Aston Martin Confirm Felipe Drugovich Will Drive Tomorrow Hinting At Lance Stroll Uncertainty
Aston Martin has confirmed that Brazilian racing driver Felipe Drugovich will be participating in the final day of pre-season testing with the team ahead of the upcoming F1 season.
The announcement follows uncertainty over Aston Martin's driver line-up for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, due to Lance Stroll's absence from the testing sessions. Stroll had to sit out the testing after sustaining injuries from a biking accident in Spain. The extent of his injuries is not publicly known, but it is rumoured that he may have broken his wrists.
Aston Martin has not yet announced its line-up for the Bahrain Grand Prix, as the team hopes that Stroll will be fit enough to return to the cockpit. However, the addition of Drugovich to the line-up for the final day of testing suggests that the team is preparing for the possibility of Stroll being unable to compete.
Drugovich had already been called up to participate in the first day of testing, but his run was disrupted by electrical issues. He will have another opportunity to get behind the wheel of the AMR23 on Saturday, driving the morning session before Fernando Alonso takes over in the afternoon.
The additional testing time is likely to be valuable for Drugovich, should he be called upon to take part in the entire race event next weekend. It would be his grand prix debut after he joined the Aston Martin programme last year on the same day he was crowned the 2022 Formula 2 champion.
Drugovich was also given his FP1 debut in Abu Dhabi last year and participated in the post-season young drivers' test with Aston Martin. Aston Martin has two reserve drivers in its pool this year, with reigning Formula E World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne also available if needed.