Haas F1 Team reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will make his full season ELMS debut in 2022 alongside David Heinemeier Hansson and Fabio Scherer for Polish team Inter Europol Competition.
The 25-year-old Brazilian-American driver took part in one ELMS race last season, competing alongside John Falb and Rui Andrade in the season opener in Barcelona.Fittipaldi helped the team to second place, and a useful 18 points, which helped secure the LMP2 Pro-Am title at the end of the season for Falb and Andrade.
Fittipaldi, who is the grandson of double F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, has also won several championships in his career to date, including the 2017 World Series Formula V8 3.5 title.
We caught up with Pietro Fittipaldi as he prepares for his first full ELMS season with Inter Europol Competition.
Q: Welcome back to the ELMS.You competed in one race in 2021, what was the appeal for taking on the challenge of full ELMS season with Inter Europol Competition?
Pietro Fittipaldi: “It’s great to be in the ELMS with Inter Europol Competition.What appealed to me was the fact they are a very competitive and professional team, who already race in the World Endurance Championship. When I spoke to the team owner and he told me the line-up and the goals for the team, that really aligned with mine, which is trying to work as best as possible, to go for podiums and, if everything goes well, for race wins.The goal is winning the title.”
Q: You are teaming up with David Heinemeier-Hansson and Fabio Scherer. Have you raced with them before and what do you know about your new teammates?
PF: “I have never raced with David and Fabio before.Fabio used to race with my brother in Formula 4, so I know his name well. I have never raced with David but I know of him because he used to race with my friend Nelson Piquet Jr in the World Endurance Championship.They’re both great drivers, I’m looking forward to meeting them and I think it’s going to be great.”
Q: The LMP2 grid for the 2022 season is looking very strong once again.Who do you see as your main rivals this year and what are your goals for the upcoming season?
PF: “The European Le Mans Series is looking like it’s going to have a very competitive line up, as competitive as last year.There are going to be some very good cars in the championship, and this adds to the emotion and the value to being able to win a race in the ELMS.For me the biggest rivals, and its hard to say, but there are some big teams like Prema, United Autosports, TDS Racing but there are other teams who have good line ups. So, it’s going to be interesting and it’s going to be hard to say who is going to be the main rivals.We’re going to focus on ourselves and try to do everything we can to maximise, starting with testing, and making sure everything comes together for the race weekend.”
Q: Looking ahead to the ELMS season, which is your favourite track on the calendar and why?
PF: “My favourite track on the calendar would have to be Spa. It’s a great track, I love it.I had a very bad accident there, which was the worst accident of my career, but it is one of the most complete tracks in the world.It has many different types of corners; you feel like you are in the mountains with all the trees and the facilities are amazing.Anything can happen.You can have rain in the middle of the race in one sector and not in another sector; it's a pretty crazy track but I really enjoy it a lot.”
The 25-year-old Brazilian-American driver took part in one ELMS race last season, competing alongside John Falb and Rui Andrade in the season opener in Barcelona.Fittipaldi helped the team to second place, and a useful 18 points, which helped secure the LMP2 Pro-Am title at the end of the season for Falb and Andrade.
Fittipaldi, who is the grandson of double F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, has also won several championships in his career to date, including the 2017 World Series Formula V8 3.5 title.
We caught up with Pietro Fittipaldi as he prepares for his first full ELMS season with Inter Europol Competition.
Q: Welcome back to the ELMS.You competed in one race in 2021, what was the appeal for taking on the challenge of full ELMS season with Inter Europol Competition?
Pietro Fittipaldi: “It’s great to be in the ELMS with Inter Europol Competition.What appealed to me was the fact they are a very competitive and professional team, who already race in the World Endurance Championship. When I spoke to the team owner and he told me the line-up and the goals for the team, that really aligned with mine, which is trying to work as best as possible, to go for podiums and, if everything goes well, for race wins.The goal is winning the title.”
Q: You are teaming up with David Heinemeier-Hansson and Fabio Scherer. Have you raced with them before and what do you know about your new teammates?
PF: “I have never raced with David and Fabio before.Fabio used to race with my brother in Formula 4, so I know his name well. I have never raced with David but I know of him because he used to race with my friend Nelson Piquet Jr in the World Endurance Championship.They’re both great drivers, I’m looking forward to meeting them and I think it’s going to be great.”
Q: The LMP2 grid for the 2022 season is looking very strong once again.Who do you see as your main rivals this year and what are your goals for the upcoming season?
PF: “The European Le Mans Series is looking like it’s going to have a very competitive line up, as competitive as last year.There are going to be some very good cars in the championship, and this adds to the emotion and the value to being able to win a race in the ELMS.For me the biggest rivals, and its hard to say, but there are some big teams like Prema, United Autosports, TDS Racing but there are other teams who have good line ups. So, it’s going to be interesting and it’s going to be hard to say who is going to be the main rivals.We’re going to focus on ourselves and try to do everything we can to maximise, starting with testing, and making sure everything comes together for the race weekend.”
Q: Looking ahead to the ELMS season, which is your favourite track on the calendar and why?
PF: “My favourite track on the calendar would have to be Spa. It’s a great track, I love it.I had a very bad accident there, which was the worst accident of my career, but it is one of the most complete tracks in the world.It has many different types of corners; you feel like you are in the mountains with all the trees and the facilities are amazing.Anything can happen.You can have rain in the middle of the race in one sector and not in another sector; it's a pretty crazy track but I really enjoy it a lot.”
