F1
Felipe Drugovich to leave Le Mans to replace Lance Stroll in Canada
Eric Alonso / DPPI
Felipe Drugovich could participate in his first Grand Prix of Formula 1 in Canada, on June 15, if that were to be the choice ofAston MartinThe Brazilian would miss a second consecutive participation in the 24H of Le Mans, scheduled to race alongside Jack Aitken and Frederik Vesti at the wheel of the No. 311 Cadillac. “First of all, we must wish Lance the best [Stroll]. For Le Mans, Formula 1 has always been my priority and I maintain it.", announced the 2022 champion of Formula 2 to journalist Thiago Fagnani, from the Brazilian channel Band.
Having withdrawn on the eve of last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, Lance Stroll will undergo wrist surgery in the coming days to relieve pain that has appeared in recent weeks and is linked to an even earlier incident. He suffered a fracture and displacement of his right wrist, as well as a partial fracture of his right hand after a mountain bike accident in February 2023. He had already undergone surgery, preventing him from taking part in pre-season testing that same year.
A dream opportunity for Drugovich to make his Formula 1 debut
The first member of the Young Driver Development Program, and since 2022, Aston Martin's reserve and simulator driver, Felipe Drugovich has since accumulated driving time with the British team. He took part in the last three post-season tests and was able to try the Pirelli 2026 tires last September. This year, in Bahrain, during the last of his seven test sessions with Aston Martin, he finished 82 of a second behind the driver he could replace on home soil. If Lance Stroll were to be replaced in Canada, Drugovich therefore appears to be a logical first choice for the English team.
In Barcelona, Mike Krack, Aston Martin's executive director of track operations, detailed the pain the Canadian driver experienced throughout the weekend: "For the past few weeks, he kept talking about pain. I'm sure he was in a lot more pain than he was letting on. It got worse until he told us, 'I need to get checked out,' after qualifying."
The team's press release does not specify the length of his absence. However, he could miss his home GP in two weeks, at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. As a reminder, the same amount of time separated his cycling accident from his sixth-place finish at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.
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Lucas Paul
04/06/2025 at 11:40 a.m.
Yes Alain, like you, a former driver, did Le Mans in the 60s, he must drive there, a victory at Le Mans is more important than one in F1 and as you say not straight away at Aston....for a long time!
Alain Féguenne (Luxembourg)
04/06/2025 at 03:01 a.m.
It's a difficult choice, I know F1 is the best for any driver, but in this case, as a former driver, I will choose Le Mans, the biggest race in the world... At Aston, there will be no follow-up... 😎👀👍👀🤔
Yves-Henri RANDIER
03/06/2025 at 10:49 a.m.
It makes sense for the Brazilian, who is waiting for the opportunity to start a Grand Prix. That said, he certainly has a better chance of shining at Le Mans with Cadillac than of shining in F1 in Montreal. All he can gain from being in the Aston in Montreal is to prove that he can perform better than the only permanent driver in the F1 field, unwittingly and willingly.