Pietro Fittipaldi will drive for Haas during Free Practice 1 at the Mexico City and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.
His appearances are a result of regulations introduced for this season in which teams must run a ‘rookie’ driver in two opening practice sessions over the course of the year.
The team confirmed Fittipaldi will take the place of Kevin Magnussen in Mexico City and Mick Schumacher at the season finale in Yas Marina.
Haas fielded Antonio Giovinazzi at the Italian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari Reserve Driver scheduled to take the wheel again at the United States Grand Prix next weekend.
Neither of those appearances counts towards the team’s requirement to run a rookie driver given he has started 62 grands prix.
The compulsory Free Practice 1 outings must be made by a driver who has competed in two or fewer championship races, as per the Formula 1 Sporting Regulations.
Fittipaldi has two starts to his name, racing at the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix in 2020 in place of the injured Romain Grosjean.
A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, the Brazilian first tested for Haas during pre-season in 2019.
He’s remained as the team’s Test and Reserve Driver since 2021 and took part in the opening day of pre-season testing in Bahrain earlier this year.
Haas is one of two teams yet to confirm its driver pairing for 2023, with Mick Schumacher widely tipped to exit the operation.
Giovinazzi has been touted as a possible replacement, as has veteran Nico Hulkenberg.
Fittipaldi, despite his position with the operation, has not been seriously linked with a move into the full-time race seat.
Formula 1 next heads to the United States on October 21-23, a week prior to the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Next weekend continues the busy final leg of the Formula 1 season which saw Singapore and Japan run back-to-back, with four races in five weeks to round out the year.
From Mexico City, the sport will take in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on November 11-13 before concluding at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 18-20. A two-day post-season test follows the final race of the year.
Max Verstappen has already won the drivers’ championship, with Red Bull expected to wrap up the constructors’ title.
Haas meanwhile sits eighth in the standings, tied with Scuderia AlphaTauri, having last scored points at the Austrian Grand Prix in July.
Discussion about this post