The 2024 FIA Formula 2 championship marked Enzo Fittipaldi’s fourth in the series. The 23-year-old Brazilian-American racing driver with a deep-rooted motorsport heritage joined Van Amersfoort Racing after a successful 2023 season with Rodin Carlin. Unfortunately, the Little Shark, as fans affectionately call him, could replicate his 2023 success or even that of 2022. Fittipaldi finished the 2024 F2 championship 15th in the standings with 61 points.
A memorable 2024 Jeddah F2 round
Fittipaldi was one of 24 aspiring racing drivers on the 2024 F2 racing grid. Unfortunately, though the Van Amersfoort driver would have come into the season with high hopes, he found himself struggling throughout the season. Despite this, he did enjoy some notable highlights.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of his season was the 2024 Jeddah F2 round. Fittipaldi showed his talents behind the wheel, reminding all of his potential in the sport.
After a successful qualifying session, he found himself starting P6 in the sprint under the reverse-grid conditions. Fittipaldi put in a steady performance despite the disruptions caused by others’ misfortune. This excellent performance earned him his first podium finish of the season after race winner, Richard Verschoor was disqualified due to a technical infringement.
His performance in the next day’s feature race was even more impressive. Despite several laps under Virtual and normal Safety Car conditions, Fittipaldi claimed a resounding win, made more notable by his beautiful, precise double-overtake on Maini and Crawford on Lap 13. This was a memorable race for the young driver and will go down as one of the most impressive performances of his racing career.
This win, in addition to being his first in a F2 feature race, was also an emotional one for the Van Amersfoort Racing driver. He dedicated it to his late great-uncle Wilson Fittipaldi, a former racing driver, who died in February 2024 at 80 years old.
A series of bad luck in 2024
Unfortunately, Fittipaldi would not enjoy much success in 2024. Though he would score points in five more races, he would, for the most part, struggle to make it to the front of the grid. It was as if he had lost the spark that had shone so brightly in previous seasons.
This culminated in him parting ways with Van Amersfoort Racing ahead of the 2024 Lusail F2 round. This brought his fourth F2 season to a premature end as he was replaced by 2024 GB3 runner-up John Bennett in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Fittipaldi ultimately ended the championship in 15th position with only 61 points, a disappointing end to his time in F2.
Light at the end of the tunnel
While Fittipaldi’s time in F2 may have come to an end, he holds on to several promising prospects in motorsport. November 2024 saw a promising advancement with an opportunity arising in the form of an IndyCar evaluation with Arrow McLaren at the Thermal Club, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Emerson Fittipaldi.
“Arrow McLaren will satisfy their allotted evaluation test with Enzo Fittipaldi at The Thermal Club on Tuesday, November 19,” read a team statement according to motorsport.com.
Fittipaldi’s future in motorsport remains uncertain as he has not yet his plans for 2025. However, after a mostly promising career in the lower categories, he will likely return to the race track. IndyCar may be a perfect fit, especially with his family ties to Arrow McLaren.
