INTERVIEW: Pietro Fittipaldi ready for debut Indy 500

Uralkali Haas F1 Team Reserve Driver Pietro Fittipaldi will make a childhood dream come true on Sunday as he makes his debut in the Indy 500.

From watching in awe in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway paddock as a 10 year old, to seriously impressing in his debut Indy 500 qualifying last weekend, the Brazilian racer is just days away from racing in one of the most high-profile races in world motorsport.

“I’m very excited because I’ve been watching the Indy 500 for a long time,” said Pietro, who will line up 13th on the grid this Sunday. “I think the first 500 I went to was when my uncle, Max Papis, was racing in 2006, and ever since I’ve watched every year.

“For me, it’s the biggest race in the world and if you win that, you make history, so to be racing in it I’m super-excited and looking forward to it.

“I think it’s huge, not only in the US but in the world, because if you win the 500 it makes such a difference for your personal career and for your team as well. You win the race and it’s going to be remembered for years.

“When you go there yourself, you realize how huge the race is. I was there on the grid that year when my uncle was racing and there were 400,000 people in the stands.

“When everyone stands up for the engines starting, you can hear the vibrations of the crowd. I’ve never been to a race where you have so many people watching it together at the same time.

“I’m proud as well to be representing Haas in the Indy 500, even if it’s only in a small way, I’m super proud and happy to be doing it.”

The first hurdle for any Indy 500 competitor is actually qualifying for the main race. With only 33 starters in the race, and this year there being 35 competitors, the initial aim is avoiding being one of those unlucky two drivers to miss out on the race.

There were no such worries for Pietro, who showed impressive speed as an Indy first timer, ensuring a top-15 grid position for Sunday, with an average speed of 230.846 over four laps.

In fact Pietro was so impressive, that this week he was awarded ‘Fastest Rookie of the Year’, even quicker than New Zealander rookie Scott McLaughlin, who has impressed so far in his debut IndyCar season.

“I was awarded the fastest rookie for the Indy 500 award, which they’ve been doing for many years, as I was the fastest rookie in qualifying.

“My name was put on this special trophy that they have every name and speed in qualifying of the fastest rookie each year. There are names on there such as Michael Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve, so to be put on the same trophy alongside some of those legends was a huge honor for me.

“When I was there waiting to qualify on Saturday, every car goes out one-by-one and you’re waiting by your car – the adrenaline that builds up is crazy and is unlike any other thing I’ve done.

“It was amazing to go out and qualify and to be averaging 230 miles per hour for four laps was something incredible and something I really enjoyed.”

Pietro comes into the Indy 500 on familiar terms with his Dale Coyne Racing team.

Around his other commitments racing in the European Le Mans Series with G-Drive series and supporting Uralkali Haas F1 Team as a reserve driver, he has been working with his IndyCar team in both testing and some road circuit events.

And even more importantly, he competed in his first two oval races at the Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month, getting comfortable working with the Dale Coyne Crew.

“We had the two races in Texas, which was super-important for me. The first race was actually quite good as we were running in the top 10 for most of the race. We took a risk with the strategy to try and go for more, which could’ve given us a podium or a win, but in the end it didn’t pan out the way we wanted and we finished 15th.

“The goal in the second race was to run the whole race and try and finish in the top 10 but unfortunately there was that accident at the start. Luckily everyone was ok, cars up ahead started, then checked up and we had nowhere to go and it was a big accident.

“It was a shame to have that incident, but it was good to get one full race before the Indy 500 under my belt.”

Pietro is sharing the no. 51 car with another familiar name to Haas F1 Team fans, Romain Grosjean.

The Frenchman is competing on all road course events for Dale Coyne Racing this year, and recently secured his first IndyCar podium with a second-place finish on the Indianapolis road layout two weeks ago.

“By coincidence I got offered a deal to race the 51 car on the ovals and then Romain races the car on the road courses, so we’re both sharing the car,” said Fittipaldi, whose grandfather Emerson is a two-time winner of the Indy 500.

“I saw him (Grosjean) a few weeks ago at the race in St. Petersburg, when I had no other commitments that weekend and was just with the team. It’s funny being with him in the same team again, but a different team environment; once it was in Formula 1 for two or three years, now it is in IndyCar.

“He’s a great guy too and it’s awesome to have him as a team-mate.”

The start of this year has been a busy time for the 24-year-old, in stark contrast to 2020, where for much of the year he was out of the racing seat. With the Coronavirus pandemic interrupting motorsport across the globe, Pietro was left without a competitive drive last year.

He did of course get the opportunity to race the final two races of the Formula 1 season, the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, as deputy for the injured Grosjean.

But now mixing his Reserve Driver roles at Haas with his IndyCar Oval drive at Dale Coyne Racing, he has barely had a weekend off.

“It’s been crazy but for me, it’s the more the better. If I’m racing, I love it, it doesn’t matter how many days I’m away from home, if I’m racing it matters.

“I’ve been on the road a lot going between the series. Going from Barcelona in the European Le Mans Series, where we finished second, and then onto Texas and then Indy and then back to Barcelona for the Formula 1 race. I’ve since headed back to the States for the build-up to Indy.

“Last year was tough because of Covid. I was supposed to race in Japan in Super Formula but because of the pandemic, I didn’t race for virtually the full season, which was the first time that’s ever happened to me.

“But now to be racing in different series in 2021 is great and I really appreciate it, especially after going through a full year of sitting it out. When you’re racing you really appreciate the time you have in the car, and even more so for me now.”