Felipe Drugovich is one of the many talented drivers around the world, who just can’t find their way into F1. He won the F2 Championship in 2022 and many believed that a stint in F1 was right around the corner. Unfortunately, two years have passed and the Brazilian driver continues to spend his time on the sidelines as Aston Martin’s reserve. Still, he isn’t giving up on his F1 dream just yet.
In an interview with The Race, Drugovich said,
“I’m not here to complain. Obviously, it sucks, but I can’t complain. There’s opportunities but you need to be in the right place at the right time. So… it’s not finished. So we’ll see!”
Drugovich’s optimism doesn’t reflect the developments behind the scenes at Aston Martin. Lance Stroll (whose father owns the team) doesn’t look to be leaving any time soon. Neither does Fernando Alonso, who signed a contract until at least the 2026 season, earlier this year.
Fernando Alonso has signed a contract extension to remain with Aston Martin until at least the end of 2026 pic.twitter.com/eVtYmAD7hX
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 11, 2024
While Drugovich isn’t losing hope yet, it seems difficult for him to get an opportunity with Aston Martin soon, owing to the factors mentioned earlier.
After 42-year-old Alonso penned a new deal, Drugovich explained how times are changing in F1, and how drivers extending their careers is making it difficult for the younger talent to receive an opportunity. However, this was not the only concern Drugovich raised while explaining why there are fewer opportunities in F1 now, compared to the yesteryears.
Felipe Drugovich believes F1 teams no longer have issues with their budget
Several years ago, most of the teams who weren’t at the front were struggling with finances. As a result, they often looked for the best talent in the driver market to get a huge chunk of sponsorship money or commercial revenue. That in turn, would also help the teams succeed on the track.
However, ever since Liberty Media took over, teams have been in a much healthier financial state. Due to this reason, Drugovich believes that teams have no reason to risk signing a rookie.
Finishing the weekend with my first @IndyCar top ten here in Detroit!
A bit frustrated about the race today, we had the pace to do much better.. but it’s fine. I’m learning race after race and I already can’t wait to see what we can do in Road America with @ArrowMcLaren pic.twitter.com/7BdSqxiBVv
— Théo Pourchaire (@TPourchaire) June 3, 2024
Instead, they prefer sticking to their experienced and familiar line-up, with the hope of a turnaround in performance. Talented drivers like Drugovich and 2023 F2 winner Theo Pourchaire have missed out on F1 seats as a result.
Drugovich is currently Aston Martin’s reserve driver and is preparing for Formula E. Meanwhile, Pourchaire is competing in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren.
