F1 crash: Fittipaldi to replace Grosjean

Fittipaldi to replace Grosjean at Haas for Sakhir GP

Brazilian reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will make his Formula One race debut with the Haas team at the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain next weekend as replacement for Romain Grosjean, the team said on Monday.

Frenchman Grosjean suffered burns to the back of his hands in a fiery crash during Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix and is expected to remain in hospital until Tuesday. The team said he was unable to compete.

Haas expects Grosjean to stay in hospital until Tuesday

French driver Romain Grosjean is expected to stay in hospital until Tuesday after his fiery Bahrain Grand Prix crash, his Haas team said.

The 34-year-old suffered burns to the back of his hands in Sunday’s shocking accident at Sakhir, with his car splitting in two and bursting into a ball of flame after penetrating a steel barrier.

Haas said in a statement that team principal Guenther Steiner had visited Grosjean at the Bahrain Defence Force hospital on Monday.

It added that treatment was going well and “it is anticipated he will be discharged from the care of the hospital on Tuesday”.

There was no word on whether Grosjean would be able to race this weekend when the Bahrain circuit hosts the Sakhir Grand Prix, second of a Middle Eastern triple-header that ends in Abu Dhabi the following weekend.

Miami-born Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi, a grandson of twice world champion and double Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson, is one of the team’s official reserve drivers along with Swiss F2 racer Louis Deletraz.

Grosjean is due to leave Haas at the end of the season along with Danish team mate Kevin Magnussen.

Mick Schumacher, son of seven times world champion Michael and the current Formula Two leader, is expected to join the team next season with Russian Nikita Mazepin tipped to be the other driver.

Both drivers are in Bahrain but next weekend will be the Formula Two title decider.

“We have always got a plan in place, but at the moment my plan would be, if he (Grosjean) is OK, to get back in for the race in Bahrain next weekend,” Steiner told reporters on Sunday.

“That is his decision, I will not interfere with that one. He needs to make that one up with himself. I follow his guidance there.”