Formula 1: Pietro Fittipaldi unlikely to receive Haas promotion in 2020

Haas reserve and test driver Pietro Fittipaldi likely will not be promoted to one of the team’s two cars for the 2020 Formula 1 season.

Rich Energy Haas are one of the eight Formula 1 teams that have not solidified their driver lineup for the 2020 season.

Kevin Magnussen has driven for the team since the 2017 season, and the contract that he signed last year to return to Formula 1’s lone American outfit does not expire until the end of the 2020 season.

However, there are rumors that there is a clause in this contract that the team can trigger to replace him after the 2019 season ends.

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Additionally, Romain Grosjean has found himself on the hot seat for the second consecutive season. However, after he saved himself from a disastrous start to the 2018 season and re-signed with the team for the 2019 season, his 2019 season has been even worse.

As a result, there have been rumors that he will be replaced with Nico Hulkenberg, whose current contract Renault expires at the end of the 2019 season but is believed to contain a clause that the French marque cannot replace him ahead of the 2020 season if he does not land a ride elsewhere.

In summation, if there is one word to describe what has taken place in Haas’ Silly Season situation thus far, it is “uncertainty”.

However, one thing is fairly certain, team principal Guenther Steiner confirmed, and that is that the team will likely not sign a rookie for the 2020 season.

Pietro Fittipaldi, who currently serves as the Haas reserve and test driver, would be the most likely rookie in the team’s sights, and there had been rumors that he could be the driver who replaces Grosjean next year if the team do indeed pull the plug on the 33-year-old Frenchman.

But this is not looking likely.

Here is what Steiner had to say about the matter, according to Formula 1.

"“These decisions are actually very difficult to make. It’s an opportunity but it comes at a high risk rate, so it’s more like as a team we could do it, but do we want to do it? Because I think again this year if we had two rookies or a rookie, it wouldn’t help us, because we are a little bit lost where we are with the tyres and a rookie doesn’t help you."

Additionally, the 23-year-old Brazilian hasn’t taken part in a free practice session so far this season, which Steiner also brought up.

"“For us it’s difficult, otherwise we’d do it for him…We need both drivers [Grosjean and Magnussen] to be testing the car as much as possible. Our focus is still not to be ninth in the championship, we need to be better, so I cannot promise anything to Pietro."

Steiner also commented about the fact that Fittipaldi also doesn’t have a superlicense.

"“That’s one of the problems of all young drivers at the moment. There’s not many people with a superlicence around and to get one is pretty difficult at the moment. There is now a superlicence that a team can get points for by putting a driver into FP1, and he’s missing four points. We’ll see what we can do.”"

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With Pietro Fittipaldi unlikely to be promoted to Haas for the 2020 Formula 1 season, how will the team’s driver lineup look next year? Will Kevin Magnussen be back? Will Nico Hulkenberg replace Romain Grosjean like he has been rumored to? Silly Season is certainly not slowing down yet, especially not for this team.

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