Pietro Fittipaldi Bio: Family, Parents, Girlfriend, 2018 Crash, Recovery

Pietro Fittipaldi is a Brazillian-American racing driver competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota Sport. Also, he is serving as a test and reserve driver for Hass in Formula 1.

He is well known as the grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One world champion, and brother of Enzo Fitipaldi, 2018 Italian F4 Champion.

Fittipaldi’s choosing a racing profession was unsurprising as he comes from a family of racers.

Between 2006 and 2010, he ascended through the ranks of American Karting.

He started stock car racing in 2011, debuting in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

That year, he won the track championship at Hickory Motor Speedway and was crowned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ for Limited Late Models.

He then traveled to Europe and joined the BRDC Formula 4 Championship and Protyre Formula Renault Championship in 2013.

He showcased quality performance in the latter series with 10 wins from 15 starts and won the title with a race remaining.

In 2016, he became part of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Fortec Motorsports and later started driving in the Formula V8 3.5 Series for the team.

In the European Championship, he scored three podiums, while in the 3.5 Series, he won the championship with six wins, 10 podiums, and 10 pole positions.

Dale Coyne Racing announced in February 2018 that Fittipaldi would debut in the IndyCar Series, driving the No.19 Honda, replacing Zachary Claman DeMelo.

However, his racing schedule was significantly disrupted as he suffered leg fractures in an accident during the World Endurance Championship in May.

A couple of months later, he returned and tested his first Formula One car during the post-season test driving for Hass in November.

Eventually, Fittipaldi became the official 2019 test driver for the Hass F1 Team.

The following year, he debuted in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing the injured Romain Grosjean.

With that, he became the first grandson of a Formula One driver (Emerson Fittipaldi) to become a Formula One driver himself.

During 2021 and 2022, he participated in free practice sessions as part of the required ‘rookie’ sessions and fulfilled post-season test responsibilities.

Pietro Fittipaldi’s Parents: Family Of Racers

Fittipaldi was born Pietro Fittipaldi da Cruz on June 25, 1996 in Miami, Miami-Dade Country, Florida, United States.

He is the eldest son of Carlos da Cruz and Juliane Fittipald.

He has a younger brother named Enzo Fittipaldi da Cruz, a professional racing driver, and a sister named Valentina Fittipaldi, an actor.

Pietro and his brother being a racer was not much of a surprise to the world as his family had roots in motorsports since the time of their great-grandparents.

For instance, his maternal grandfather, Emerson Fittipaldi, maternal granduncle Wilson Fittipaldi, and maternal uncle, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr., were all professional racing drivers.

These are just some of the few names from his family history who were involved in the motorsport industry.

Is Pietro Fittipaldi Dating?

Most of Fittipaldi’s fans are curious to know his life off the track, especially his dating life.

However, he has chosen not to speak anything related to the matter.

He has been successful in keeping his love life details inside the closet.

Therefore, it has made it difficult for the fans to know whether he is single or dating.

That being said, he was once spotted with a girl named Haley Little on Instagram back in 2020.

The 27 years old had shared a cozy picture with Little on Christmas.

Many of his fans were quick to speculate that she might be his girlfriend.

But that was the first and the last time we heard of Little on his social media handle.

So, we are not sure if she was his girlfriend or if the couple is still in a low-key relationship.

Only Fittipaldi has the answer, but he is not eager to discuss his personal life.

Pietro Fittipaldi’s Survives Severe Crash

In May 2018, Pietro Fittipaldi suffered a high-speed crash during the FIA World Endurance Championship Super Season at Circuit de Spa-Francocorchamps.

He was driving his DragonSpeed BR1 to qualify for the 6 Hours of Spa Francocorchamps when his car suffered a severe crash in the Eau Rouge section of the circuit, one of the most challenging corners in motorsports.

As he reached the corner, he made contact with a rumble strip, making his car skid out of control.

Subsequently, the DragonSpeed BR1 hit the bottom and crashed head-on at high speed into a tire wall.

Soon, the rescue team arrived at the scene and extracted the injured Fittipaldi within several minutes.

He was then loaded into an ambulance and transported to a local hospital.

Per the FIA World Endurance Championship, he was operated at the Centre Hospitalier de la Citadelle de Liege for leg fractures.

His left leg had suffered a complex fracture but underwent a successful surgical procedure.

He remained conscious while leaving the operating room and could describe what happened.

How Was Pietro Fittipaldi’s Experience?

As Fittipaldi remembered, he had two compound fractures. One of his feet was on the other side, while one of his bones was sticking out of his left leg. And that was when the pain started coming.

“I was like ‘f***ing hell, s***’ and then I was waiting there and they had to lift me so they cut the chassis. They did a great job and did it really fast but I was in the car for 30 minutes and I was fainting in and out and coming back.”

After he got out of the car, the medical team gave him something, and he woke up after the surgery.

As he gained consciousness in the hospital bed, he feared his career would end.

He didn’t know the injuries, so he didn’t know if he could return to racing.

His Recovering Process

Pietro Fittipaldi journeyed to Indianapolis for the famous Indy 500 the following week after surgery.

Each morning, he woke at 7 A.M. and went to the medical center with his mother. He diligently underwent four hours of training with doctors and physiotherapists.

He used a brace on his left leg, not only providing him with added support for braking but also offering an additional layer of protection.

Pietro Fittipaldi’s Comeback

Just a day after surgery, Pietro Fittipaldi received the news that he would be sidelined for the remaining IndyCar season.

However, he made a determined internal vow that it wouldn’t happen.

Therefore, Fittipaldi returned to the track just two and a half months after the severe crash.

Though his left leg was still broken, he had the courage to return to racing in IndyCar.

“I feel really good now, 100 per cent driving wise.”

“The issue was after I had my accident, two and a half months later I got back to racing in IndyCar but my left leg was still broken.”

“In IndyCar you have to hit the brakes as hard as you possibly can in that car, so if you’re doing that and your leg is still fractured, it was hurting a lot.”

In the first race, he could only hit the breaks at 50 percent compared to what his teammates were doing.

So, he thought that he might have come too soon. He then realized that he should have returned only when he recovered closer to 100 percent.

But he didn’t stop racing; he ran every race, got stronger, and healed more.

He consistently finished in the top ten in practice and races, so he was happy, considering he was still racing with his leg broken.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Pietro Fittipaldi Still Driving For Hass?

Yes, he is. Fittipaldi is the official reserve and test driver for Hass, competing in his fifth season in Formula 1.

Which Driver Is Leaving Hass?

At the end of the 2022 season, Hass team principal Guenther Steiner announced they were bidding farewell to German driver Mick Schumacher. The young talent is now the reserve driver for the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 Team and McLaren.

How Much Is Pietro Fittipaldi’s Salary & Net Worth?

As per sources, the pros in LMP2 earn an average of $200,000 to $300,000 a season. So, Fittipaldi must also have a salary ranging in thousands of dollars while his net worth might be in the millions.