Felipe Drugovich will drive with Aston Martin in FP1 in Mexico

A Brazilian will indeed be back in Formula 1 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico. Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 Formula 2 champion with MP Motorsport, will take over the seat of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso during the first free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix (October 25-27). The Spaniard will only return to the track from the second session.

This decision is taken within the framework of the FIA regulations, which require each team to replace each of its two regular drivers at least once in the season with a rookie (a driver who has done less than two Formula 1 Grand Prix). Aston Martin had not yet complied with this requirement this season.

A well-deserved opportunity for Drugovich

This session will be an opportunity for the Brazilian driver to discover the single-seater in real conditions for the first time this season, after having already participated in three free practice sessions for the British team: at Monza in 2023 as well as in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023. A just reward for the immense work he has done this year in the simulator at the Aston Martin technology campus. The main person concerned is, moreover, delighted to be offered this opportunity. “I am really excited at the idea of driving the AMR24 for the first time – I have been looking forward to it for some time. I have spent a good part of the year working on the development of this car in the team’s simulator, so it will be useful for me to feel the correlation between the simulator and reality.”

« The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a track that I have never driven on before. It is a challenging circuit with a mix of long straights and technical corners. So, I will spend time on the simulator before the event to be ready for the first free practice session,” concluded the Aston Martin academy member. His boss, Mike Krack, is also very pleased to give Drugovich a chance, with the Briton acknowledging his talent and already unveiling Drugovich’s program for this session.

» We are delighted to give Felipe this first opportunity to drive the AMR24 during the free practice session in Mexico. Felipe is regularly present at Silverstone in our simulator, contributing to the development of this car through his detailed and thoughtful feedback. It will be an enriching experience for him to hit the track in Mexico. During the session, Felipe will work with the team’s planned running schedule, collecting vital data to support our decision-making throughout the rest of the weekend and helping us to set up the car.

After the 24 Hours of Le Mans and IndyCar, the Brazilian driver will take the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Moreover, this will certainly not be his only opportunity since Aston Martin still has to give Lance Stroll’s seat to a rookie. With three sprint races remaining, the final round in Abu Dhabi seems like the ideal place to do so, and Drugovich could once again drive for Aston Martin.