Aston Martin has signed the newly crowned Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich to its driver development programme.
Drugovich won the F2 title on Saturday at Monza with three races remaining in the championship. On the same day he signed his new contract with Aston Martin before it was officially announced on Monday.
As part of his deal, Drugovich will drive this year’s Aston Martin during first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and again at the post-season young driver test at the same circuit. In 2023, he will complete a test programme in the 2021 Aston Martin F1 car and attend a number of races with the team.
“For me, 2023 will be a learning curve: I will be working with the F1 team, but my primary goal is to learn and develop as a driver,” Drugovich said. “I hope that will give me an opportunity to race in Formula One in the future.”
Aston Martin’s executive chairman, Lawrence Stroll, added: “We have watched and admired Felipe’s path to success in Formula 2 this year, and we aim to provide him with all the skills and experience necessary to be able to take the next step in his career.
“In the fullness of time, it would be the ultimate validation if he were to become a Formula One driver, joining the great pantheon of Brazilian racing drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna.”