Max Verstappen has a lot of admirers due to his recent exploits in F1. Amongst them is Enzo Fittipaldi, Red Bull Junior Team driver and grandson of the 2-time F1 world champion, Emerson Fittipaldi.
According to the reports, the Brazilian former F1 driver has outstanding debts of $5,000,000. Emerson is facing more than 60 lawsuits in his country, Brazil, while he leads a comfortable life in the United States.
His grandson, Enzo, was recently recruited by Red Bull’s driver academy and currently races for Carlin in the 2023 F2 championship. The youngster hopes to break into F1 and become as successful as Verstappen.
Enzo Fittipaldi names Max Verstappen as his inspiration
Max Verstappen dominated F1 in 2022 and is repeating the feat in 2023. The driver remains one of the best in the current grid and has no weaknesses. His fast and aggressive style has won the hearts of many, including Enzo Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi revealed in an interview for his team Carlin, “At the moment, Max Verstappen is my favorite Formula 1 driver. He is very aggressive on the track. He’s fast everywhere: in qualifying and in the race.”
Verstappen is known for his aggressive, elbows-out style of racing. His peculiar driving style has evolved over the years, but he remains one of the most aggressive drivers on the grid. He also accepts nothing other than the race win as a good result, which Fittipaldi admires.
The 21-year-old believes he shares a similar driving style as the 2x world champion. Like Verstappen, Fittipaldi aims to make a mark in F1 by sticking to his driving style and emulating the Dutchman.
Can Enzo Fittipaldi break into F1?
Like Max Verstappen, Enzo Fittipaldi also dreams of racing in F1 someday and becoming a world champion. The Brazilian is a talented prospect and is being monitored by Red Bull.
Red Bull has a history of producing talented drivers and potential world champions. The Milton Keynes-based team has produced the likes of Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, and others who have become successful F1 drivers.
However, the backing of the Austrian giant is not enough for an F1 seat. Red Bull also demands results which the young Fittipaldi needs to be considered for an AlphaTauri seat.
He won the 2018 Italian F4 title, moving to the F3 champions. However, in 2020 he finished the championship 15th before moving to F2. Fittipaldi finished the 2022 season in 8th position and is currently 7th in this year’s standings.
He is yet to secure a win in his junior categories. This is not an impressive resume for Red Bull, who have talents like Liam Lawson, Sebastian Montoya, Isaac Hadjar, and Ayamu Iwasa on the waitlist for an F1 seat.
Fittipaldi’s elder brother Pietro had also tried becoming an F1 driver but remained unsuccessful. He remains a reserve driver for Haas, having replaced Romain Grosjean for two races in 2020 and tested previously for the team. Pietro also races in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota.
