F1: Fittipaldi to replace Grosjean at Haas for Sakhir GP | Racing news

MANAMA: Brazilian reserve pilot Pietro Fittipaldi will do your Formula One race debut with Haas at next weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain as a substitute for the injured Romain Grosjeanthe US-owned team said Monday.
Frenchman Grosjean suffered burns to the back of his hands in a fiery accident that split his car in two during Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 34-year-old is expected to remain in the hospital until Tuesday. The team said they couldn’t compete.

“After it was decided that the best thing for Romain was to skip at least one race, the decision to put Pietro in the car was quite easy,” team principal Guenther Steiner said in a statement.
“He’s familiar that we’ve been in the team for the last two seasons as a reserve and test driver. It’s the right thing to do and obviously a good opportunity for him.”
“He has been patient and always prepared for this opportunity and now it has come. That’s why we want him in the car and I’m sure he will do a good job.”

The 24-year-old Miami-born Brazilian is the grandson of two-time Formula One world champion and double Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi.
The Sakhir Grand Prix is ​​the penultimate race of the season, ending in Abu Dhabi a weekend later. Haas is ninth out of 10 teams in the standings and hasn’t scored a point since the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring on October 11.
Fittipaldi acknowledged that “it was not an ideal set of circumstances” for their debut, but is familiar with the team’s operating procedures from working with them on the track and in the simulator.
“It is going to be exciting to start my first race in Formula One. I will give it my all and hope to start in free practice on Friday in Bahrain,” he said.
Grosjean will leave Ferrari-powered Haas at the end of the season alongside Danish teammate Kevin Magnussen.
Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael and current Formula 2 leader, is expected to join forces for next season alongside Russia’s Nikita Mazepin.
Both drivers are in Bahrain, but next weekend will be the decider of the Formula Two title.