Pietro Fittipaldi joins Cadillac as development driver

Pietro Fittipaldi has announced that he has joined Cadillac as a development driver, with the Brazilian stating that he is “very proud” to be a part of the new team as they continue their preparations for joining the grid in 2026.

Fittipaldi previously acted as a test and reserve driver for Haas, a role that saw him step in for an injured Romain Grosjean at the Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix in 2020 as well as getting behind the wheel during various testing sessions.

Now it has been confirmed that the 29-year-old is lending his experience to Cadillac, having been working in the simulator ahead of the American outfit’s maiden F1 season next year.

“I’m very proud to finally share that I’ve joined the Cadillac F1 Team!” Fittipaldi – the grandson of two-time World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi – wrote on social media.

“We have been working together on the development of the team’s 2026 F1 car. As a sim driver together with my team mates we have been doing extensive simulator testing and full race weekend simulations to prepare for next season.

“It’s a privilege to contribute my experience to a project of this scale and to be part of a brand as iconic as Cadillac.”

To illustrate this, Cadillac also posted a video showing Sergio Perez – who will race for the squad in 2026 alongside Valtteri Bottas – getting to work in the GM Motorsports simulator, with the caption stating that the Mexican has been “keeping sharp” using the tool alongside Fittipaldi and fellow simulator drivers Simon Pagenaud and Charlie Eastwood.

It marks the next step in the team’s preparations for their debut, having also signed IndyCar racer Colton Herta as a test driver last month.