For most individuals, a really perfect trip is a heat vacation spot and presumably close to the ocean. For Pietro Fittiapldi, the best spot is the snug environment of his residence in North Carolina. When you take a look at the schedule of MoneyGram Haas’ reserve driver, you’ll perceive why.
As this 12 months involves an in depth, Fittipaldi could have spent 36 weekends at a racetrack. Alongside together with his take a look at and reserve function, the Brazilian-American can also be a full-time driver for the Jota crew within the World Endurance Champion LMP2 class. It was just lately introduced that Fittipaldi will be a part of IndyCar’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the 2024 season, the place he shall be driving the No. 30 automobile.
Whereas the touring might be formidable to even fathom, for Fittipaldi, the extra races, the higher.
Motorsports is considerably of a birthright within the Fittipaldi family. Pietro is the grandson of two-time System 1 world champ Emerson Fittipaldi whereas his youthful brother, Enzo, presently is a junior driver for Crimson Bull in System 2.
Proper now Pietro Fittipaldi is in his fifth season as Haas reserve and take a look at driver. In 2020, he made his Grand Prix debut for the ultimate two rounds of the season rather than Romain Grosjean, who was injured in a horrible crash on the Bahrain Grand Prix. His duties prolong far past being able to be on name, nonetheless. Forward of this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, he spoke with M&F on his relationship with Haas and the preparation behind approaching every race weekend as if he’ll compete. Fittipaldi additionally mentioned how he’s managed to curb jet lag and ruining his weight-reduction plan by at all times being on the go.
Consistency is Key For Pietro Fittiapldi
This season marked Fittipaldi’s fifth straight season with Haas. It’s the longest relationship he’s had with a crew and the bond goes deeper than crew and driver. Guenther Steiner has been the crew principal for Haas since 2014 and has developed a real relationship with Pietro Fittiapldi. The pair lives a brief distance from each other in North Carolina and Steiner’s daughter attends the identical highschool that Fittipaldi did.
When you’re a Netflix Drive to Survive fan, you’re aware of Steiner’s blunt nature. Fittipaldi says that’s a trait that makes his relationship together with his boss and the crew so particular.
“Gunther has been a tremendous boss to work with,” Fittipaldi says. “He’s very direct, sincere, and easy. I believe that’s the most effective sort of individual to work with as a result of if you’re doing nice, he’s going to acknowledge that. Once you’re doing a poor job with one thing, he’s going to inform you as properly. He’s an important man and an important crew chief. I’ve discovered a lot with Haas.”
How Pietro Fittiapldi Fights Jet Lag
There’s nothing else Pietro Fittiapldi may envision himself doing exterior of racing. He completely loves the game, the adrenaline rush, and the competitors. One factor he can do with out is the time-consuming side of the journey. Given the buildup of air miles and switching time zones on a constant foundation, the driving force has give you sure strategies to assist struggle off the consequences of jet lag.
Within the days main as much as the journey, Fittipaldi will undergo his regular schedule. On the day of his flight, he internally tries to modify to the time zone he’s touring to. He makes use of the flight to find out whether or not he’s going to sleep or keep awake.
“The error individuals make generally is that they arrive drained within the morning of wherever they’re,” Fittipaldi says. “They sleep till early afternoon and are unable to sleep at evening. It’s going to take one other two days to get used to the time distinction. Even when I’m extraordinarily drained, I’m going to remain awake, and I’m going to be sure that after I fall asleep, I sleep on the proper time.”
Pack Your Food regimen
In each F1 and the World Endurance Championship, the lighter you might be, the quicker you might be within the automobile. In F1, drivers should weigh a minimal of 80kg (176 lbs.) and that features their driver’s seat. Failure to satisfy the necessities can vary from fines to disqualifications from race outcomes. At 5’7” and 65 kg (143 lbs.), Fittipaldi doesn’t have to fret in regards to the necessities. Within the WEC, he additionally divulged that 10 much less kilos within the automobile can equal 0.3 in lap time, which is a number of time for vehicles that may hit speeds of as much as 200 mph.
Fittipaldi isn’t too strict together with his consuming habits however does observe a low-carb weight-reduction plan all year long. It’s an answer he’s discovered to remain lean whereas additionally feeling match. It doesn’t matter what nation or continent he’s on, it’s a weight-reduction plan that travels properly.
“I eat my carbs within the morning earlier than I am going practice,” he mentioned. “The remainder of the day, it’s all greens and protein. Clearly, the meals are totally different in every single place, nevertheless it’s fairly straightforward to have carbs within the morning and all my different meals are veggies and protein. It may be several types of greens and protein however that’s the place I’m going to maintain constant wherever I’m.”
How Pietro Fittiapldi Prepares For Endurance Racing
With races that may final wherever between six to 24 hours, endurance racing is a take a look at of each driver and automobile. There isn’t a quantity of coaching that may put together drivers of any degree for what they expertise within the automobile. Coronary heart charges can peak at 200 beats per minute for each F1 and endurance racers, which has similarities to the guts price of an Olympic sprinter. Relying on the circuit, drivers can expertise G-forces of as much as 6gs.
With switching time zones as typically as he does, one other space of consistency Fittipaldi focuses on retaining is his health club routine. He wakes up early and spends an hour and a half on the health club specializing in cardio or energy coaching. Neck energy in addition to decrease again, core, shoulders, arms, and wrists are excessive areas of focus for drivers with being locked right into a seated place for a protracted period.
Fittipaldi says he prepares himself by tailoring his exercises to be as snug as attainable with these bodily calls for.
“What I attempt to do in my exercises is do my energy routine with the elevated coronary heart price and the one means I can get to do this is by doing a number of circuit stuff,” he mentioned. “That means, my physique will get extra used to with the ability to do heavier weight and heavier workout routines even with the excessive coronary heart price. That type of builds my energy for that.”
Keep Engaged
Probably the most tough facets of being a reserve driver is mentally approaching every race weekend as if you’ll be racing, in line with Fittipaldi. You may go a complete season with out even driving the automobile, however you have to stay ready to race.
Fittipaldi arrives on the observe on Thursday morning and goes via the driving force conferences with teammates Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, the place the technique for the weekend is gone over. Fittipaldi helps with the driving force information and onboard footage evaluation all through Friday’s apply classes and compares the info to different groups to see areas the place they’re dropping time. He then passes on that info to the engineers, who talk to the drivers all through the session.
This helps him keep engaged and likewise provides him essential info if he does need to step in for one among his teammates that weekend. “As a result of I’m at all times seeing what our weaknesses are from each race drivers — when somebody is quicker, why they’re quicker — that provides me a number of info for after I do get the possibility to leap within the automobile,” Fittipaldi mentioned. “I can implement the whole lot I’ve discovered.”
If he’s not wanted for qualifiers on Saturday, then his weekend is basically over as a reserve driver should take part within the qualifier to start out the race. If a driver who certified can’t race, the gird place stays empty.
Observe Pietro Fittiapldi on Instagram @pifitti
