Pietro Fittipaldi is the last addition to the 2019 DTM grid

The Belgian outfit WRT (W Racing Team) announced today that Pietro Fittipaldi will join the team in their first season in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters). The rookie team will have all-rookie line-up because the second driver Jonathan Aberdein is also a newcomer in the DTM.

After last week’s official test at the Lausitzring, the 22-year-old Brazilian, grandson of two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi and current Hass F1 Team test driver, has been chosen to fill up the seat of the Audi RS5 Turbo DTM. His teammate in the #27 Audi would be the 21-year-old South African Jonathan Aberdein, who spent the previous season in the Formula 3 European Championship.

Team WRT’s pair of Audi RS5s

“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 Guenther 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,” team boss Vincent Vosse said.

“Vincent Vosse has formed a kind of junior team, which perfectly fits to our idea of a DTM customer team. I am glad we could give WRT a hand in signing Pietro as their second driver for the DTM season opener,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass.

“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. The test at the Lausitzring went very well, we did a good job and tested everything we wanted to test. 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 familiarise 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,” Pietro Fittipaldi said.

The 2019 DTM season will kick-off at Hockenheim on May 3-5 with eight Audi cars on the grid, six BMWs and four Aston Martins as a replacement for Mercedes. After Fittipaldi’s announcement, all seats are fullfiled.