Antonelli\u2019s ascent to the highest echelon of single-seater motorsport was one that hundreds of teenagers dream about. Fitzgerald, a late bloomer having started karting at 16, was no different, despite how grandiose the goal may have seemed. But then came the crash. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m super grateful for my mental health in that period,\u201d Fitzgerald says, recalling that awfully difficult time in his life two years ago. \u201cI just moved past that day and put the blockers on. <\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t look back.\u201d <\/p>\n
The day in question was 1 July 2023. Fitzgerald, racing for Irish junior team RPM Motorsport, was involved in a horror incident on the Kemmel Straight at Spa-Francorchamps in a Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race. In heavy rain, with visibility next to nothing, a multi-car chain reaction resulted in Fitzgerald colliding with Dutch driver Dilano van \u2018t Hoff, who tragically lost his life<\/a> at the age of 18. <\/p>\n \u201cWe definitely shouldn\u2019t have been racing,\u201d Fitzgerald tells me of that day, bringing into focus the recent decision to delay the start of this year\u2019s Belgian Grand Prix in wet conditions<\/a>. On that day, it was caution over jeopardy but regrettably, it wasn\u2019t in 2023. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are levels of rain, but we simply couldn\u2019t even see. I was trying to open my visor just to see. Eau Rouge was completely blind and the conditions were awful. It was a really bad decision from the organisers and it was obviously all just so unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll were among those who raised concerns about the race, particularly given the section of Spa circuit where the incident occurred. It brought back tragic memories of Anthoine Hubert\u2019s fatal crash<\/a> in 2019, just before the Kemmel Straight at Raidillon. <\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I\u2019m really surprised it didn\u2019t affect me in the way most people would imagine,\u201d Fitzgerald admits. \u201cThat could very easily have f***** most people up.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitzgerald, just 19 at the time, suffered four broken vertebrae in his lower back and a broken elbow. A few months later, he returned to training and eyed a new racing journey in the United States, in a feeder series to IndyCar. But quickly, it became apparent that his back would become a persistent issue of debilitation.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Dutch driver Dilano van \u2018t Hoff, 18, died after a tragic accident in a FRECA race at Spa in July 2023 (Instagram – dilano_vant_hoff) Less than a year later, the constant pain and painkillers all became too much: it was time to call it a day. In hindsight, his eagerness to return to the cockpit would not be so overwhelming, given his experience. <\/p>\n \u201cIf the same thing happened now, I would just call it quits straight away,\u201d he says, in his first interview since hanging up the helmet last May. \u201cThere\u2019s more to life than racing. Yeah, a perspective shift\u2026 that\u2019s what it is. <\/p>\n \u201cI never thought about stopping, it was all about \u2018when can I get back?\u2019 F1 was always the goal but then it shifted to IndyCar. But now, my back is screwed. For the first year, I couldn\u2019t sit down on a chair and now, I don\u2019t go 10 minutes without chronic pain. It was just impossible for me to compete at a high level. <\/p>\n \u201cI was so happy with my decision to quit, it\u2019s the best decision I\u2019ve ever made. It was such a weight off my shoulders.\u201d <\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Fitzgerald suffered four broken vertebrae in his lower back and a broken elbow (Instagram – adamfitzgerald__)<\/p>\n Perhaps it was his late calling to racing which made the transition to normal life more palatable. Fitzgerald, in his early teens, had ambitions to become a professional rugby player, getting as far as trials for provincial team Connacht at openside flanker. It was only a chance encounter with a friend which persuaded his father to take him to Athboy Karting Centre in County Meath, where compatriot Alex Dunne\u2019s motorsport journey also started<\/a>. <\/p>\n Fitzgerald loved it. In the space of three years, with the Covid pandemic sandwiched in the middle, the Galway native progressed from karting \u2013 where he \u201cstruggled a lot\u201d \u2013 to British F4 and then FRECA, the last step before F3 and beyond. Prior to his debut season, he even appeared on Ireland\u2019s famous RTE talk programme The Late Late Show. <\/p>\n![\"Dutch](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1759253410_876_newFile-4.jpg\")
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