Aston Martin's Drugovich Steps In for FP1 in Mexico

Felipe Drugovich will replace Fernando Alonso in FP1 at the Mexican GP, marking his debut in Aston Martin’s AMR24.

Aston Martin F1 has announced today that Felipe Drugovich will take part in the first practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix later this month.

Drugovich, the team’s test and reserve driver, will hit the track during the 60-minute opening session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, replacing Fernando Alonso, who will return to his seat for the second practice session.

This will mark Drugovich’s first outing in the AMR24, a car he has helped develop through his intensive simulator work at the team’s technology campus. By participating in the practice session, the Brazilian driver will partially fulfil the team’s requirement to have a rookie participate in two free practice sessions, with another session scheduled later this year.

“I’m really excited to drive the AMR24 for the first time,” said Felipe Drugovich.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a while! I’ve spent much of the year working on developing this car in the team’s simulator, so it will be valuable for me to feel the correlation between the simulator and reality. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a track I haven’t driven before. It’s a challenging circuit with a mix of long straights and technical corners, so I’ll spend some time in the simulator ahead of the event to be ready for Free Practice 1.”

Team Principal Mike Krack added: “We’re delighted to give Felipe this first opportunity to drive the AMR24 during a practice session in Mexico.”

“Felipe is a regular presence at Silverstone in our simulator, contributing to the development of this car with his detailed and thoughtful feedback. It will be a rewarding experience for him to take to the track in Mexico.”

“During the session, Felipe will work through the team’s planned run program, gathering vital data to support our decision-making for the rest of the weekend and helping us fine-tune the car.”