Christian Fittipaldi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christian Fittipaldi |
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Fittipaldi in 2006 as a Stock Car Brasil driver
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| Nationality |  Brazilian |
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| Born | 18 January 1971 São Paulo, Brazil |
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| Related to | Wilson Fittipaldi (father) Emerson Fittipaldi (uncle) Pietro Fittipaldi (first cousin once-removed) Enzo Fittipaldi (first cousin once-removed) Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. (cousin) Max Papis (cousin-in-law) |
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| WeatherTech SportsCar Championship career | |||||||
| Debut season | 2014 | ||||||
| Current team | Action Express Racing | ||||||
| Racing licence |  FIA Gold |
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| Car no. | 5 | ||||||
| Engine | Chevrolet 5.5L V8 | ||||||
| Co-driver |  João Barbosa Sébastien Bourdais |
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| Starts | 47 | ||||||
| Championships | 2 | ||||||
| Wins | 7 | ||||||
| Poles | 6 | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st in 2014, 2015 | ||||||
| Finished last season | 3rd (2017) | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 2008 2003–2013 2005–06 2002–2003 2003 2002 1995–2002 1992–1994 1991 |
American Le Mans Rolex Sports Car Series A1 Grand Prix NASCAR Winston Cup Series ARCA Re/Max Series NASCAR Busch Series CART Formula One Formula 3000 |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| 1991 | Formula 3000 | ||||||
| Awards | |||||||
| 1995 | Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year | ||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Teams | Minardi, Footwork | ||||||
| Entries | 43 (40 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||
| Career points | 12 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1992 South African Grand Prix | ||||||
| Last entry | 1994 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 135 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1995–2002 | ||||||
| Team(s) | Walker Racing Newman/Haas Racing |
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| Best finish | 5th (1996, 2002) | ||||||
| First race | 1995 Grand Prix of Miami (Bicentennial Park) | ||||||
| Last race | 2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante (Mexico City) | ||||||
| First win | 1999 Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America (Road America) | ||||||
| Last win | 2000 Marlboro 500 (Fontana) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 16 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 44th (2003) | ||||||
| First race | 2002 Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 2003 UAW-GM Quality 500 (Charlotte) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 102nd (2002) | ||||||
| First race | 2001 GNC Live Well 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
| Last race | 2002 Mr. Goodcents 300 (Kansas) | ||||||
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Christian Fittipaldi (born January 18, 1971) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He competed in many different types of motorsport. These included Formula One, Champ Car, and NASCAR.
Christian was a very promising young driver in the early 1990s. He took part in 43 Formula One races. He drove for the Minardi and Footwork teams from 1992 to 1994.
He finished fifth in the CART series in both 1996 and 2002. He won two races and came in second at the 1995 Indianapolis 500. This earned him the Rookie of the Year award for that race.
Christian also had great success in sports prototype racing. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona three times: in 2004, 2014, and 2018. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2015. He won the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen in 2013, 2016, and 2017. He also won two IMSA SportsCar Championships with Action Express Racing in 2014 and 2015.
Christian comes from a famous racing family. His father, Wilson Fittipaldi, was also a Formula One driver. His uncle, Emerson Fittipaldi, won the Formula One World Championship twice and the Indianapolis 500. His cousin, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr., is also a racing driver. Christian is also related to Pietro and Enzo Fittipaldi, who are Emerson Fittipaldi's grandsons.
Contents
Christian's Early Racing Days
Christian Fittipaldi was born in São Paulo, Brazil. He was named after Christian Heins, another Brazilian racing driver. Heins passed away in a crash during the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
In 1988, Christian finished second in the Brazilian Formula Ford series. The next year, he was third in the South American Formula 3. In 1990, he won the Formula 3 Sudamericana title. He also placed fourth in the British Formula 3.
In 1991, Christian moved to Europe to race in Formula 3000. He won two races and had seven podium finishes in ten races. This helped him win the championship against Alessandro Zanardi. After that, he finished third in the Macau Grand Prix of Formula 3.
Racing in Formula One
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Christian joined Minardi in Formula One in 1992. Minardi was one of the smaller teams at that time. He scored one point in 1992. Christian was the first Formula One driver born in the 1970s.
In 1993, he scored five points in the Drivers' Championship. However, the team decided to let him go before the season ended. The next year, he raced for the Footwork team. He finished fourth twice, which gave him six points for the season. At the end of 1994, Christian decided to try racing in the United States.
Competing in CART Series
Christian Fittipaldi started his CART career slowly. He was known for being consistent rather than super fast. In 1999, he won his first CART race at Road America. By then, he was a strong contender for the championship.
One of his big achievements was finishing second in the 1995 Indianapolis 500. This earned him the Rookie of the Year award for that race. However, he broke his leg twice while racing in CART. The first time was at the Surfer's Paradise race in 1997. Even with these injuries, he returned and won two races. He never won a CART championship, but he was a top competitor.
NASCAR Racing Adventures
When his Champ Car career paused, Christian Fittipaldi moved to NASCAR. He raced three times in the Busch Series in 2001 and 2002. Even though he didn't have big results in those races, he caught the eye of Richard Petty.
In late 2002, he signed with Petty Enterprises. He made his first Winston Cup race at Phoenix. In 2003, he raced in his first (and only) 2003 Daytona 500. He also made a few appearances for Petty in ARCA races. Later that summer, Christian became the driver of the famous #43 car. He faced some challenges but stayed with the team, driving the #44 car.
Success in Sports Car Racing
Christian Fittipaldi also had success in sports car racing. He won the 1993 24 Hours of Spa and the 1994 Brazilian 1000 Miles.
He first raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2003. He finished sixth with the Bell team. In 2004, he was one of the drivers who won the 24 Hours of Daytona. He then raced in other Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series events. In 2006, he won a race in Phoenix and finished second at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.
Christian competed full-time in the Grand-Am series in 2006 with Eddie Cheever Jr.'s team. He also raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year, finishing seventh in his class. He continued to race in Grand-Am and Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.
In 2011, he was invited to race in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Action Express Racing. He finished third overall. In 2012, he raced with them again and finished fifth.
Christian became a regular driver for Action Express in 2013. He won two races, including the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. He also had two second-place finishes. In 2014, he won the Rolex 24 at Daytona with João Barbosa and Sébastien Bourdais.
Motorsports Career Highlights
Christian Fittipaldi competed in many different racing series throughout his career. He achieved notable results in various championships, including Formula 3000, CART, and IMSA SportsCar Championship. His career included many races and podium finishes across different types of motorsport.
See also
In Spanish: Christian Fittipaldi para niños
