‘I waited three years for an F1 seat that never came – this is what I learned’ | F1 | Sport

Felipe Drugovich’s recent motorsport history serves as a precautionary tale for future Formula Two champions targeting a seat on the F1 grid. The Brazilian racer stormed to one of the most dominant title wins in series history in 2022, but spent three years on the sidelines waiting for an opportunity that never came.

Drugovich was signed to Aston Martin’s driver development programme after his Formula Two title win, and completed seven FP1 sessions over a three-year period as part of his test and reserve driver duties.

On multiple occasions, Drugovich came agonisingly close to getting his chance in F1 machinery. His most notable near-miss came when Lance Stroll fractured both wrists ahead of pre-season in 2023. The Brazilian was on standby, only for the Canadian driver to make an unexpected recovery in time to race in Bahrain.

The 25-year-old was also reportedly involved in talks with the Cadillac F1 team for a seat in 2026, but these did not produce the desired outcome. After three years of waiting, Drugovich put pen to paper on a contract with Andretti to race full-time in Formula E next season.

While his commitment to the F1 cause yielded no race opportunities, Drugovich does not necessarily regret his decision. He told Express Sport: “It depends on the way you are looking at it, I think. Of course, we never know the future.

“We never know how it’s going to pan out, and if I had stayed three years as reserve [driver] and got the chance, in my last race of three years, everyone would say, ‘Oh, again, we were wrong and that was the right thing to do.’ But at the same time, it’s something that I, you know, try to look at the positives.

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“I learned as much as I could during these three years, and actually, having looked on the other side of the helmet and, you know, looking at drivers from outside, I think that made me learn a lot more than what I thought I would. So that was a good thing, and I think the change came in the right moment.

“Of course, if I knew how it was going to pan out these three years, of course I would have at least done full championships before. Because that’s what I love to do. I love racing, but at the same time, I thought it was important to actually do everything that I can to get a place there [in F1]. And if it didn’t happen, then I would switch to other stuff, and yeah, here I am.”

Drugovich will make his Andretti Formula E debut on home soil at the Sao Paulo ePrix in early December, partnering former series champion Jake Dennis.