A flare-up of wrist pain—cited as the official reason for his withdrawal in Barcelona—has cast serious doubt on Lance Stroll’s presence at his home Grand Prix in Montreal, following surgery. Should the #18 driver be ruled out, the top name among Aston Martin’s reserves would be Felipe Drugovich. The 2000-born Brazilian dreams of making his F1 debut during the Canadian weekend but is reluctant to get ahead of himself. The 25-year-old from Maringá is currently listed among the drivers participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and is trying not to “go crazy” while waiting for a possible call from Silverstone.
Formula One or Endurance? Canada or Le Mans? Felipe Drugovich finds himself in a delicate yet pleasant limbo. The Brazilian driver, currently preparing to race his Cadillac in the 24-hour event at La Sarthe, is still uncertain about his plans for the upcoming weekend. In the days following the Catalunya GP, Lance Stroll underwent surgery to address his wrist issue, and his presence in Montreal remains in doubt. Felipe Drugovich is the frontrunner for a possible replacement but doesn’t want to dwell on it: “I’m going to fully focus on this commitment. I want to think I’ll be racing in the most beautiful event of the year,” he said at the Le Mans “Pesage”.
Felipe Drugovich eager: “I’m talking to the F1 people about Canada, but I don’t want to go crazy”
The 2022 F2 champion’s top priority remains F1, as he has already made clear in recent days. For this reason, the 25-year-old Brazilian will be checking his phone frequently, waiting for a potential call from Aston Martin’s headquarters. “Clearly, there’s an opportunity for everything in life. I still don’t know what will happen, but my approach is to stay focused on Le Mans.”
Many thoughts are swirling through Felipe Drugovich’s mind, but he’s trying to stay light-hearted: “If I start thinking about what could happen… I might go crazy!” he admitted. “I’d lose focus on everything, so I prefer to live normally as if nothing’s happening. Over the last two weeks nothing has occurred, even though I’m obviously talking with the F1 team. We know the situation, and I’m their reserve if needed.”
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