Pietro Fittipaldi offers thoughts on losing out on F1 chance to Kevin Magnussen

Pietro Fittipaldi has admitted that he is disappointed to lose out to Kevin Magnussen for the second race seat at Haas for the 2022 Formula 1 season but says he understands the decision the team has made.

Haas opted to end their relationship with title sponsor Uralkali over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, with that, Russian driver Nikita Mazepin lost his drive for the coming campaign, with him having been set to partner Mick Schumacher once again in 2022.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner, Haas needed to make a swift decision over a replacement and they opted for a familiar face in Magnussen, bringing him back after a season away from the sport.

The Dane is a popular face in the paddock and should combine well with the young Schumacher to try and deliver results for Haas, but Fittipaldi admits as reserve driver he did think he had a chance of getting the drive himself, and that he is disappointed it’s not gone his way though he does understand the call.

“[Guenther Steiner] told me it was really only two candidates under consideration, and it was me and I didn’t know who the other driver was,” Fittipaldi began.

“It was Kevin, and it went his way. And I respect the team’s decision. Obviously, as a racer at heart, it’s disappointing, it hurts, because I know the potential we have, and the potential I know I can deliver.

“[Guenther Steiner] said ’We needed someone with experience’, and I understood that, but it doesn’t change my commitment to the team, and the story doesn’t end here.

“I’m going to keep working hard. I had to fight through a lot of adversity in my career already. And this is just something else. The only thing I can do now is work even harder.

“I know what we could have done, it would