in the future, it will be good because I will have more time to prepare. That’s how I see things. »
Regarding Magnussen, who was his teammate for the last two races of 2020, Fittipaldi has no hard feelings: “I don’t have any ill feelings towards Kevin. We share the same drivers’ room so as soon as I came out, he was there and we talked a bit. I told him what to expect for the tests. I’m sure we’ll have another discussion very soon and I’ll see how he feels.”
