Fittipaldi was back in the Formula E paddock for the inaugural São Paulo E-Prix last year, the first time the championship raced in Brazil in its nine-year history. It has been a long time coming, and Fittipaldi wasn’t going to miss out on the action - especially as he grew up in the state!
“It’s fantastic,” the racing legend said on the grid before the E-Prix, which was won by Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans in a thrilling showdown.
“I was just talking to the mayor of São Paulo, and now we have Formula E and Formula 1. I am from São Paulo, and we are very happy to have Formula E here. The first year Formula E has flown the flag in Brazil in Latin America after Mexico. It will be great.”
He wasn’t wrong. The amazing race had an insane 114 overtakes and was one of the best in the championship’s history, with constant swaps for the lead! The nature of the 2.933km circuit was made up of three long straights and tricky chicanes - proving to be a challenge for even the most experienced of drivers.
“I was very impressed with the down the straight, the speed and the acceleration,” added Fittipaldi - who got behind the wheel of the GEN1 car in 2018 ahead of the Julius Baer Zurich E-Prix.
“Talking to Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi, the cars are very powerful and very difficult to drive. It is great, and Formula E is growing all over the world and the racing is wheel-to-wheel. It is a fantastic formula and is the vision of Alejandro Agag, Jean Todt, and Alberto Longo, who is here too. If you think about 10 years ago, someone comes to you and said, ‘we are going to do an electric formula’, you think, ‘oh, come on’, but here we are.
As for his predictions, the double F1 champ didn’t want to give any names but was fascinated to see how the strategy would work out.
“Who is going to be drafting to save energy? Who is going to be leading? It is difficult to say that is why Formula E is exciting to watch because you never know until the end of the race how much the driver is diminishing the battery or how much he has to go.
“This technology is going to be in family cars in the near future, what they’re learning here. It is a fantastic way to learn for all the car manufacturers.”
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2024 São Paulo E-Prix Round 4
The São Paulo E-Prix gets underway on Friday 15 March with Free Practice 1 at 16:25 local time.
WATCH: How to watch or stream Formula E's Sao Paulo E-Prix where you are
Then it's on to race day on Saturday 16 March as Free Practice 2 kicks off the day at 07:25 local, qualifying follows at 09:40 local with lights out on Round 4 at 14:00 local/17:00 UTC.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.