Fittipaldi to replace Grosjean next weekend

Easy choice

Team boss Guenther Steiner announced that Grosjean will miss at least one race. "After it was decided that the best thing for Romain (Grosjean) was to skip at least one race, the choice to put Pietro (Fittipaldi) in the car was pretty easy," said Steiner on the Haas website.

Fittipaldi is the grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi. This season the Brazilian drove the Asian Formula 3 championship, where he finished fifth. In 2019 Fittipaldi was appointed test driver at Haas. Fittipaldi won the Formula V8 3.5 World Series in 2017 and later drove in the World Endurance Championship and IndyCar.

Debut in Formula 1

"Most importantly I'm happy Romain (Grosjean) is safe and healthy," added Fittipaldi on his chance in Formula 1. "We're all very happy his injuries are relatively minor after such a huge incident." It is therefore not an ideal situation to make your Formula 1 debut. "I'm extremely grateful to Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for their faith in putting me behind the wheel this weekend."

Fittipaldi isn't being thrown completely into the deep end, as he has been with the team a lot this season, both on the track and in the simulator.

"I'm familiar with the team's operating procedures on a Grand Prix weekend. It's going to be exciting to make my first career start in Formula 1 - I'll be giving it my all and I look forward to starting in free practice on Friday in Bahrain,” said the Brazilian.