Fittipaldi brothers looking to make IndyCar a family affair
11/06/2024 03:11 PM
Pietro Fittipaldi isn't sure if he'll be back for another year of NTT IndyCar Series competition with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but that hasn't stopped him from searching for other opportunities in the IndyCar paddock to continue his career. And the 28-year-old isn't the only Fittipaldi with IndyCar ambitions.
Younger brother Enzo, a three-year veteran of the FIA Formula 2 development series, is also hoping to find a home in IndyCar and continue the bloodline that started back in 1984 with their grandfather Emerson Fittipaldi.
With 23-year-old Enzo's upcoming test with Arrow McLaren, albeit with a team where no vacancies exist, efforts are afoot to gain more IndyCar mileage and hunt for a new home that, in a perfect world, would include Pietro under the same tent.
"I've definitely been working on it with Rahal, which have their situation with (losing primary sponsor) Hy-Vee and then as well (trying to hold onto) 5 Hour Energy, which they’re still working on, means we’re waiting on that to see what’s going to happen for next year," Fittipaldi told RACER.
"But my goal, for sure, is to continue in IndyCar. My brother’s goal, as well, is to race in IndyCar next year. So through (Arrow McLaren's) Tony Kanaan and Zak Brown, they gave a great opportunity for my brother to do the test at Thermal in two weeks, which is very exciting for Enzo. And the goal is to have both me and him racing in IndyCar together. That would be the ultimate dream."
The elder Fittipaldi brother made his IndyCar debut in 2018 with a six-race program with Dale Coyne Racing, returned to Coyne in 2021 for three more races, and got his first full-time shot in 2024 with RLL, where he placed 19th in the championship, one position behind team veteran Graham Rahal.
With RLL's need to bolster its budget through sponsors or well-funded drivers, the No. 30 Honda that Fittipaldi drove last season has been the subject of great interest by others as it serves as one of the few seats left that can be acquired at the right price – only five of the 27 full-time entries for 2025 are potentially up for grabs. Former Andretti Global driver Devlin DeFrancesco is tipped to step into RLL's third and final seat — the one occupied by Pietro last season — which has led to Fittipaldi opening talks with other teams.
Coyne has two seats available, Juncos Hollinger Racing has yet to confirm drivers for either of its cars, and having been aware of the open marketplace for the RLL seat, Pietro is exploring a familiar option on the grid.
"For sure we’re looking elsewhere, even for my brother as well," he said. "I’ve raced for Dale Coyne in the past. Dale is a good friend of ours. Enzo tested with them last year, the same day that I tested at Sebring. So there's a person that we’re always in touch with. Definitely opportunities there. And I know Dale is committed to making the program much more solid for next season. This year, it was difficult for him changing drivers every few races. So if it doesn’t work at Rahal, then we are also talking to Dale."
Despite the frequent assumption that Fittipaldi's grandfather Emerson, the three-time Formula 1 world champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, uses his wealth to pay for Pietro and Enzo to race, the brothers have had to hustle to support their respective career arcs.
"It’s difficult with all the rides and stuff because it’s funding-dependent for us," Pietro said. "It’s extremely difficult with sponsors and having to raise the budget here for us from Brazil for the U.S., but we work really hard. Part of what’s been able to help us secure sponsorship is we started the Fittipaldi Brothers channels, and through that, the views we get on the digital channels is what’s really been helping us raise sponsorships.
"So we’ve had to try to think outside the box to be able to secure funding to have us pursue IndyCar and other racing that requires some funding, at least, to get started initially. So it’s never easy, but we keep working."
