Fittipaldi to complete WRT Team Audi Sport line-up in the 2019 DTM
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| Aberdein and Fittipaldi |
WRT Team Audi Sport today announced Pietro Fittipaldi as one of its 2019 DTM drivers. The Brazilian joins South Africa’s Jonathan Aberdein in the driver line-up with which the Belgian squad, known for its many successes in GT and TCR racing, will make its debut in the DTM.
Pietro Fittipaldi (22) belongs to an acclaimed racing family but has built a name for himself on both sides of the Atlantic, shining at the wheel of all type of cars. He was a NASCAR Whelen Late Model champion back in 2011 and won the F.Renault V8 3.5 title in 2017, which added to F.Renault 2.0 UK and MRF Challenge titles. Last year, he raced in Indycar, FIA WEC and Japan Super Formula. In 2019 he has been appointed official tester of Haas F1 Team.
Fittipaldi joined WRT Team Audi Sport this week at the DTM pre-season collective test at the Lausitzring, where he drove the Audi RS 5 DTM for the first time and worked alongside his new team mate.
Jonathan Aberdein (21), also born in a racing family, was confirmed a WRT Team Audi Sport driver for the 2019 DTM earlier in March. The South African graduates from a successful stint in F.4 (winning the UAE series in 2017) and a season in the FIA F.3 European series last year.
Vincent Vosse, Team Principal: “I want to thank the entire team for the hard and excellent work done in the last weeks to prepare the cars, which have performed well at the Lausitzring test. We are delighted to welcome Pietro alongside Jonathan, and we are now fully geared to take up the challenge of our maiden season in a fantastic series such as the DTM. I want to thank Günther Steiner and Haas F1 Team for allowing Pietro to be with us. At Team WRT, we have a long-standing tradition on betting on youth and give concrete opportunities to young, talented and fast drivers, and that has always paid off. It makes us proud to join the DTM with the youngest pair of drivers of the 2019 field."
Maurizio Leschiutta, DTM Project Manager: “We are very happy to see Pietro joining us and I am sure that he will bring an added value to our project. Despite his young age, he has already a great experience and a lot of successes to his credit, in many different categories. With Jonathan, who is equally talented and has a very similar background, Pietro will form an excellent duo, and it is a great satisfaction to be contributing that much fresh air to the DTM as from our first season."
Pietro Fittipaldi: “I want to thank Team WRT and Audi Sport for their support and trust, which are allowing me to join an exciting series such as the DTM. It’s probably one of the most competitive series in the world, and I can’t think of a more exciting challenge. The test at the Lausitzring went very well, we did a good job and tested everything we wanted to test. I am very pleased to work with such a great group of people. It was my first time in Lausitz and my first time with the Audi RS 5 DTM, which is different from anything I have driven so far. The sessions were very useful to familiarize with the car and start exploring the limits. We know that we have a lot of work ahead of us and much to learn, but I am definitely enthusiastic about the package and the project."
Jonathan Aberdein: “I feel honored to drive in the DTM and for WRT Team Audi Sport. The preparations and the tests at Jerez and Lausitz have gone very well, and I look forward to prove myself in the DTM, one of the top classes in motorsport and one where competition is the most intense."
Dieter Gass, Head of Audi Motorsport: “I am very glad we could give WRT Team Audi Sport a hand in signing Pietro Fittipaldi as their second driver for the 2019 DTM season opener at Hockenheim. We always strive for making DTM more international and have famous names involved. Having the ‘Fittipaldi’ name in the DTM is great news for the series. Despite being just 22 years old, Pietro has already proven his talent in various motorsport categories and has recently become an official test driver for the Haas F1 Team. I’m looking forward to see what he can achieve with the Audi RS 5 DTM. Vincent Vosse has formed a kind of ‘junior team’, which perfectly fits to our idea of a DTM customer team."