Felipe Drugovich, the 2022 FIA Formula 2 Champion, has completed his first FIA Formula 1 World Championship test with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team since joining the Silverstone-based outfit as a development driver.
The Brazilian, who will race in Formula 2 for the final time next weekend as champions are not allowed to continue within the championship, completed more than three hundred kilometres on board Aston Martin’s AMR21 at Silverstone last week.
By exceeding this distance in a Formula 1 car, Drugovich has overcome the final hurdle that could have prevented him from running in an official free practice session, and he will now compete in the opening practice for Aston Martin next weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
“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.”
Mike Krack, the Team Principal at Aston Martin, said Drugovich adapted quickly to the AMR21 and impressed everyone within the team trackside and back at the Silverstone factory with his intelligence, performance and feedback.
“Felipe did an excellent job during his Silverstone test session,” said Krack. “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.”