IndyCar: Pietro Fittipaldi breaks both legs in crash, out for Indy 500 and more
By Asher Fair
IndyCar driver Pietro Fittipaldi broke both of his legs at Spa in a World Endurance Championship race. He will miss a lot of time and races, including the Indy 500.
Pietro Fittipaldi, the 21-year-old grandson of racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi, was severely injured in a crash at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium during a World Endurance Championship race.
Fittipaldi, who is one of the two rookie part-time drivers of the #19 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series along with Zachary Claman DeMelo, broke bones in both of his legs as a result of this crash, which took place at Eau Rouge on the 19-turn, 7.004-kilometer (4.352-mile) track.
Here is a video of the crash.
(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)
After the crash happened, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Medical Services and FIA Medical Delegate Jacques Tropenat attended to the 21-year-old Brazilian immediately. They extracted him from his #10 DragonSpeed BR Engineering BR1 machine, and he was airlifted to CHR de la Citadelle in Liege, Belgium, where the extent of his injuries was revealed.
His injuries are not life-threatening, and he never lost consciousness following the accident. Here is what Dale Coyne Racing posted on Twitter regarding Fittipaldi following the crash.
We're wishing for the best for @PiFitti. We'll keep everyone posted as we learn more. Everyone on the team is thinking of you Pietro.
— Dale Coyne Racing (@DaleCoyneRacing) May 4, 2018
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As a result of this horrific injuries, Fittipaldi will be unable to get his family’s name back in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana later this month. He was set to qualify for what would be his first appearance in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the #19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda in just over two weeks.
Fittipaldi made his IndyCar debut in the second race of the season at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona back on the first Saturday of April. However, he ended up finishing the race in 23rd place after crashing. He did qualify well for the race and started in 10th because of it.
It is not yet known who will replace Fittipaldi in the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 27 or any IndyCar races that he is scheduled to drive in after that.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Pietro Fittipaldi as we hope that he makes a speedy and full recovery from his injuries.