His running was divided into two periods, testing both dry and wet compounds for 2024, and he racked up almost 700 kilometers – which is more than twice a race distance.
It was Fittipaldi’s first run in the car, as Haas concentrated on Nico Hulkenberg in pre-season testing.
“It was a very good test,” said Fittipaldi. “I drove an F1 car for the first time at Silverstone and it was sensational.
“I drove both in the dry and in the rain. We completed almost 700 kilometers, so it was many, many laps. But I prepared myself very well, physically. Since last year I have been working very hard physically to drive the car without problems for this amount of laps.
“The style of the F1 cars works well with my driving style, which gives me confidence, with an impressive level of grip. The test was great, and trying the Pirelli tyres without the blankets was quite interesting. I'm very happy with the day with Haas and thank you for the opportunity.”
Team principal Gunther Steiner praised Fittipaldi’s unswerving commitment to the team since 2019, the Brazilian having made two grand prix starts in 2020 while subbing for the injured Romain Grosjean.
“First of all, congratulations to Pietro for winning the LMP2 category [of the WEC] in Monza,” said Steiner, referring to the Brazilian's triumph in the last round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. “He hadn't driven the VF-23 yet because during pre-season testing Nico was new to the team and we needed to use every minute we had available in the car for him to get used to it.
“As soon as we could, we had Pietro in the car because as we all know he is our reserve driver, so should something happen to our driver, he will be in the car.
“We need to put him in the best position should it happen, and he's always very good, very consistent and very reliable. The engineers love him, Pirelli loves his feedback, so it's always good to have Pietro around but also to keep him motivated.
“He is a race car driver and as we see he is sharp should the opportunity arise for him to get into an F1 car. He is doing a great job and, as we see, he races in LMP2 to stay race-sharp should the opportunity arise for him to get into an F1 car. He's doing a great job and we are very thankful to have Pietro around.”
