Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, is going to contest the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season. The 18-year old Brazilian is going to race a Dallara-Mercedes for Team Fortec Motorsport. By doing so, he follows the footsteps of his grandfather and his uncle Christian Fittipaldi, thus representing the third generation of his family to contest Formula 3 races in Europe.
Pietro Fittipaldi was born in Miami and made his first steps on the motor-racing ladder in karting in North America. In 2011, he demonstrated his skills in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series by winning the Limited Late Models category at the age of just 15. Following another season in the Late Models category, the young gun switched to European single-seater racing and raced in both the British Formula 4 and the British Formula Renault. And in the following year, he secured the Formula Renault title in superior style by winning 10 of the 15 races contested over the course of the season.
His convincing performances also attracted the attention of the British Fortec Motorsport squad. Therefore, they invited him to execute some off-season tests for them. Fittipaldi, who has set himself the goal to make it to Formula 1, delivered in fine style right away and now he secured one of the sought-after FIA Formula 3 European Championship race seats. ”It’s great that I’ve made it to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship”, the South American said. “I’m truly looking forward to the season kick-off at Silverstone.”
But before the young talents will battle it out for the first points and trophies of the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season – at Silverstone – they will meet at Valencia in mid-March for the official pre-season tests.