Drugovich Eyes Brazil's F1 Return After Colapinto Buzz

Inspired by Colapinto’s rise, Drugovich is eager to reignite Brazil’s F1 legacy with hopes of joining the elite grid soon.

He won’t have a full-time seat in F1 next year, but Felipe Drugovich remains valued for his work: the Aston Martin F1 reserve driver and former F2 champion, tasked notably with developing the team’s new simulator, will be on track today in Mexico, taking part in FP1 in Fernando Alonso’s car.

The Brazilian even stepped in for Fernando Alonso at the press conference yesterday in Mexico, as the two-time world champion was unwell.

“In fact, the only thing that wasn’t planned was this press conference,” he smiled to the media.

“My best wishes to Fernando. But I’m really looking forward to it.”

What’s the plan for Felipe Drugovich in FP1? What will he be focusing on in particular on the Mexico track?

“The main plan is to focus a bit on the team’s needs. We’ll be running development tests, collecting data, and hopefully, I’ll get to have a little fun at the end, pushing a bit more. But it’s a new circuit for me, so I have to be careful with the car. Hopefully, it will be a good session.”

There’s plenty of work to do within the team: the updates introduced in Austin didn’t quite deliver. What’s fundamentally wrong with this Aston Martin F1?

“In terms of feel, it’s hard to say. I’ve never driven this car, so it’ll be my first time with the 2024 version. From last weekend, the updates didn’t seem to click right away. But like any update, a bit of optimization is needed. Let’s see how they perform on this track, which is very different from Austin. Whatever the feel, I mainly want to enjoy myself and do my job for the team.”

The young driver is filling in for Fernando Alonso in FP1, while the Spaniard reaches his 400th Grand Prix milestone this weekend. How valuable is it for Felipe Drugovich to be part of the same team as the most experienced driver in F1?

“It’s really cool. Understanding what he does, everything he does on track each weekend as a reserve driver, is impressive. He has different approaches from what I was used to. Seeing his way of tackling things, his attention to detail, is impressive. It’s a real pleasure to work with him.”

Colapinto is giving Drugo ideas…

Felipe Drugovich must be watching with interest the excitement and enthusiasm among Argentine and Latino fans for Franco Colapinto, now a full-time driver with Williams F1. Argentina is showing that its passion for F1 is still very much alive.

And Brazil? If Felipe Drugovich were to bring Brazil back into the F1 starting lineup, does the Aston Martin F1 driver think the enthusiasm would be equally strong?

“Yes, absolutely. Even during my small appearances in FP1 and others, there was already a big response in Brazil. Everyone is very excited about the prospect of having a Brazilian driver on the grid again. It would be fantastic to represent the country someday.”

“What’s happening for Franco is great. It’s been a long time since there was an Argentine driver in F1, and you can see how much it was missed. I think it would be the same for Brazil, maybe even bigger, because Brazil is such a large country. Thanks to Senna, a lot of people are eagerly waiting to see a Brazilian driver succeed in F1 again.”