Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced Oct. 23 that Haas F1 Team reserve and test driver Pietro Fittipaldi will drive the No. 30 entry for his first full season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition in 2024.
Fittipaldi, the Brazilian-American grandson of 1989 INDYCAR SERIES champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, returns to the series after having made nine starts in 2018 and 2021 for Dale Coyne Racing. Details on the sponsorship for the entry will be announced at a later date.
“I am extremely proud and honored to be joining Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” Fittipaldi said. “With the experience I’ve gained over the last few years in F1 and other racing series, I am looking forward to the challenge of racing in INDYCAR, one of the most competitive and versatile racing series in the world. I want to thank Mr. Rahal, Mr. Lanigan and Mr. Letterman for the opportunity and their trust and confidence in me. I can’t wait to get started.”
Fittipaldi, 27, made six starts in the INDYCAR SERIES in 2018 – three on oval tracks and three on road courses -- with his best start being 10th in Phoenix and best finish of ninth coming at Portland. He had planned to compete in more races, but his program was curtailed midseason after breaking both legs in an accident in the World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in May of that year. In 2021, he split the season in the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware entry with Romain Grosjean, running three of the four oval races. His best qualifying effort came in his Indianapolis 500 debut of 13th place, which earned him the “Fastest Rookie Award,” and his best finish was 15th in Race 2 at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to have Pietro join RLL as the driver of the No. 30 car,” team co-owner Bobby Rahal said. “He has had previous experience in INDYCAR in doing partial seasons with Dale Coyne Racing and impressively qualifying 13th at Indianapolis in 2021. I got to meet him then, and since that time he has worked hard to become the reserve driver for Haas F1’s team. And from our discussions, I have been impressed with the maturity and experience that he will now bring to our program. I look forward to seeing what he can do over a full season of INDYCAR competition in 2024.”
Fittipaldi, a native of Miami, is an accomplished and winning driver in open-wheel and sports cars. He won the Formula Renault championship in 2014 and won the series title in 2016 in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 series. He followed with a Formula V8 3.5 championship in 2017.
He made two F1 starts for Haas F1 in December 2020. Fittipaldi won the Six Hours of Monza World Endurance Championship race in the LMP2 class in 2023 while competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Team Jota.
“We are proud and excited to welcome Pietro to our team,” team co-owner Mike Lanigan said. “The Fittipaldi family name has always been associated with winning and competitiveness in our sport. The legacy lives on with Pietro and we welcome the challenges in keeping the tradition alive.”
The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.