It has been a fairly disappointing few years for Felipe Drugovich since leaving Formula 2.
The Brazilian had enjoyed a successful junior career, winning the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 title in 2017/18, as well as the Euroformula Open Championship and Spanish F3 in 2018.
The following year, Drugovich made the step to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, where he only managed one points finish all year and finished 16th overall. Despite this underwhelming season, the 24-year-old made the step up to Formula 2 with MP Motorsport in 2020.
That year, Drugovich registered three wins and four podiums to finish ninth. The Brazilian moved to UNI-Virtuosi Racing for 2021 and went better in the championship with eighth, despite not winning a race.
The 2022 campaign would see a whole new level, as Drugovich returned to MP Motorsport and dominated the championship, winning the title by 101 points with five wins and 10 podiums in total.
Felipe Massa says that Felipe Drugovich losing his sponsorship ‘ended’ his Formula 1 chances
Unfortunately for the F2 champion, things have not really progressed in the way he may have hoped it would.
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During the 2022 season, Drugovich served as Aston Martin’s reserve and development driver. The Brazilian continued that role in 2023, as well as being the reserve driver for McLaren.
Drugovich had been tipped to drive for Aston Martin full-time in 2024, but was snubbed by the team as owner Lawrence Stroll opted to retain Fernando Alonso and his son Lance Stroll.
Speaking with Motorsport Brasil, former F1 driver Felipe Massa, who raced in the sport from 2002 to 2017 with the likes of Sauber, Ferrari and Williams, highlighted that sponsorship denied Drugovich that F1 chance.
“Several drivers who won Formula 2, GP2, not in the first year, didn’t have a chance to enter Formula 1. Some yes, and the majority no, show that’s it, of course not in this environment, unfortunately, right?” he said.
“But I think it went a bit wrong, right? He [Drugovich] found a Brazilian sponsor, right? They invested in the team, in Aston Martin, so they could try to make him the chance to enter in Formula 1 and they believed in what they went through where Drugovich could be here next year.
“Now one driver is Alonso and the other is the owner’s son. I can’t understand how it happened that it came to the end of the year where things changed, and they took away the team’s sponsorship and his chance ended.”
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Felipe Massa predicts Felipe Drugovich to move to the WEC
Aston Martin will keep their current line-up of Alonso and Stroll for 2025, putting Drugovich once again on the sidelines.
The Brazilian has only appeared in four races since leaving F2 in 2022, those coming in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series this season.
With his F1 chances looking incredibly slim, Massa believes that Drugovich could make a permanent move to the WEC. As it happens, Aston Martin are entering the Hypercar class next season with the Adrian Newey-inspired Valkyrie.
The team have already completed numerous tests ahead of their entrance to the sport, as Aston Martin are currently searching for their drivers for 2025. With his endurance outings this season, Drugovich could be a frontrunner to land a drive with the team in the WEC.