Test and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich has expressed his willingness to step in for the Canadian Grand Prix, even if it means missing the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 25-year-old Brazilian is preparing to participate in the world-famous endurance race with Cadillac. Regular Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll had to miss the last Spanish GP due to a recurring injury. It is possible that he will also be absent in Canada.
Lance Stroll and Aston Martin announced after the qualifying for the Spanish GP that the Canadian driver had to unexpectedly withdraw from the race. He was again suffering from his right hand and wrist, which he broke in a cycling accident during the winter break in 2023. The British racing team, despite having reserve driver Felipe Drugovich on standby, could not appoint a replacement — after all, Stroll had already qualified.
During the upcoming race weekend in Montreal, Felipe Drugovich was originally supposed to be absent. The former Formula 2 champion was set to compete with Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti for Cadillac’s hypercar team during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This famous race takes place on the same weekend as the Canadian GP. Although it is unknown whether his contract with Aston Martin allows him to miss Le Mans, Drugovich has already confirmed that Formula 1 takes precedence.
Bottas and Vandoorne
In a conversation with Brazilian reporter Thiago Fagnani, he stated: “At this moment, I do not know exactly what is going to happen. First of all, I want to wish Lance (Stroll, ed.) all the best. Before Le Mans, Formula 1 has always been my priority, and that will not change for the time being.” Other possible replacements for Stroll are Valtteri Bottas and Stoffel Vandoorne. However, the latter also has commitments in Le Mans; he is driving for Peugeot in the hypercar class.
In 2022, Drugovich clinched the Formula 2 championship with the Dutch team, MP Motorsport. Since then, he has been working as a test and reserve driver in Aston Martin’s training program. In 2023 and 2024, he clocked numerous laps during various free practice sessions and test drives in the AMR23 and AMR24 respectively. Two years ago, he recorded the second-fastest time in FP1 during the race weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Lance Stroll was absent from the recent Spanish Grand Prix due to a recurring injury (Aston Martin).
