Aston Martin give Development Driver Drugovich first taste of Formula 1 machinery

Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich has been given his first experience behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car after taking part in a 300km test in the AMR21 at Silverstone last week.

Fresh from winning the Formula 2 championship, Drugovich was announced as the first member of Aston Martin’s Driver Development Programme. The Brazilian racer has now gone behind the wheel of the team’s 2021-spec racing car, completing the required mileage needed for him to be granted a Super Licence.

This means Drugovich now has enough points to get behind the wheel of Lance Stroll’s car in the first free practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, before taking part at the season-ending Young Driver Test at the same Yas Marina Circuit.

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“It is amazing to have my first experience of a Formula 1 car,” said Drugovich. “I learned a huge amount and we did all the necessary work and mileage to be ready for Abu Dhabi. The weather was a bit tricky, but we did quite a few laps on the dry tyres before running on the wet tyres at the end of the day.

“The performance of the car was so impressive: The smoothness of the gearshifts, for example, and the lateral grip means you can carry so much speed into the corners. I really enjoyed the day; it was my first chance to start working properly with the team at the track. Big thanks to everybody who made it possible.”

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack added: “Felipe did an excellent job during his Silverstone test session. He quickly adapted to the car and the changing conditions and was on the pace after just a handful of laps.

“It is always exciting to see a young driver complete their first laps in a Formula 1 car and Felipe really made the most of the opportunity. He is an intelligent driver, worked well with the engineering team, and impressed us with his professionalism, performance, and feedback.”