F1: Felipe Drugovich clears final hurdle ahead of Aston Martin debut

Felipe Drugovich enjoyed his first experience of Formula One power last week as he completed more than 300 km of running in the AMR21 at Silverstone, making his debut with Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team.

Felipe, fresh from winning the F2 Championship in Monza, quickly got to grips with the team’s 2021 Formula One car. The testing mileage means the 22-year-old Brazilian has completed the requirements to be granted a Super License to drive in the first free practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix [using Lance Stroll’s car].

 
Felipe is also set to drive as the nominated young driver at the season-ending Abu Dhabi test on Tuesday November 22nd.
 
Felipe Drugovich said:
“It is amazing to have my first experience of a Formula One car. I learned a huge amount and we did all the necessary work and mileage to be ready for Abu Dhabi. The weather was a bit tricky, but we did quite a few laps on the dry tires before running on the wet tires at the end of the day. The performance of the car was so impressive: the smoothness of the gearshifts, for example, and the lateral grip means you can carry so much speed into the corners. I really enjoyed the day; it was my first chance to start working properly with the team at the track. Big thanks to everybody who made it possible.”

Mike Krack, Team Principal, said:
“Felipe did an excellent job during his Silverstone test session. He quickly adapted to the car and the changing conditions, and was on the pace after just a handful of laps. It is always exciting to see a young driver complete their first laps in a Formula One car, and Felipe really made the most of the opportunity. He is an intelligent driver, worked well with the engineering team, and impressed us with his professionalism, performance and feedback.”